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Magnificent
Bedrooms of Kaanapali Kohola
await your enjoyment as you overlook Kaanapali's North
Golf Course & the Breeding Grounds of Maui's Humpback
Whales. |
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Similar
to the pattern of humpback whales, developer Gary
Mason and his wife Janet visit Maui every winter.
They, too, travel south from their home in the Pacific
Northwest to relax on the sunny shores of the Valley
Isle, where they watch the whales breach magnificently
over the sea, set aside time for a few rounds of
golf, and just sit back and revel in Maui's collection
of unique Island art. One of their favorite things
about these trips is the opportunity to stay in
their own Hale Kohola- "Home of the Playful
Whales."
It all began when, after playing his thousandth
or so round of golf on the Royal Kaanapali Golf
Course during one of his numerous West Maui vacations,
Gary spotted the site for his future retirement
home that could both appease his wife's love of
whales and his own passion for golf. The two-story
residence is situated directly adjacent to the seventh
green of the north course, in the Kaanapali hillsides
overlooking the famous breeding ground of the graceful
humpback whale.
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"In
1988, we rented a house on that same street, and
we saw two vacant lots sitting there. We always
wanted to retire in Hawaii, so I inquired about
the lots," Gary explained. "As it turned
out, the lots were not on the market but they were
indeed available. They belonged to John Newcombe,
the Australian tennis pro. We completed the purchase
in 1989, began construction on the house in March
1993, and completed it in September 1993.
I think we set a record."
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The
Masons, who created their own interior design, knew
exactly what they wanted from the start.
"I did the design and gave my ideas to the
architect, Paul Stommel [of California]. He was
able to put most of my ideas to paper on almost
the first time through," Gary says.
"This house has a lot of us in it; we did it
for us." |
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A
design very different from traditional Polynesian
homes, the Mason's retreat is bright and cheery
with white stucco walls inside and out, elements of
Island colonial and plantation style on the exterior,
and a fun, colorful interior with an unusual selection
of Island art by popular Maui artists such as Robert
Lyn Nelson, Jerry Morgan, and Steven Smeltzer.
"It was a collaboration between artists. It's
like an art gallery, which is what I wanted,"
Gary says. "I collect art. The house is
designed to display a lot of different types."
The most spectacularly unique feature is a nearly
life-size three-dimensional sculpture of a humpback
whale and her calf, which is suspended from
the ceiling in the central two-story atrium foyer,
hence the name, "Home of the Playful Whales."
However, whales weren't always part of the plans. |
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| "During
the building phase, most of the actual construction
was supervised by my partner and co-homeowner Garland
Nelson. We shared ideas as we went along, and we made
some changes when we came upon Jerry Morgan,"
explains Gary. "Someone suggested that we look
at his artwork. Once we saw it, and it was so
unique, we knew we wanted to use him. The house needed
something else to personalize it, and his work
just kind of set it off . . . We told Jerry
to just let his imagination run wild." |
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"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.
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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. |
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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. |
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Also
at the back of the house are two more small guest
bedrooms, tucked away in the far corners off the game
room area.
Central to the atrium foyer is a staircase with a
fountain at the base; the water trickles down
a rock wall speckled with miniature sculptures of
mermaids and whimsical old men's faces, and into a
small shallow pond adorned with a spouting whale sculpture.
The sculptured pieces are works by Maui artist Steven
Smeltzer.
The best views in the house are found on the second
level. "The view is all up, which is why the
sleeping quarters were designed on the first floor
and the kitchen and family room are upstairs,"
Gary says. |
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The
stairway leads to the center of the second floor,
which is another vast chamber with somewhat of a
fishbowl feel, due to the expansive windows all
the way around. A sweeping view of the Pacific,
Molokini Crater, and the islands of Lanai and Kahoolawe
dominates the south side of the room, which is virtually
all window.
French glass doors open onto the lanai, which extends
the entire width of the house overlooking the ocean.
Above the doors is a crescent-shaped stained glass
work of an underwater marine scene.
While this vast upstairs area comprises several
rooms, there are no walls separating them. It's
actually one expansive area with only columns to
define the spaces. The columns also add a
sense of fantasy, as their tops were transformed
into banana treetops with fruit hanging from the
branches, another unique sculpture by Jerry Morgan.
The upstairs chamber includes a dining room and
sitting area, both of which face the ocean;
a living room area with views of the golf course,
a wide-screen television and entertainment center;
and a white-tiled kitchen, which extends nearly
the length of the house on the top eastern corridor,
offering views of the ocean and the seventh green.
In the far corner of the top floor are two tiny
bedrooms, a wet bar, and a guest bathroom. |
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The symmetrical elements of the house are echoed in
the central air conditioning system, which has two
separate controls for each side of the house, and
in the intercom system, which has speakers throughout
the home, including underwater in the swimming pool.
With a custom-made home of this style and personality,
the Masons and the Nelsons although they currently
rent their home to vacationers, plan to return to
their Island "whale" retreat again and again,
particularly when the humpbacks return to their favorite
winter spot along the sunny shores of Maui. |
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| Back
to Kaanapali Kohola Previous Photos and Rate Information |
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Nija
Rosamond
Hawaiian Islands
Travel Specialist |
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