Honolulu Home on Black Point Isn’t Shangri-La, But It’s Close

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Ocean Views from Everywhere. Second floor shows Master Bedroom.

Ocean Views from Everywhere. Second floor shows Master Bedroom.

Talk about location, location, location — 202 Kaikuono Place in Honolulu is two doors away from what’s arguably the most famous piece of residential property in Hawaii, Doris Duke’s Shangri-La estate.  Both are located on the ancient lava flow “toe” that juts out into the Pacific called Black Point.  It’s one thing to say you live in Diamond Head, but to call Black Point home raises your cred exponentially. It’s been estimated that were Duke’s five-acre oceanfront estate ever to make it to market, it would be the most expensive piece of residential real estate in the state. And it’s two doors down.

This side of Black Point is at a right angle to the water, so homes face a ribbon of sand-washed coastline resting below the summit of Diamond Head.  When you live here, the best part of waking up isn’t Folgers in your cup. Of course if you needed a little caffeine, you may be able to wrest a cup away from your other neighbor, Jim Nabors.

This home rests on nearly a beachfront quarter acre with 4,829 square feet under roof containing four bedrooms and four full and one half bathroom.  It’s listed with Erik Hinshaw of Hawaii Life Real Estate for $22 million.

The home was built in 2004, so it has all the architectural wizardry to take full advantage of the views. The beach stretches beyond Diamond Head lighthouse to the former home of designer Geoffrey Beene. Carol Burnett also had a home in the ‘hood.

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Entering the home, a gorgeous floating staircase greets you.  Equal parts European and Hawaiian (quality use of wood), it’s a showstopper and only a glimpse of what’s around the corners. Most beachfront homes drop their view card at the front door.  This home makes you wait … elegantly.

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First stop is the light and bright formal living room with walls of windows for the indoor-outdoor living the islands are made for. Beamed ceilings are offset by a light color palate for a refined tropical, not camp, feel. Is the large Asian screen a nod to Shangri-La’s vast collection of eastern art?

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There’s a second, upper floor living area harboring the same richness without some of the formality.  However, the views are just as stunning … as they seem to be from every room of the home.

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Outside the living room is an outdoor living room/lanai.  Here’s where you while away hours daydreaming up the coastline and watching surfers riding the waves.  This section of beach is quite popular with local surfers … the good ones, not the “bunny trail” tourists you see in Waikiki.

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Never fear, even something as pedestrian as making a snack is cause for joy.  This is not a mainland kitchen, with its white shaker cabinets and Carrara marble counters.  The palate is different in the islands — more natural, more sandy, more woody.  I have to say that as large as the view is, clearly the kitchen designer and I are on the same page.  If I can’t lay a frying pan flat in the sink, it’s being replaced.  That sink is, as friends have pointed out, “large enough to bathe a child in.”  Inset custom cabinetry and Dornbracht faucets complete the high-spec of this kitchen.

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The master bedroom is as close to camping as you can get while spending millions.  The walls of glass fade away to reveal a complete ocean view.  In back of the photographer is a private patio also overlooking the water. It’s a little like being on a raft … a very, very, very nice raft.

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Many a lady will complain about the master bath’s use of wood. But really, is it really that masculine or just a tremendously refined space?  Either way, it’s one of the absolute best I’ve seen.

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But even here, in the most private space, there’s no escaping the ocean.  A clever floating mirror may block a direct view, but peripherally, it’s still there.  You’re still mesmerized.  How could you not be?

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Even a “mere” guest bedroom gets the full treatment.  This home, with its completely integrated design has to be the kind of commission designers wait their whole life to get just once.  Every single detail has just been thought out to perfection.

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I said this home has 4,829 square feet of indoor space.  Looking back at the home, how many more square feet of lanai do you think it has?  Lots.

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For $22 million you get a tremendous house situated on an irreplaceable lot overlooking an endless seascape.  Considering we’re talking about lottery-level money here, it’s definitely the kind of happiness money can buy. A whole lot of money.

Remember: When I’m not stirring up trouble in Dallas, Texas or Honolulu, Hawaii for Candysdirt.com and SecondShelters.com, I’m off scouting interesting locations for a second home.  In 2016, my writing was recognized with Bronze and Silver awards from the National Association of Real Estate Editors. If you’re a Realtor with second home clients who’d like me to feature their journey, shoot me an email sharewithjon@candysdirt.com

 

Jon Anderson

Jon Anderson