It could have been a scene out of a rom-com: Buyer purchases a house on Hawaii’s Big Island with incredible views and an equally incredible interior, and is so taken with the design, had to meet the interior designer behind the project. But in this meet-cute, more than a relationship is born—so is a design business. The buyer was Lily Kanter, half of the eponymous duo behind Serena & Lily, and the house, Hale Mauna (or Mountain Home), was designed by Avery Solmssen, then a senior designer at a Honolulu-based firm. Kanter purchased the home in 2021 (“a bit of a Covid project,” she muses), and was so taken with the design—a neutral palette with a mix of various woods: ohia, mango and pheasantwood—that she asked her real estate agent to introduce her to Solmssen.
“There was a modernity to the house, but for the most part, it feels like it has this legacy,” says Kanter. “I love warmth and tradition, and it really spoke to me.” Solmssen adds of her process, “I wanted it to feel like part of Hawaii, but not the preconceived notion of what a Hawaii house looks like. Hale Mauna really has a sense of place. It feels like a warm hug when you walk in.”
The minute Kanter met Solmssen, they clicked, and Kanter asked for her help to “Lily-ize” the house. “I like a lot of color and wanted to add pops of colors throughout the home,” says Kanter. “I love fuschia and orange and wanted to bring it into the palette. We added a lot of Serena Dugan [the other half behind Serena & Lily]—I love her textiles and wallpapers.”
When Lily Kanter bought a house on the Big Island in Hawaii, she was smitten with the design and had to meet the local interior designer Avery Solmssen. The two collaborated on the house, eventually founding part design studio, part home collection, Averylily.
On the front lanai, Midas hanging lounge chairs from Roberta Schilling flank a locally sourced kiawe wood side table.
The living room ceiling features cedar beams that frame planks of ohia—a native Hawaiian wood reclaimed from the original structure. Large sliding doors open onto the front lanai.
The living room coffee table was made by Toby Wilkinson of Wilkinson Woodworks, and the pillows on the Lee Industries sectional are in Serena Dugan textiles.
The mantel is made of a piece of found wattle, and the floors are custom oak from Duchateau.
The family room sofa is placed against the back of a new basalt fireplace.
In the kitchen, a Fireclay tile backsplash is complemented by Caesarstone quartz countertops.
The primary bedroom’s wallpaper is from Serena & Lily, and the bed pillows are made from textiles from Serena Dugan.
The primary bathroom wall is lined with Taj Mahal quartzite through Arizona Tile; and the tub and tub filler are Kallista.
The bunk room features Serena & Lily bedding, and individual bunkbed lights are from Marset.
The bunk room bathroom features custom cabinets made of locally sourced jacaranda with whitewash stain by Original Craft.
The party barn features wall paneling crafted from Norfolk pine—a tropical conifer native to the area.
The picnic table in the outdoor kitchen is made by Kamuela Hardwoods.
A cedar hot tub invites relaxation.
They took the great room down to the studs keeping the layout, but the duo “didn’t want to put the television in there—that’s where the party barn comes in,” says Solmssen. The locally sourced basalt fireplace was brand new with a mantel made from a piece of found wattle. Solmssen moved it off to the side and added cedar beams to the living room to take advantage of the room and open it up. The living room’s oversized sectional wraps around a pheasantwood and mango coffee table made by local woodworker Toby Wilkinson. The floors are custom oak planks, and between the cedar beams on the ceiling are planks of ohia—a native Hawaiian wood—reclaimed from the original structure. More of Serena Dugan’s textiles pop against the neutral tones and woods.
The kitchen features custom walnut cabinets with a kelp green tile backsplash, and a Serena Dugan grasscloth lines the pantry walls. “Small touches that feel very Hawaii,” says Kanter. Another wallpaper moment happens in the primary bedroom where Serena & Lily’s Granada wallpaper is a backdrop to a colorful piece of artwork and Serena Dugan’s textiles on the bed.
In the party barn, cabinets are made from old redwood locally sourced from a water tank by Kamuela Hardwoods, and the countertops are African mahogany. “It’s nice to see what we can find here,” says Solmssen, “We have such a large selection of invasive species, and Kamuela uses them to craft furniture. Knowing a large part of the structure and furniture came from trees is rewarding. It’s like the trees are taking on personalities.” Outside the barn is a punee, a traditional Hawaiian daybed, custom-built with two full-size mattresses. “It’s a spectacular place for entertaining.”
“I am definitely eclectic,” says Kanter. “I do like a multicultural artifact, natural wood and fresh pops of white and crisp colors. I love Avery’s work and how committed she is to using local.” Says Solmssen, “Before meeting her [Kanter], I was picturing Lily Pulitzer and pearls! Once we did meet though, I realized I was way off. I can see why she fell in love with the Big Island. Lily loves the path less traveled.”
Last year, inspired by their shared admiration and collaboration, the pair launched Averylily, a design studio and a small home collection—“bedding, bath and beach, with a twist of Hawaii,” says Kanter. “It’s completely different from an omni-channel lifestyle brand,” she adds. “The product development side is similar, but we are more focused on wholesale.” The design studio is Hawaiian-centric, concentrating on hiring local artisans and using local natural materials. “There’s a soul intention with Averylily, and we want to shine a light on the talent that lives here,” says Kanter.