Hawaii has always been a special place in the American market for luxury homes. The islands are really beautiful. That is a fact.. It is more than that. The beauty of Hawaii has an impact on the way homes are designed. Every decision about what a home looks like is influenced by the beauty that surrounds it. The Pacific Ocean is not a nice view. It is a part of the home.

For the people who design homes in Hawaii like architects and interior designers in Honolulu and for the people who own these homes the Pacific Ocean is a factor to consider. It is an opportunity but it is also a challenge. The question is not what to hang on the walls. It is how to make sure that everything inside the home is worthy of being next to the scenery outside.

The people who are designing homes on Oahu, Maui the Big Island and Kauai are coming up with some great ideas. They are thinking carefully about what they're doing and they are reflecting a new way of thinking about what luxury means. The people who can afford to buy these homes are starting to think about what is important to them and that is changing the way homes are designed in Hawaii.

The thing that makes high-end homes in Hawaii special is not what they are made of or how they are decorated. It is the way they are designed to bring the outside in.

The idea of combining outdoor spaces is not new in Hawaii. For a time people have thought of the lanai as a necessary part of the home not just something extra.. Because of the trade winds it has always made sense to have open spaces that let the breeze in. What is new is how well people are doing it now in really expensive homes.

Nowadays the best oceanfront homes in Hawaii are designed with walls that can be completely opened up and big glass windows that let you see the ocean without anything getting in the way. The ceiling goes all the way from the inside of the house to the outside so it feels like one space. This does not just give you a home with a view it makes the home part of the view.

The people designing these homes are thinking a lot about how the materials they use work with the light. They like using concrete because it looks good with the light in Hawaii it does not look forced. When you pair concrete with teak or special kinds of rock or plaster it creates a nice atmosphere, inside the home. Hawaiian homes made with these materials feel really special especially when the sun shines on them in the afternoon.

In Hawaiis luxury homes people are not looking for finishes anymore. What they want now are things that're real and come from nature. Affluent buyers and the people who design their homes are looking for materials that have a story behind them that have texture and that remind them of the world around their homes.

People are using koa wood a lot more in custom woodwork, cabinets and special walls in homes. Koa wood is a tree in Hawaii that is very important to the environment and looks really nice. It has a brown color with nice patterns that change when the light hits it which makes it look very deep and nice. You cannot get this look with wood that's not from Hawaii.

Volcanic rock is also being used a lot in homes from kitchen counters to bathroom floors to the rocks outside that lead into the house. On the Big Island this rock is especially nice because it looks like the land around it. It makes the house feel like it is part of the islands story.

People are also getting better at finding and using craftsmen to make special things for their homes. They are buying custom furniture from artists, special textiles that are woven by hand and look like they are from the Pacific Islands and custom ceramic pieces made by artists who live on the islands. These special pieces are being used alongside things from designers from around the world. The best homes, in Hawaii are not just choosing between global things they are using both in a way that is thoughtful and careful.

The idea of making homes a healthy space is not about having a yoga room or a sauna anymore. In Hawaii, where people buy expensive homes they think about wellness when they plan the space pick materials design the sound and set up the lighting. This is changing what people want in a high-end home.

People who buy homes in Hawaii want to be comfortable without needing air conditioning all the time. So architects are going back to ideas like using big roofs to block the sun putting windows where the wind can come in and using materials that keep the temperature just right. This way the home feels really comfortable not just like the temperature is being controlled. This matters to people who actually live in their homes in Hawaii not visit sometimes.

Now people who design homes in Hawaii think about air quality how much natural light gets in and how to keep things quiet. They also think about how to bring nature into the home like having plants, water features and natural materials. This is not just about making the home look nice it is about making it a better place to live. For example having a living wall in your bedroom is not for show it is actually good for your sleep and waking up.

Homes in Hawaii that cost a lot of money often have rooms just for wellness, like cold pools, saunas, meditation rooms with special sound and light and workout rooms that are just as nice as the rest of the house. These are not just features they are actual rooms, in the home.

The way smart home technology is being used in luxury homes in Hawaii has changed a lot. We do not see screens and complicated control panels like we used to. Now smart home technology is more subtle. It really looks sophisticated.

The people who buy these homes are very experienced when it comes to home technology. They have used it in their homes and they know what they like. What these people want in their homes in Hawaii is home technology that works on its own without them having to do anything. They want home technology that can control the lights and the temperature and the security system and the music system without them having to learn how to use it every time they visit.

One of the ways to see how smart home technology has matured is in the lighting. We are seeing lighting systems that change color and brightness during the day. These lighting systems are designed to work with the light that is available on each island. People are putting these lighting systems in their homes and their vacation homes. The effect is very subtle. It really does make a difference in how people feel.

Music systems are also being hidden from view. We are seeing speakers that are built into the ceiling and the walls. These speakers are set up by experts so they sound great. People can listen to music in one room or, in the house. They can even listen to music outside. It sounds great with the sound of the ocean. This is what people expect when they buy a luxury home.

Smart home technology is also being used for security. We are seeing security systems that are hidden from view. These systems can recognize peoples faces. They can be monitored from afar. They are designed to work with the landscaping so they do not stand out. This is what people who buy luxury homes expect when it comes to security and smart home technology.

The connection between being good to the environment and the value of luxury homes in Hawaii is not something people just talk about anymore. It is about money now.

People who are buying homes at the top of the market in Hawaii are looking for properties that meet environmental standards. They want homes with panels, ways to store energy systems to collect rainwater and designs that keep the home cool without using a lot of energy. Homes like these are worth money and the difference in value between these homes and regular luxury homes is getting bigger.

This is partly because it costs a lot to pay for electricity in Hawaii. It is also about how it feels to own a home that does not hurt the environment. In a place like Hawaii, where the environment's very important people who own homes here care about this.

The people who design the inside of homes and the architects who work on luxury homes are finding that the materials that are best for the environment are also often the ones that look the best. Old wood has a lot of character that new wood does not have. Plaster made from things gets better with age in a way that regular walls do not. Upholstery made from wool, linen and organic cotton lasts longer, than the kind made from materials. When you think about it sustainable luxury is good design that will last for a long time.

Hawaiis light is really something. It changes a lot throughout the day. It is very warm and intense. This is different from the light in parts of the United States. The people who design homes in Hawaii have learned how to work with this light. They know how to use color and materials in a way that looks good in Hawaiis light.

The colors that people usually use in homes in Hawaii are pretty simple. They like to use whites, deep charcoals, weathered teaks and a kind of terracotta color that comes from the earth. These colors are not random choices. They are chosen because they look good with the light that comes into the homes at times of day. They also look good with the colors of the landscape and the ocean that you can see outside the windows.

When you do see color in these homes it is usually used in a thoughtful way. For example you might see a room with furniture that is a deep blue color like the ocean.. You might see a kitchen with a green island that looks nice with the natural stone around it. Sometimes people hang art that brings the colors of Hawaiis plants inside but it is done in a way that does not compete with the view outside. This is what makes a home look not just decorated.

The lighting in homes in Hawaii is also very important. During the day you do not really notice it because the natural light is so nice.. At night the lighting becomes the main thing that makes the home look nice. It helps to create a feeling in the home after the sun goes down. It also helps to make the home look nice from the outside whether you are looking at it from the water or, from the garden.

For luxury real estate investors and developers active in Hawaii the link between interior design and property value is hard to ignore.

Properties that have been carefully designed where interior architecture, materials, furniture and lighting all work together do better than properties when it comes to sale price and time on market.

This is not about using fancy finishes.

Buyers at this level can tell the difference between a home that has been decorated and one that has been properly designed.

They appreciate custom millwork that fits perfectly with the architecture lighting plans that suit each rooms layout and furniture that works with the views and traffic flow.

For buyers thinking of construction or big renovation in Hawaii getting luxury interior design involved early on is a smart move.

It is best to bring them in alongside the architect from the start than waiting until construction is finished. This way interior and architectural design can work together to produce results. Trying to fix design issues on just cannot match the results achieved when design and architecture are integrated from the beginning.  Luxury interior design in Hawaii can make a difference in the outcome of a project. The value of design is clear, to buyers and it pays off in the long run.

Hawaii has a group of people who do luxury interior design. This group is smaller than the ones in New York, Los Angeles or Miami.. Because it is small it has made some really great things. Some interior designers in Honolulu have learned how to work with Hawaii in mind. They know a lot about the materials we have here the people who can build things and the rules we have to follow. They also know about design from around the world.

The best designers in Hawaii are not trying to make things look like they do on the mainland. They want to make things that're truly Hawaiian. They want to use materials that make sense here and create spaces that work well with the land and the water. At the time they have to meet the expectations of their clients, who have seen the best work from all over the world.

What makes some designers in Hawaii really stand out is that they know a lot about how things work like where to get materials and how to build things. They also have ideas and can take care of their clients just as well as designers anywhere else, in the world. This is what separates the designers who are really changing the way people live in luxury in Hawaii from those who are just doing what everyone else is doing.