In 2018, Ginger Lunt acquired her midcentury Hawaiian forest home from the granddaughter of its original owners. Having grown up just up the hill, Lunt had been a frequent visitor during her childhood. She recalls playing with the great-grandchildren of the original owners—running across the koa wood floors on wintry Christmas Eves and attending sleepovers in the upstairs room, now the master bedroom she shares with her husband, James Walters. When Lunt received a cache of original documents related to the home’s history, design, and construction, she marveled. “You can tell that it was really a true labor of love,” Lunt says.
When Lunt renovated the home in 2018, she aimed to preserve as much of the original intent as possible, focusing on maintenance updates and expanding the kitchen space. While she replaced the navy blue and pink brick stone in the master bedroom with warm white walls and neutral tones, many elements from the 1950s-era home remain, including the original plumbing fixtures used for cabinet and drawer handles, the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors, and the lava stone fireplace that brings the natural world indoors.
On the mauka (mountain-facing) side of the residence, lush greenery—kukui nut, banana, and eucalyptus trees, along with ginger, hibiscus, and ferns—surrounds the home. On the makai (ocean-facing) side, balconies offer breathtaking views of the horizon and the distant Wai‘anae Mountain Range. For Lunt, the draw is in the dramatic: “You kind of feel like you’re on the precipice of this cliff, overlooking everything,” she says.
The residence is a seamless blend of form and function. The first floor offers a welcoming space for clients of Lunt’s design firm, Tantalus Studio. The second floor features the master bedroom, an office, and a nursery for Lunt and her husband’s first child. A side wing houses a materials library, showcasing stone, fabric, and tile samples, and her husband’s ceramic studio is outside, tucked around the corner.
Though Lunt has taken care to preserve the historical integrity of the home, hints of her personal aesthetic abound. An avid collector of knick-knacks and meaningful objets d’art, each item tells a story: throughout the home are island-inspired paintings by her tūtū (grandmother); the desk in her office was crafted by Lunt and her uncle from a rocking horse and an old door; the Japanese tansu cabinet near the entrance came from the Liljestrand House, a neighboring residence designed by renowned architect Vladimir Ossipoff.
The daughter of a realtor-musician father and photographer mother, Lunt was always attuned to her creative side. As a child, visiting residences with her dad, she saw the potential of what a perfect home could be. Now a homeowner and designer, she deeply resonates with the concept of the home as refuge, a place of calm and retreat. “Creating that for other people is really gratifying,” Lunt says.
The courtyard garden is a sanctuary within the home. From the balcony, Lunt recalls her wedding reception, hosted at the residence in 2022. Though rain had initially moved the party indoors, the festivities eventually spilled onto the balconies and out into the courtyard. A valet company had been hired for the reception, Lunt laughs, empathizing with the drivers who had to navigate the neighborhood’s hilly, winding roads. “It was really special to have the wedding at home,” Lunt says. “We put all these string lights up, and everyone did all their dancing in the courtyard. There was light rain and fireworks—it was pretty magical.”
