4 june 2018 |
cOVer sTOrY
The previously run-down
cottage has been transformed
into a cozy showplace by
homeowner Heidi Lee, whose
decorative choices are inspired
by her kama‘aina upbringing.
Handmade pillows sit atop two
daybeds in the living room.
French doors open up to the
newly restored lanai.
Kealakekua Bay cottage gets a Hawaii-style makeover
awaii style comes naturally to Kona
resident Heidi Lee, whose newly
renovated cottage in Napo‘opo‘o
Village showcases myriad kama‘aina
infl uences and decorative touches
inspired by her upbringing on Maui.
“I inherited my artistic bent from my mom,” said
Heidi, who grew up on Maui before moving to
upcountry Captain Cook in 1996. Just last year,
she sold her Captain Cook house after fi nding the
home of her dreams a few miles down the road in
Kealakekua Bay.
Heidi’s new home in Napo‘opo‘o previously
belonged to the late Nancy Griffi th, a worldrenowned
sailor who circumnavigated the globe
three times. Heidi was the fi rst prospective
buyer to look at the property after it went on
the market last year. It includes the main house,
plus a two-bedroom cottage that Nancy had
built for her mother.
“One day I decided I wanted to sell my house and
the very next day this place came up on Zillow,”
she said. “I walked up the driveway and my fi rst
reaction was, ‘this place needs somebody to love it
and I’m going to be that person.’ I put in an offer.
Both places closed within days of each other. For
some reason, it was meant to be.”
Only recently did Heidi learn about the
extraordinary life and times of Captain Nancy
Griffi th, as neighbors began to share their