Step Inside the Hawaiian Stunner Wall Street Journal Readers Crowned the 2018 House of the Year
It might be fair to say that dream homes come in all different styles—some people prefer mansions; others prefer cottages. Some like city homes, while others prefer the country. But if there’s one conclusion we can come to based on the overwhelming victory of the Wall Street Journal’s reader-voted House of the Year, it’s this: Most people apparently prefer multi-million-dollar Hawaiian villas overlooking the ocean.
Of the more than 270,000 votes submitted for the annual House of the Year contest—which pulls together the world’s top real estate listings from the previous year—more than 75 percent were cast for this 5,500-square-foot Kauai estate. And if a gorgeous Hawaiian beach home sounds like a no-brainer, consider its competition: The property beat out 51 other luxury properties from New York to California, 17 of which were waterfront and all of which together had a median price tag of $7 million.
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Heaven in Hawaii, a contemporary four-bedroom house perched on Kauai’s south shore, comes in a little steeper, with a listing price of $13,000,000 ($3 million less than its original ask). But the brand-new escape, built for a financier in Arizona, also comes with a whole lot of perks.
Set on 1.46 hilltop acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the villa boasts seven spacious patios and a separate open-air yoga pavilion facing the sea. Other blissful alfresco amenities include an infinity pool, hot tub, coldwater plunge pool, multiple outdoor showers, and beautiful tropical gardens that frame the estate.
That zen-inducing design approach continues indoors, where natural materials like warm Sapele wood, honed granite, and stone clad the surfaces. Soaring ceilings and accordion doors welcome in the Hawaiian breezes and connect the indoors and out. Four bedrooms are spread throughout, with a luxurious master suite—complete with its own zen garden, hot tub, and steam shower—placed comfortably away from the others for peace and privacy.
If that doesn’t make you want to pack up and move immediately, here’s more good news: You don’t really have to pack at all, because this getaway comes fully furnished—low-slung modern furniture, antique surfboards and all.
Worth the $13 million? Our vote says yes. The stunning Poipu, Hawaii, property is listed with Susan Higgins of Hawaii Life.
