Hawaiian Plantation Style Homes

I've recently gotten into the Hawaiian Plantation Style architecture and interior design. If you're not familiar with it, it's basically the style of houses that were built in Hawaii during the sugarcane and pineapple plantation times. The main features of this architecture style are the wide-hipped roofs and large front porches. This style is known to seemlessly blend the house with the surrounding environment, which is definitely something that I really like. I'm all about that indoor-outdoor integration design. A lot of the interior design elements also evoke this bright, airy, relaxed feel that just blends naturally with the nature. To me, that's what a home is supposed to be. It's supposed to be a comfortable space where you can sit back and relax.

A typical Hawaiian Plantation Style home

Another example of the Hawaiian Plantation Style architecture is the Westin Moana Surfrider Hotel in Waikiki. I've always been impressed by the architecture of this hotel. The interior floors are mostly dark hardwood floors with white walls, which is quintessential Hawaiian Plantation style.

Modern House Design on a Narrow Lot

I often find myself reading other blogs about modern homes in Vancouver, BC. A lot of the modern houses there are built in tune with the nature surrounding it, and are usually designed to have soft, natural tones to complement the environment. That is something that I always strive for in designing a house, and I decided to make my own. Realistically, most lots in Vancouver are about 33 x 122 of size. So it is a pretty narrow lot, and to be honest, it's a bit of a challenge to design a modern, bright, airy house while also incorporating elements of nature on a lot like that. After a lot of brainstorming, I came up with a design that is both modern and space efficient. I also added a semi-courtyard in the middle of the house to give it an outdoor living vibe and to incorporate the nature into the design of the house. 

As you can see on the drawing of the floor plan, A is where the courtyard would be. The living room (C) and the dining room (D) would benefit from this courtyard. The narrow hallway next to the stairs would also be bright and airy since it will have a large window overlooking the courtyard. I decided to make the kitchen (B) very big because for me, it's one of the most important rooms in the house and I love to cook, so a lot of counter space is always a plus. On the second floor, you can see that there are 3 bedrooms. The master bedroom (F) and another small bedroom can benefit from the courtyard too. The second bedroom (E) and the small bedroom are separated from the master by the courtyard to give a sense of privacy. As you can see, the house is plotted on a narrow lot, and it wasn't easy to come up with the perfect design for a modern house. But I think for the lot size, the house is very bright, airy, and is very well-incorporated with the nature.