A Bali-Hawaii Connection

Design fans: don't miss a talk tonight by Bali architect, Popo Danes, at the Design Within Reach studio, Ala Moana.

Anyone who has remodeled a home in Hawaii in the past 10 or 15 years has no doubt been tempted by Balinese influences—everyone from furniture store owners to interior designers to architects have been importing Balinese styles to the Islands for at least that long; and with good reason, there are a lot of cultural and climatic compatibilities between Hawaii and Bali.

So Island-design junkies will want to swing by the Design Within Reach store at Ala Moana tonight, between 6 and 8 p.m., for talks by Balinese architect Popo Danes and local architectural designer Jennifer Henna Jackson, who leads architecture tours to Bali. According to DWR, “Popo will present his interpretation of successful adaptations of Balinese architectural elements in various regions, and how these elements could be integrated to Hawaii’s vernacular traditions. Danes’ pro-environmental approach in creating architectural masterpieces won him numerous contracts throughout the Indonesian archipelago, in Malaysia, Thailand, the United States and India.”

Jackson will also talk about her guided tours of Bali through her Honolulu-based company, Bahagia Travel. Full disclosure: I got to meet Danes at one of the resorts he designed in Bali while on Jackson’s architecture tour last year, an amazing experience. Both speak knowledgably and passionately about good design and how it can support happy lives and healthy cultures.

Design talks at DWR—I’ve been to a few of these, too—are always a treat, with wine and cheese platters to go with the art and conversation.

RSVP to clee@dwr.com.