4 may 2018 |
maIn stOry
Home library at Waiki‘i Ranch
showcases many novel ideas
Homeowners melanie Holt and
tim Bostock outfi tted their koa
library with a custom pool table
that they shipped from O‘ahu
and had assembled on-site.
the two-story library includes
a spiral staircase and enough
shelves for thousands of books.
aking a page from old-world
architecture of Europe, a beautiful
home library in Waiki‘i Ranch
offers the ultimate literary retreat
complete with a spiral staircase, koa
bookshelves, and Italian leather fl oors.
Designed by Waimea-based architect Clem
Lam, the elegant residence on 20 acres was the
perfect fi t for Melanie Holt and her husband Tim
Bostock after they moved here from O‘ahu 12
years ago with their family. Both avid readers,
the couple instantly fell in love with the house,
thanks in part to the library.
“We were amazed when we fi rst saw the Italian
leather fl oors on the upper story of the library,”
said Melanie. “It reminded us of my husband’s
grandfather’s home at Norfolk Lodge in England.
The fl oors are soft on the feet, easy to clean and
indestructible. We thought it was so beautiful, with a
European feeling.”
Nestled on the slopes of Mauna Kea at the
4,800-foot elevation, the stately fi ve-bedroom
residence was built 20 years ago for the head of
psychiatry of Queen’s Medical Center. Melanie
says the original homeowner clearly loved
books, as he left quite a few interesting volumes
in the library after he moved.
Melanie, who was born on O‘ahu and
attended boarding school in England, is the
daughter of renowned Hawaiian author, poet