2026 Vacation Home Design: Leverone Design

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By the time Matthew Leverone of Leverone Design was engaged for the interior design of a repeat client’s guesthouse in Hawaii, the two had been working together for well over a decade. “Sometimes we can even finish each other’s sentences,” he jokes. His eponymous San Francisco-based firm had previously completed her home in Atherton, as well as the main house on the Maui property.

With ample seating a priority, the living room includes a Louis Vuitton swing chair and a curved sofa and swivel lounge chair by Rogan Gregory. Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson.

In describing the latest endeavor—which provides an additional 4,000 square feet for four generations of the client’s family to relax and reconnect—Leverone invokes an analogy by the architect for the project, Greg Warner of Walker Warner: “It’s a sibling to the original house, with different personalities.” While both structures emphasize the indoor-outdoor flow and share finishes, such as the poured concrete walls and reclaimed teak flooring, “the main house is a little more buttoned-up,” Leverone observes. “The guesthouse is fun and organic, with much more exaggerated curves.”

In the powder room, a Casey Johnson Studio walnut mirror is paired with an Elementi hand-carved Jerusalem stone sink.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson.
In the open-plan kitchen and dining area, a commissioned pendant by Nic Webb (through Sarah Myerscough Gallery) drops from a ceiling lined with eucalyptus reeds. Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson.

A prime example is the living room, which includes a curved sofa, a swivel lounge chair and a sculptural bleached maple coffee table, all by Rogan Gregory, atop a Cappelen Dimyr wool rug. Meanwhile, Patricia Urquiola’s hand-knitted cord mesh swing chair for Louis Vuitton and a large-scale Suzan Frecon painting further inject texture and color into the space.

On the custom teak bed—which has a desk behind it—a cowhide pillow makes for a soft headboard element; the large-scale acrylic on canvas is by Sarah Crowner and the bronze work is by Alma Allen. Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson.
Each of the three en suite bathrooms contains a custom storage cabinet comprising natural reed by Gareth Neal; the tub and shower are outside. Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson.

Leverone incorporated custom elements throughout; among them steel pieces by Chris French Metal, millwork by Wick Rice Cabinetry and Belgian Blue limestone counters by Cooritalia. The wall treatments— from the hand-troweled plaster by TBC Plaster Artisans to the stained cypress finished by Jitner Painting— add to the home’s singularity.

A Tomie Ohtake painting with a circular motif prompted an Atelier Février rug and Pierre Yovanovitch pendants, both custom creations. Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson.
In a hangout space dubbed “the outpost,” a sectional by Leverone Design, with a plaster base and linen upholstery, offers a prime spot to enjoy the views. Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson.

Although the guesthouse was intended to accommodate visiting friends and family, Leverone notes that the client herself can often be found here. “Whenever we FaceTime,” he says with a laugh, “she’s always in that building.”