Volcano House

A Handbuilt Island Home near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island

Designed by its owner and personally constructed by hand over eight years, this breezy island getaway lets you live immersed in Hawaii’s tropical, volcanic landscape. The home’s starring spaces are those that open via oversized doors. The bedroom has four floor-to-ceiling windows and automated roller shades, the lanai living area is enclosed by 10-foot steel rolling doors, and the bedroom and kitchen both feature bifold doors that create a seamless indoor/outdoor living experience.

The sensuous bathroom features a double vanity sink space with defogging mirrors, a walk-in rain shower and deep soaking tub. Russet woods combine with rich, lava-toned interiors, and the home’s outdoor space is surrounded by ferns, palms and succulents, revealing the dark volcanic soil characteristic of the area.

Around

Adjacent to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii’s Big Island, this home makes a great base for exploring the high altitude, active volcanoes of Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The park extends from sea level to 13,680 feet and is considered one of the world’s most unique geological and cultural landscapes. A designated International Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park contains two of the five volcanoes that make up Hawaii and is a sacred space for indigenous Hawaiians.

There are four parts of the park. The summit of Kilauea offers great views into Kaluapele, the summit caldera, the drive down Chain of Craters Road within the park offers dramatic coastal views and passes rugged lava fields, Mauna Loa is the world’s largest active volcano, and Kahuku is a remote part of the park that’s home to traditional Hawaiian heritage and cattle ranching. The Nahuku Lava tube is some 500 years old, and is almost 600 feet long and up to 20 feet tall. The space is lit during daylight hours so that walking its length is possible. Hikes through the park meander through miles and miles of varied landscapes, from lava fields and scalded places to deserts, rainforests and sea cliffs.

Stargazing in the region’s dark night skies is also a draw to the area, and the region is relatively rural, with coffee farms and ranching operations in the surrounding hills. Black sand beaches are also a major draw to the area, and the Kona Coast is dramatically beautiful and rugged.

Location

St. Volcano, Big Island, Hawaii. Nearest airport: Hilo (ITO, 30 miles); Kona (100 miles)

Best time to visit

Year-round