Home sweet home

POIPU — A five-bedroom villa in Poipu has been chosen as Wall Street Journal’s 2018 House of the Year.

The property is listed by Susan Higgins and Matt Beall of Hawaii Life for $16 million.

Each year, the Wall Street Journal asks readers to vote on 52 properties selected from its weekly House of the Day features. In 2018, 272,804 votes were cast.

While New York and California had the bulk of the listings featured, the beauty and serenity of this estate inside the Kukui’ula community captured the hearts and minds of Wall Street Journal readers. In its matchups with other properties, this beautiful home earned 75.75 percent of the votes.

It’s impressive that a property in the middle of the Pacific Ocean was WSJ’s House of the Year.

“It resonated with the audiences,” Higgins said.

The original owner had no intention of selling when it was built, but plans changed. Higgins said what stands out is the attention to detail, inside and out.

“Every little aspect of the property is of the highest quality,” she said.

This estate sits on 1.46 acres and is positioned on its own hillside peninsula which offers commanding views of the ocean and mountains. Architect Bing Hu designed the home using naturalist elements that connect the house to its surroundings.

Sliced lava rock pillars and Sapele front doors open to views of the Pacific and a combination of warm woods and stone floors create a sense of peace and harmony.

The home has about 5,500 square feet of interior and another 1,250 square feet of covered exterior.

“It’s really quite a stunning property,” Higgins said, describing the home as intimate and comfortable.

Built for a financier, the home’s floorplan incorporates a large second-story loft that served as a trading room and overlooks the family room and kitchen.

The master suite and bedrooms are at opposite ends of the residence which adds to home’s appeal as a private sanctuary. Bedrooms incorporate private bathrooms, outdoor showers, and lanai spaces for enjoying the views, and warm breezes. Interior designer Mary Philpotts of Honolulu decorated the home, which is being sold furnished.

Outside a serene infinity pool seems to float into the sky and the ocean beyond. Lava rock walls surround the property which also includes a private guest house, yoga pavilion, hot tub, cold plunge, and beautifully landscaped gardens.

The rock work on the property cost about $1 million.

“This home was one of the first contemporary homes in the Kukui’ula community, and its clean lines and attention to detail make it a standout,” Higgins said.

Hawaii Life has had the property listing for just over a year, and another real estate company had it before that for about six months.

“When it gets into multi-millions, it takes a special buyer,” Higgins said.