Paradise for Rent

Homeworks Construction was selected for this five-house project, because the company is known for its comprehensive design/build talents, from knock down and infrastructure to interior design and landscaping.

Like the other four, the second home on the lot was completely designed by Byxbee’s team, but the homeowner wanted to utilize the property as a vacation rental that could accommodate two families in comfortable Island style.

“We pride ourselves on fitting the house to the environment,” Byxbee says. The floors, for instance, feature 16-inch offset travertine tiles, with honed edges, in Tuscan cream color. The effect is a rough-looking, pale surface reminiscent of coral, if only coral had a satin texture suitable for bare feet. Around the floor’s perimeter, Homeworks Construction added a touch of classic style, with wide baseboards and door casings that give the floors and walls “a little more accent,” according to Byxbee.

These design elements, enhanced by Homeworks Construction’s characteristic penchant for detail, prevail throughout this vacation renter’s beach house dream. The board-and-batten exterior, wood shake roof with copper gutters and grass-for-grout concrete driveway all suggest a classic Hawaiian beachside vibe, while the turn-of-the-century-style street lights add a charming sense of place. The home’s numerous artesian windows and its second-floor lanai are precisely placed to maximize the cross-breeze coming off the ocean—a Homeworks hallmark. “We always try to build so that AC’s just an option,” says Byxbee.

Inside, the frond-shaped tropical ceiling fans circulate air throughout the house, which is designed to be as spacious as possible. “We give homes high ceilings to make them feel more open,” Byxbee explains. For example, the home’s towering entryway ceiling shoots up to a skylight and two large, second-story windows open both levels of the house to the sunlight and trade winds. Sunlight is also welcomed into the entryway through the front French doors, which are frosted with bamboo designs for privacy.

Tropical woods and furniture create a comfortable and beach-casual environment.

“For rentals, you could have two families in the house, one downstairs and one upstairs.” Downstairs, the entryway opens into a spacious kitchen and living area, with custom mahogany sliding doors that let in breeze and brightness. Giallo Antico granite kitchen counter- and island-tops nicely complement the cherry cabinets, which echo the dark tones prevalent in the home’s wood and wicker Indonesian furnishings, from The Perfect Furniture Co.

The downstairs master bedroom has a sliding glass door that opens onto a secluded oasis. “With the landscaping, we wanted to make it feel tropical, but also to feel like its own little space,” says Byxbee. “High vegetation makes the pool private,” he adds.

The downstairs master bedroom looks out onto the backyard’s pool area.

The second-level unit is accessed via the entryway staircase. At the upstairs landing, guests find a small reading area leading to a bathroom and two bedrooms. The children’s bedroom has two charmingly distressed beds and enough space for two more, with ceilings vaulted to the peaked roofline. Luxuries in the upstairs master bedroom include a double wet bar with granite countertops, a walk-in travertine shower in the master bath, and sliding glass doors opening onto a two-person lanai. “We tried to take advantage of some of the views that are available,” says Byxbee, gesturing to the Koolau on the left and the Pacific Ocean straight ahead.

While a laundry list of quality details indicates one aspect of Homeworks Construction’s excellence, it undervalues the staggering comprehensiveness of the company’s capabilities. In addition to designing, building and decorating five elegant homes simultaneously, Byxbee points out that his team also “knocked down the five old structures that were here; we put the driveway road in; we took care of all the infrastructure—we put in the electric, sewer and water; we built a retaining wall, the rock wall out there, because we had to bring the property up a little bit; we landscaped the property, rescuing and replanting several old palm trees, and we also did the pool … ”

Right: The spa-like master tub is surrounded in travertine stone and brilliant glass block. Photos by Aimee Harris

Of course, his company’s reputation for doing it all was a big reason Byxbee was sought out for this project, and now he’s looking beyond the limits of residential homes. An upcoming restaurant in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center will showcase Homeworks Construction’s commercial building abilities in the midst of Waikiki’s big remodel.

As if they aren’t busy enough, Byxbee and Homeworks also present monthly “Build New or Re-Do” seminars from January through November, usually on the last Tuesday of the month. An exception is this month, when the seminar will be held on Monday, Oct. 30, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Byxbee notes that the company’s first contact with many of its clients has been made at the seminars.

In addition, Byxbee hosts the “Build New or Re-Do” radio show together with Mike Buck every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on KHVH NewsRadio 830AM.