wall of soh

wallpaper has made a grand return to the pages of design glossies and honolulu's multi-talented kaypee soh recently rolled out a new line of wall decor featuring his fabulous modern tropical designs. the new collection of wallpaper and wall murals are produced with a matte finish and both styles are removable (happy news for renters!).

selections range from subdued yet sophisticated repeat patterns of palms and pineapples to bold graphics with an island pop à la andy warhol.

there are 14 designs in all and each pattern is available in 3 colorways to complement your space (contact kaypee for details on custom colors and sizes).

stop by the so'mace gallery to take an in-person peek at the entire collection.

• where: 1115 young street
• shop hours: tue - sat, 10a to 6p & sun, 10a to 4p

so'mace grand opening

rumor has it that many readers have become besotted with designer kaypee soh's lifestyle collection so mark your calendar for the grand opening of so'mace next week which will be filled with pillows, prints, and pupus! 

• when: fri, may 30th - 5:30p to 8:30p
• where: 1115 young street
• rsvp: by mon, may 26th via email or 808.593.8780

kaypee soh lifestyle

a modern take on tropical design made in the very islands that has influenced designers from all around the world has been my sasquatch since starting h|h two years ago. always hopeful for its existence which remained ever elusive until i walked into pacific home over the holidays and stumbled upon a small display featuring linens with a happy hibiscus motif. it was like hitting the design jackpot and i immediately started to make a mental note of everyone on my gift list who would swoon for the pretty cloth confections.

alas, it turned out the display was simply a teaser for honolulu designer kaypee soh's home goods line which i learned would not make its official retail debut until the following spring.

sigh.

now that spring has sprung you can finally take a peek at kaypee's creative lifestyle collection which features hand printed pillows and accessories made in hawaii (yay!). the new line packs a tropical punch via bold graphics and understated repeat patterns inspired by hawaii and kaypee's homeland of malaysia. kaypee's artwork, which mingles layers of photography with his own illustrations, also seems to inform a few of the designs for a decorative déjà-vu (shown below: kaypee's ginger print as art and textile).

branching out to a home collection has always been on the to do list of the award-winning designer who, upon arriving in the islands from nyc with partner edward macey a few years ago, started a boutique design firm which injected their own brand of modern island style by way of print and web projects for local businesses.

online shopping is not yet available however phone & email orders are welcome, and you can get your design fix in person at so'mace's newly opened gallery space:

• where: 1115 young street
• hours: mon - sat, 10a to 5p

hele over to the star-bulletin for a look behind the scenes.

the art of lunch

warm goat cheese & nalo green salad * filet mignon sandwich

a museum may not be the first place that pops into your mind when lunchtime rolls around, but the ambiance cannot be beat and more often than not good eats are on the menu. my fella and i stopped by the pavilion café at the academy of arts after wandering through the ossipoff exhibit to sample the contemporary mediterranean menu, and were delighted to find a lovely open air setting overlooking a courtyard with a very zen-like wall of water.

the menu focuses on locally grown ingredients and we eventually settled on the very generous big island goat cheese & nalo green salad (plated with homemade focaccia) and the filet mignon sandwich (which my fella declared to be one of his favorite meals). to top it off, our waiter recommended the chocolate pot de creme, said to be a favorite of café patrons. to sum it up in a few words: dense spoonfuls of chocolatey goodness. yum! and the little artful cup that accompanied dessert was, in all its rustic handmade glory, a lesson in presentation.

dreamy pot de creme

although reservations are recommended, my fella and i were seated without a problem even though the museum was packed with people enjoying the arts during bank of hawaii sunday. since the café is only open for lunch tue through sat (11:30a to 1:30p), it's possible not too many people realize the cafe is open on the third sunday of the month.

and, fyi, the entrance fee is waived for café patrons stopping by to do lunch only.

take a peek at the menu before you go.

a day at the museum

hisam's elegant facade

we had a bit of an adventure finding the hawaii state art museum on our trip home (which i find a tad ironic considering i walked past the building every saturday morning in my youth). the museum opened in 2002 in the former ymca (and prior to that was the original royal hawaiian hotel) and houses a wonderful collection of work by island artists.

the walls are filled with artwork (herb kawainui kane, jean charlot & madge tennant are just a few of the artists represented), photography of hawaii's past & present, sculptures, and some of the nicest benches to sit upon and ponder the art before you.

our time inside the gallery was a bit of a whirlwind since the parking meter was ticking away, but even with the time crunch we managed to find a photograph snapped by my mom's high school chum on display.

a few tips:

• admission is free (but donations are welcome)
• be sure to check out the events page before you go (especially if your little ones enjoy art making)
• save time cruising the streets for a spot for your car with the very helpful parking guide

as for downtown, the museum's spanking new café by the folks behind kaimuki's town, while my lunch companions were underwhelmed with their selections i was happy with my salad made of local, organic ingredients. the space is airy and filled with light and, of course, artwork making it a pleasant spot to meet friends for lunch or grab a bite before you wander through the galleries.

despite our uneven experience, i would give it a second try considering they had only been open a little over a week when we visited and still had a few details to iron out. and, worker bees looking for something new for lunch should check out downtown's weekday quick service asap menu which sounded, dare i say, even yummier than the sit down side. check out nadine kam's review for her take.

{photo credit, no.2 : hawaii state art museum}

{update | jan 2010: the museum may be reserved for private events and makes a lovely site for a romantic wedding!}