Doris Duke's Shangri La

This morning I was able to tag along with some friends to tour the Hawaii home of Doris Duke. I had never heard of Doris Duke before, so let me share a little history with you!Doris was a multi million dollar heiress at age 13, when she inherited her wealth from her father's tobacco and hydroelectric energy empires upon his death. She married James Cromwell in 1935, who took her on an around-the-world honeymoon trip. The honeymoon sparked her interest in art, especially Islamic art, and she began purchasing pieces along their journey. The last stop on their honeymoon was Oahu, Hawaii. What was supposed to be a couple of weeks' stay here ended up being four months! She fell in love with the islands, culture and laid-back attitude. Here in HI she wasn't treated as a celebrity like she was on the mainland. She quickly purchased five acres of land on the south east coast of Oahu (Kahala area) and began planning her Shangri La. By 1937 construction had begun, and while the building itself was completed a few years later, she continued collecting art for her Shangri La until her death in 1993. 

We took the Honolulu Academy of Arts' tour - the only way to see the property. They bus you out to the home, and you are guided through by a docent. Our tour guide was Marilyn, who was so cute and informative! Pictures aren't allowed inside the home, but I did take some of the exterior. 

This is a shot from the backyard - and you can see the kids/public who are there jumping off of the wall into the water. All beaches in Hawaii are public, so anyone can walk/hike over to the area. Some highlights of the tour: the glass wall in the living room descends into the floor to open the room up to the outside, tons of beautiful patterns, thousands of intricate tiles and textiles, sliding jalis (screens in front of windows) that were carved out of different materials that also opened up to outside, fountains, gardens and the smiling camels that greet you at the front door. The camels were once in front of a store in Waikiki. When Doris drove by and saw them one day, she decided to buy them and have them at the entrance to the home, even though they weren't really Islamic! Oh, and when Doris was not allowed to return to the island after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, she allowed military access to the property, so officers were allowed R & R there. :)

CLICK HERE for my (outside) pictures from today.

CLICK HERE for the website of the property - where you can see interior shots and do a virtual tour (but it doesn't do it justice!)

So yes, this tour was amazing (if you love art and pattern), and I highly recommend it for anyone who visits Honolulu! I learned a lot today, and once again remember why I love living here so much!:)

Me ke aloha,

RAWE