Meet the Shopkeepers of LIMB in Kakaako
Meet Ian Eichelberger and Jacqueline Davey, owners of LIMB, the Kakaako store slash art gallery that’s tiny in size but big on style.
Walnut credenza, $1,800.
Photo: Odeelo Dayondon
What are your professional backgrounds?
Ian is a licensed general contractor. He grew up building with his dad, who was sort of a self-taught carpenter. He started working in construction as a teen during summers and rose through the ranks. Nine years ago, after running jobs for reputable builders, he decided to go out on his own.
Jacqueline is now at an advertising and marketing agency in Honolulu. Previous to that, she received a Bachelor of Design degree from Emily Carr, an art school in Vancouver, and worked at a number of design studios in San Francisco, doing everything from branding and interactive work to packaging and exhibition design.
Hometowns?
Ian was born in Santa Cruz but split his time growing up between Hawaii and California. Jacqueline grew up in Vancouver, Canada.
How did LIMB come to be?
Ian has always made furniture and cabinetry. We had talked about starting a small furniture business because of the lack of options here in Hawaii, so when the opportunity arose to have a storefront, we felt it was worth a shot.
Your aesthetic?
Simple? You could classify it as mid-century, but we feel clean lines, quality materials and attention to detail are timeless.
What is your design and building process like?
We’ll talk about an idea, and then Ian goes straight into building, prototyping along the way. Jacqueline often does the finish work. If it’s a hardwood like walnut or mahogany, or something more exotic, we’ll typically oil it with Danish or Teak oil. If it’s something like reclaimed Douglas Fir or Redwood we might clear coat it with a water-based product. Usually those pieces will be used outdoors and so clear coating helps protect the softer wood from the weather.
What do you enjoy most about owning/running LIMB?
We both love the process of creating. Watching a piece of wood go from rough to milled and dressed then crafted into something functional is amazing. Meeting people who appreciate the work as much as we do is also a huge reward.
Can you tell us a little about the other artists you stock and how you select them?
We try to carry local artists or crafts people, but we make exceptions when it’s something we can’t find here. We don’t have a formal process for selecting artists or pieces. Our general guidelines are, do we love it? Is it handmade? Those are key for us.
Future goals?
We love that craft is experiencing a renaissance and would love to give more local artists a chance to show or sell their work in the shop, while continuing to develop furniture pieces.
LIMB, 687 Auahi St., (415) 425-9619.
