Wei Lan Tien, or the House of Blue Heaven, is 6,690 square feet of paradise tucked into the southern slope of Diamond Head, a volcanic cone on the island of Oahu.
Built by Hart Wood, co-creator of the East-meets-West regional Hawaii style of architecture, the four-bedroom, 4.5-bath house has ocean views for miles. The Honolulu house, completed in 1931 for Mrs. Robert Pew, was one of a spate of private residences built by Wood.
Wood is most famous for his collaborations with another architect, C.W. Dickey. Together they designed the Honolulu Hale, the Alexander and Baldwin Building, and the Gump Building in downtown Honolulu. The pair created the blended architectural style that's now the signature of Hawaii, drawing influences from China, Japan, and Italy, as well as local styles and materials.
"Dickey and Wood began designing with Hawaiian living spaces in mind, opening up interiors, creating lanais, adding hipped roofs," according to Don J. Hibbard, author of "Hart Wood: Architectural Regionalism in Hawaii," in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Wei Lan Tien showcases this architecture in its Japanese-style gable roofline, original "moon gate" doors, and wood-beamed and paneled ceilings.
Wei Lan Tien gable roofline and lanai
Updated in 1995 by architect Jeffrey Long, the House of Blue Heaven has formal and informal dining spaces, a huge living space that opens out to an ocean-view terrace, an updated kitchen soaked in marble, and coffered ceilings with wood paneling.
Wood-paneled ceiling
Living space that opens to a terrace
The House of Blue Heaven is near the tony Kahala neighborhood, beaches, Waikiki, trendy eateries, and bars.
Kitchen
Bathroom
Unbeatable view
