Sunrise to Sunset | An Architectural Estate Atop a Coastal Bluff Showcases the Best of Kauai’s Beauty

The Hanalei district in the North Shore of Kauai is home to epic natural beauty and some of the most valuable real estate in Hawaii. The excellent surf in the cerulean waters of picturesque Hanalei Bay, a place surrounded by verdant green mountains and peaceful valleys is just one of its lures.

“Last year in November, we sold the most expensive home ever sold on Kauai,” points out luxury real estate agent Neal Norman. At 46.1 million for 15 waterfront acres, it was also the biggest single-family home sale ever in the state of Hawaii. Less than a mile away from this home is another magnificent property, The Point at Anini Vista (MLS# 628527, $33M), designed in harmony with its near-mythical surroundings on Keawaihi Point, where it sits atop a bluff above Anini Beach. “It’s a beautiful spot because it’s a peninsula that faces East, North, and West,” Norman explains. “You get great sunrises and whitewater ocean views. Views of the lighthouse, the sandy beach, and sunset.”

Designed by Gary Tobey and Stephen Devery, two island architects of note, and built by fine home contractor Randy Weir, the gated property was crafted to soak up its natural environment at every turn. First, there’s the land—nearly 7 acres of sculpted Eden-like grounds designed by Kauai’s Martin Bryan, who focused on preserving the native trees and plants. Also, there are calming ponds that flow through the home’s entrance and along its resort-like spa and saltwater pool.

Then, a custom six-bedroom residence spanning over 10,000 square feet of interior living area—a figure that swells to approximately 18,000 square feet when covered outdoor living spaces are added. The home’s aesthetic is Balinese
in style, with a low-slung silhouette that seems to meld neatly into the manicured wild of the landscape. The home is a pod compound, with 14 units, linked together to form a whole. The benefits are a sense of privacy — the guest bedroom suites that one reaches via a fresh-air path of cut stone, feel a world apart from the master bedroom, for one — and an easy work-around that allows the units to fit neatly into the bluff’s natural terrain.

Making the most of its day to night views are the home’s oversized windows and endless glass walls, stretching from floor to ceiling. “They tried to draw no lines between the inside and the outside,” says Norman of the design. It makes sense given the estate’s incomparable location, even for Hawaii, where days begin while watching the splendor of the sun rising over the ocean, then wind down over its colorful descent into the sea.

Visit www.nealnorman.com for more information on this and other world-class Kauai properties.

Written by Constance Dunn / digs.net.