The winner of the 2017 Remodelista Considered Design Awards Best Amateur Living/Dining space are Ana and Luis Castillo, for their Casa de Castillo Living & Dining Space in Kealakekua, Hawaii.
“This living room space is actually a giant tent, with a soaring 20-foot-tall ceiling. It has open stud and plywood walls and painted charcoal plywood flooring. Almost all of the furniture has been procured secondhand, on Craigslist and at yard and estate sales.”
Ana Castillo’s Design Statement: “Ana and Luis Castillo are a husband and wife, amateur design and builder duo. Together they live and homestead on their seven-acre organic farm in Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii. They are avid recyclers and love to create unique spaces using salvaged materials.”
“A pair of vintage hoop chairs are adorned with sheepskin and vintage kilim pillows. A large sisal rug softens the painted plywood floors. An oak cabinet found at a yard sale houses the entertainment system.”
Ana Castillo: My husband and I moved to Hawaii from LA and San Francisco almost 20 years ago. Wild chickens lay eggs in small, raised coops and a large kitchen garden provides our family with an abundance of organic vegetables and herbs.
A: Initially, our only practical goal was to put a roof over our heads, big enough for our growing family and using only materials we had at hand.
“A large whitewashed cabinet holds an assortment of ocean-inspired accessories like an Indonesian cowrie necklace, design books, and a collection of gourds.”
Q: What solutions did you find to your design problems? Several large sisal and jute area rugs, along with a wool rug from Morocco, soften the floor space and help define the seating areas. Q: What are your favorite features of the project?
“A pair of rattan club chairs, placed atop a Moroccan wool rug, create a welcoming place to sit and read a book.”
Q: What were the hardest lessons you learned along the way? A: To be resourceful and patient. Welcome mistakes and learn from them. As a buyer at JMI, it has been an incredible perk to be able to source objects for my own home on frequent buying trips to Bali and Morocco.
Q: Where do you get your design inspiration? A: Travel, Instagram, Pinterest, design sites and design blogs like Dwell, Apartment Therapy, and of course my favorite, Remodelista!