Historic Makiki home has modern touches

It’s funny that this home at 2064 Makiki St. isn’t on the historical register, because when you walk around, elements of its historical past are well-preserved. (Click here for details.)

It was built in 1925 by Charles T. Lewis, and George Munro—who published “Birds of Hawaii” in 1944—bought the home in 1930. Interestingly enough, it was his niece, Ruth Munro, who lived there for the next 68 years until selling it to the Van Allsburgh family in 1998. The current owners bought the home in 2005.

The colonial-style home is two stories, with four bedrooms and three full baths, all under 2,485 square feet of living area. It’s important to say three “full” baths, since there is a sink quirkily located in the master bedroom’s little closet. We think the closet may have been the shaving room at one time (a common element in such old homes), and the owners converted it to hold clothes.

There are other hidden “old school” elements, like the central vacuum system in the utility closet downstairs, and an ironing board that pops out of the wall. (Click here to take a video tour with me through the home.)

That doesn’t mean the home looks old; it’s been restored with new hardwood floors and coffered ceilings. The kitchen has retained its historical charm with updated appliances and the bathrooms are completely renovated in contemporary fashion.

Another cool feature is its guesthouse, which is a charming, tiny, separate structure. Theoretically, it could be used as a rental, but it may be too small for that.

As you can see from the photos, the yard is huge—about 7785 square feet—just a lot of vertical mass in front. If you’ve got kids (or even if you don’t), you might want to grab a piece of cardboard and go sliding.

Money talk: $1,295,000 fee simple
Contact: Diane Ito, Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties, 808-222-0978, DianeI@cbpacific.com