Mauka to makai: Sweeping views take center stage in the home’s great room. Outside, a newly installed overhang allows the homeowners to enjoy their expansive deck, rain or shine.

Many people dream about having a charming old house tucked away in a quiet spot with a yard and stunning ocean views. For one lucky Lanikai family, that dream was a reality—with one exception. The house was falling apart.

After checking out the market to see what else was out there, the homeowners decided their sweet location was indeed hard to beat.  “All the houses we looked at were as bad or worse than ours,” the homeowner says, and they lacked the views and the yard the family loved so much. 

So, that was that. The family was staying, but the home would need extensive changes.

“Once we decided that this was the house we were going to live in forever and ever, we had a dream of what kind of house we wanted to live in,” she says. “We really wanted a house that was beautiful and well-constructed with our own personal stamp on it.”

An abundance of built-ins near the kitchen keeps an ever-growing collection of cookbooks within arm's reach.

To create their dream home, the couple called on Linnea Brooks and Steve Brooks, of custom home design and build firm Brooks and Brooks Inc. Linnea had designed the homeowner’s sister and brother-in-law’s house on Kailua Beach and the homeowner was impressed with what she saw.

Plus, “a lot of the houses we love, Linnea had directly worked on, so we knew that she shared the same aesthetic and sense of architectural style as us,” she says. Linnea’s business partner and master craftsman, Steve, came in to bring her designs to fruition.

Although everyone was well aware that the 1937 house had “issues galore,” no one knew quite how bad it was until the work began. Moving the original staircase near the front door kicked off the project and helped turn what was meant to be just a first-floor remodel into a total-house transformation.
“Every wall we opened from the get-go, everything we looked at, every corner—either unqualified hands had touched it, or termites got to it, or rot got to it, or it wasn’t built right in the first place,” Steve says. “We couldn’t faithfully turn around and not do what we did, because it wouldn’t have been right.”

An abundance of built-ins near the kitchen keeps an ever-growing collection of cookbooks  within arm’s reach.

Right was exactly what the homeowners wanted—and the first time. “We trusted Steve. We knew he wasn’t going to put bad on good,” the homeowner says.

Ultimately, with the exception of the deck, deck railing and floor joist, everything was replaced. “It’s pretty much a brand-new house within the same footprint,” Linnea says. With a relocated traditional staircase (now near the kitchen), Linnea revamped the original floor plan to help utilize every foot of the house. Says the homeowner, “We weren’t looking to add space. We just wanted to use the space we had well.”

Upon entering the home, it’s easy to understand where great rooms get their name. With ocean views on full display, the living room, dining area, kitchen and large deck flow freely together.  A raised tongue-and-groove ceiling, cove lighting and white board-and-batten walls lend an airy lightness to the space. Dark ipe floors provide a beautiful contrast. Custom touches are everywhere, including an abundance of built-in features, such as bookshelves and seating areas.

The team also removed a dilapidated carport just beyond the kitchen windows. Now, light and breezes fill the space. Although the work triangle of the fridge, range and sink remained intact, all the finishes were upgraded to suit the needs of the avid cook of the family. “I live in this room; I love it,” the homeowner says. The backsplash and above-average-height countertops are outfitted with classic Carrera marble, and custom cabinetry ensures the homeowner has a place for everything—even her placemat collection. Crown molding and a custom range-hood cover show the attention to detail that is the hallmark of the home’s careful design. “Steve says it’s custom-custom,” the homeowner says. “Everything in the house was basically built by hand. Every single part of it.”

BEFORE

Light and bright: Although the layout of the kitchen remained the same, upper cabinets were removed  and larger windows were added to allow for more natural light. Clean, white finishes seal the deal.

On the same floor, Linnea flipped the original floor plan of the master suite, which had a narrow hallway along the ocean side, to take full advantage of the sweeping scenery. Now it shares the deck and beautiful views through large windows, not sliding glass doors. The homeowners were adamant about keeping the bedroom feel; they weren’t looking to create traffic patterns from people coming in and out off the deck.

The master bathroom, with more marble, custom cabinetry and personal touches, features one very important thing the house previously lacked: a shower. Before the remodel, the family of four shared a downstairs bathroom with a claw-foot tub or used the outdoor shower. Says the homeowner, “It’s nice to at least have the option of taking a shower inside now.”
With plenty of space to spare, Linnea also added an area for a computer desk, plus laundry and storage rooms within the suite. The guest room, family room and kids’ rooms are on the lower level of the house, which largely retained the same floor plan but was updated with all the modern treatments and finishes as the rest of the house.

Looking ahead, the homeowners are happy to have a super-apartment of sorts on the main floor with the master suite on the same level as the living areas. “As we get older, we have this kind of one-floor house that really works.”

Inside or outside? Two dining areas give the family options at dinnertime, but, says the homeowner, “we eat out on the deck pretty much every night.”

So, after living in a falling-apart house for 13 years, how does it feel to come home to the house of their dreams? “We’re never moving,” the homeowner says. “We are so appreciative of this house. We just want to be here.”

BEFORE

Talk about a facelift. In an effort to make the home’s entrance more open and inviting, Linnea Brooks redesigned the roofline, removed the carport and relocated the driveway.

In the master bath, large corner windows highlight the home’s lush, private yard. The tub is a luxurious treat. Plus, the homeowners have what they dreamed of for 13 years: a functioning indoor shower.