May 2008

 So you like to reinvent your style. Big deal. It’s not like you’re a commitment-phobe or anything. As if. You totally committed to those attention-getting Noelani Designs shell earrings, and every night you’re married to one side of the reversible Kiri Cover on your bed. And hello, it’s a woman’s right to change her mind, isn’t it?

Yes ­– and apparently it’s a man’s wish, too. Because when James... Read more »

 How do we break this to you? The ceiling fan light – you know, the only thing illuminating your living room – is not really a lamp. Yes, it emits light. Yes, when it’s on, it’s not dark. But this functionary add-on is all about convenience, not style. It does not elevate your home décor, it does not say “this is so me.” Its only declaration is calling out every spot, wrinkle, and imperfection in your life.

Now Mark Chai’s pendant lamps – the ones that grace the chic innards of Town and Downtown restaurants –... Read more »

There’s the dining room you’ve never eaten in. The garage you’ve never parked in. And the storage unit that costs nearly as much as your rent – and unlike your house, it’s air conditioned.

You really have nowhere else to stuff your stuff.

Call Kelly Galvin, of Organized in Paradise . She can size up your space, help you find a place for everything and work out a plan to always keep your things put away. Whether you have an overflowing closet, a jumbled home office or an overflowing garage, Galvin will help you see order in the chaos.

She brings a mathematical sensibility... Read more »

How many HGTV shows have you watched where the interior designer makes a dull condo into House Beautiful in just 30 minutes?

A half hour at your place won’t even get the hall closet cleaned out, let alone a whole room designed. What you need is professional help.

At Pacific Home on Ward Avenue , a free hour of design advice from an on-staff interior designer is on tap. Their newly launched Design Bar lets you belly up with photos, floor plans and ideas for your problem room. You’ll come away with the pro’s recommendations for how to arrange furniture, maximize space,... Read more »

Last year’s hit design book Hawai‘i: A Sense of Place is still a fixture on your coffee table. But staring at that photo of an oversize pune‘e on a spacious lanai hasn’t sparked any grand ideas for your considerably cozier living area.

That’s why interior design expert Rachel Mallon of Design Savvy Maui created Room in a Book

—to help people who want to personally design their space but don’t know where to begin.

Complete an online questionnaire, provide space dimensions and pictures, and in a month or less (one week for pdf... Read more »

You’ve heard of Yogilates. Call this Therapilates.

Kailua’s new Pilates studio, Health in Harmony, offers private sessions and classes taught by Jessica Stare, who has a dual certification in both Stott and Polestar Pilates, plus a master’s degree in physical therapy.

She rehabs shoulders, backs and other injuries for her therapy patients – but her brand of individually customized Pilates can rehab your flabby abs too.

Read more »

Promises, promises. I’ll only eat healthy food (wine’s healthy, right?). I’ll exercise, really I will. And I’ll relax more, center myself and look within. Okay, but with so many pressing activities fighting for attention, who has the time?

Koa Yoga will help you win two battles at once, with thoughtfully choreographed practices to develop inner awareness that still deliver a challenging, strengthening workout. Owned by Hatha yoga instructor Leah Distad,... Read more »

Working out at home? Or just feebly doing a few leg lifts during Lost reruns? At this time of year, you figure, you’re getting the same workout you would waiting in line for machines at the gym.

But when you’re not moving much, neither is the scale.

Personal trainer Dawn Quiocho, of Buff Mama Fitness Training, is a firm believer that you don’t ever really need to go to the gym. You can lose weight, get stronger and achieve better definition using just your own body weight for resistance training. And you can do that anywhere.

Read more »

You already know, no need to be told, going to the gym each day sure gets old.

So resolve to go AWOL from the gym this year and take your marching orders from one of these outdoor boot camp classes around the island. 

Camp Bennett
These evening beach workouts with Amy Bennett, a former Marine drill sergeant and one of Oahu ’s top triathletes, will help you finally stick to your guns when it comes to exercising. Each workout is a mix of running, calisthenics and some custom training moves she Read more »

Your current  workout: monotony on the cardio machines or jogging trail (usually involving wheezing and panting). Stringy sweaty hair. Damp stinky clothes.

Nothing sexy about it.

You want a hot, new workout? Head to The Private Gym on Ward Avenue , the new location for a full schedule of pole dancing classes from Fit for a Goddess.

Since 2005, Fit for a Goddess owner and founder Ilana Fernandez has been helping women get in shape and improve crucial core strength by teaching incredible stunts and sexy strength-building moves once reserved only for strip clubs. The... Read more »