MAUI
Hale Kohola

"This was my first whale and the largest sculpture that I've ever hung from a ceiling," Jerry Morgan explains. "[The owners] originally asked for dolphins on the wall, but they pretty much gave me free reign. So I looked for areas in the house that I could use to have something jump and span across. The trick was to find a strategic spot."

The vast, high ceiling in the home made it the most likely location to hang a large-scale sculpture that would appear to be diving into the room, yet still in its own space, set apart from the rest of the design. Morgan has been creating such sculptures for six years, including the dolphins on the ceiling of the Kahana Falls  Resort and on the wall of the Blue Tropix nightclub in Lahaina.

From the dolphin bridge, the walkway leads to the front entry, French glass doors opening to a spacious two-story foyer. The entry flooring is of white and light aqua marble. The vast whiteness of the entire chamber, including white stucco walls, floors, and carpet, gives the room a refreshing open-air quality.

Immediately to the right and left of the first floor entry are two master bedrooms, identical in design and layout, but each with its own unique decor and color scheme. The Mason's room, which is to the right, features the Jerry Morgan sculpture of three playful dolphins jumping midstream, suspended from the wall above the bed. The room is decorated in a turquoise-and-black color scheme, to contrast with the white  walls. The connecting walk-through bathroom is also predominantly white, accented with light aqua in the tiled floor.

Garland and Rose Nelson, the friends and business partners with whom the Masons share their home, have the room to the immediate left of the entry. Commanding attention here is a pair of humpbacks carved in wood by local artist Bruce Turnbulló which hover over the bed. This room features a warmer tropical tone with silk island plants in every corner, including two banana  trees complete with fruit, and a graceful silk palm tree.

Each master bathroom has a large oval-shaped tub, and a separate oversized shower with a dolphin engraved on the door. The basin is partially enclosed by a diffused-glass wall depicting an underwater scene of marine life, dolphins, and whales, designed by Maui artists Ray and Diane Pizzo.

Continuing throughout the rest of the atrium foyer, a gallery of Robert Lyn Nelson paintings unfolds, leading to the main living room, referred to as the game room because of the wide selection of card and board games played here. The area is decorated in a Southwestern style with hardwood flooring and pastel-colored couch and barrel chairs of white, sea-foam green, and rose.  Tropical silk plants sit atop the beige marble pedestal tables.  Directly above the game room is the suspended humpback whale sculpture, which appears to be of a heavy plaster material but is actually sculpted from styrofoam and coated with a smooth white finish that gives it a plaster appearance.

Just off the living area is the back porch, accessible through another set of French doors. The porch itself is rather narrow, providing just enough space for a few chairs and a small outdoor table in a sunken enclave. However, a five-step stone path leads directly onto the seventh green of the Royal Kaanapali Course, giving the impression that the backyard spans the entire golf  course.