When a seasoned professional, someone who has been in the construction industry for more than 21 years, builds a house for himself and his family, you know it’s going to be good.

That’s how it happened for Benny Lee, owner of Grand Construction LLC. Two years ago, the opportunity to purchase a home on a plot of land big enough for two residences presented itself to Lee. He jumped at the chance.

A veteran in refurbishing and reselling homes, Lee knew the potential of the space, which had enough area to provide plenty of parking on Sierra Drive, where parking is scarce.

French doors off the master bedroom open to a spacious lanai, which Lee plans to furnish as an outdoor entertaining area.

What’s more, through a process called CPR, Lee was able to build another home on the existing lot. “[CPR] means you can split up an existing property into two as long as there is a common area,” says Mike Mudgett, general manager of Grand Construction LLC, who worked closely with Lee on the project. “In this case, [the common area] is a driveway and turnaround that goes down to the older house.”

Although the lot screamed potential, it also whispered long and narrow. For a family craving more space, this posed a unique test. “It was one of the biggest challenges. Long and narrow lots are always hard to build on,” Mudgett says.

A glass-paneled balcony maximizes every bit of the gorgeous view.

Lee and his team decided the best way to give the family the space they wanted was to build up and down, instead of out. They created a three-story home: the bottom level for Lee’s parents, a main level for common space and the top level for Lee, his wife and their two daughters.

The height limit in Hawaii added another obstacle. “Standard [height for a home] is 25 feet, maximum, from ground to top of roof. Because of the steep slope [the house sits on], there’s an exception that makes it a 30-foot height limit,” Mudgett says.

Lee’s favorite part of the home is the master suite, which features great views, an expansive walk-in closet and an upscale bathroom.

The team dug down about 3 feet and flattened the roof to make sure it stayed within the limit. This also maximized space to give the home an open feel. “This is a narrow house because it’s a narrow lot. So if it’s narrow and short, it would really feel cramped,” Mudgett says. The solution? Ten-foot ceilings on the first level and 9-foot ceilings on the other two.

The new heights bring expansive scenery. “This location has fabulous views,” Mudgett says. “They’re high enough to have a view, but they don’t have to travel forever around Sierra Drive to get to the top either.”

Upon entering the home, on the main level, the floor-to-ceiling mitered windows frame sights of Diamond Head, downtown Honolulu and the ocean. However, as Mudgett and Lee attest, the best views are from the master bathtub. As it turns out, the master suite is Lee’s favorite part of the home.

Interior design consultant Shea Reiner, of Redesigns, helped Lee design the indoor spaces with furniture and accessories that reflected his Chinese heritage.

Across the way, each of Lee’s daughters now has her own room—something they have never had before. The common room separating the master from the other bedrooms will serve as a TV/entertainment room where there will also be space for the girls to do their homework.

Lee’s parents will call the bottom floor home. Two bedrooms, a communal room, a full bath and a wet bar comprise the high-ceilinged space. To ensure privacy, Lee built his parents their own separate entrance. To boot, if they ever decide to move back to China (where the family is originally from), Lee will have space available to rent out. “Right now, the economy isn’t that good. Land is expensive,” Lee says. Keeping that in mind, he tries, when possible, to incorporate an option for renting out spaces in homes when designing them.

The view from the front door showcases the home’s focal point. “When you walk in the front door, you see directly out to Diamond Head and the ocean,” Mudgett says.

Seemingly small details help the home achieve a spacious feel. Reflective lighting behind the first floor’s crown molding complements higher-than-usual ceilings. This is a style Lee found in Chinese design—a motif that’s carried throughout the home.

Tall kitchen and bath cabinets on each level span to each ceiling’s height, give the family plenty of storage and add dramatic loftiness to the space. Taking full advantage of the space also meant cutting corners. Literally. One bedroom on the first floor has a back-angled corner that runs along the property line.

Part of maximizing space means creating multipurpose rooms—the den houses an office, laundry room and guest bath.

Large windows frame two sides of the cloud-level tub, providing the best views of the house.

“That’s the farthest he could go … You couldn’t get one more square foot into this house,” Mudgett says with a laugh. In the end, they maximized the homes potential, and Lee and his family couldn’t be happier with the results.