European Field Trip: Ko Olina Condo

The condos in a development, by definition, look pretty much identical on the outside. That’s why your first glimpse of what’s inside is so cool, kind of like the reveal on a makeover show.

Open the door to this renovated 1,700-square-foot Ko Olina condo and you immediately suspect the owners lived in Europe. They did, in fact, and brought that design sensibility to their island home. They hired craftsmen from all over the world and renovated somewhere to the tune of $100,000.

Just the entryway is pretty distinctive: oriental rug on the floor, an antique light fixture and painted ceiling treatment that looks like bead board. Antiques are everywhere, and if you like them, you can buy them, because the owners are moving to a retirement home and need to get rid of stuff quick. They’ll sell the whole house and it’s furnishings or sell pieces of furniture alone, so if you’re not in the market for a condo but love old stuff, like barley twist furniture, consider this your insider scoop. Everything must go!

The downstairs has an open kitchen—standard—looking out to the living area which has a built-in entertainment center made by a carpenter from the Netherlands and a custom display shelf—not-so-standard.

But what I really like is the stairs. Under the chair rail the wall is covered in woven Madagascar raffia palm accented with antique and vintage leather straps, making it look like an English steamer trunk. It manages to look very island, very cool and very Brit.

The upstairs is less ornate, more standard, but does have a few little touches: the den was converted into a giant walk-in closet, with wire shelves and double doors, and the third bedroom has a yoga wall with stretching straps built into the closet. Which means if you do yoga, this is a great bonus. And if you don’t, it’s in the closet and it takes up virtually no room.

I imagine this would be a good downsize for empty nesters; it has grown-up, lived-in feel without all that clunky extra space of a stand-alone home. But with all those cool furnishings, might just be great for the young and design-challenged. It’s anyone’s game.

For information about the furnishings for sale, please contact Ohana
Estate Sales, LLC, 348-2336, ohanaestatesales.com

Money Talk: $769,500, fee simple
Contact: Nathalie Mullinex, Nathalie Mullinix REALTY UNIVERSAL, Inc., 261-0350