My Houzz: Chic Boho Style for a Hawaii Apartment

Kelsi Vande Velden is an interior designer, a maker, a collector and, above all, a dreamer. The Wisconsin native has discerning taste and a sense of urban sophistication — a signature style she honed working at Designs of the Interior in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The free spirit now crafts sundial compass watches by hand in her home-turned-artist’s-studio on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii. Each Pandeia watch is carefully constructed from hand-cut, naturally stained leather and antique brass. There’s a natural variation in Vande Velden’s work; every watch is as unique as the person who wears it.

The inspired home she shares with boyfriend Garrett Ahrens is at once down-to-earth and chic. It’s plain to see that Vande Velden has a penchant for white. Dotted with natural curiosities, potted succulents, cowhides and cozy blankets, her textured space is a reflection of her worldly adventures and hippie sensibilities. The light and airy home has a pared-down look with a highly edited mix of earthy items, secondhand furniture and industrial schoolhouse accents. Two patios celebrate the couple’s laid-back way of life with crocheted hammocks and surfboard art.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Kelsi Vande Velden and Garrett Ahrens
Location: Haiku community of Maui, Hawaii
Size: 1,000 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom

The living room features bone-white walls and blonde wood floors. The couch sports a mock-linen slipcover and was found at Hue Interior Design & Home Furnishings on Maui. The handmade oversize cable-knit throw is from the Etsy shop Tori2.


This old library card catalog box contains 365 quotes; it came from Besselli in Green Bay. The ring of brass skeleton keys was found years ago in a warehouse in Vande Velden’s hometown.


Vande Velden found the 7-foot-long coffee table on Craigslist and bartered the price down to $200. “It was a slab of raw monkeypod that was unfinished,” she says. “My boyfriend sanded it and finished it. You should’ve seen it before.” The cowhide rug is from her leather distributor.

She came across the wood and brass tripod light on eBay. The antique farm pulley, pictured in the corner, is originally from Wisconsin. Vande Velden plans to hang it from the upstairs lanai to hoist beers up and down.

Pouf: Moroccan Pouffe in white, Ames Collective, Australia; green fern balls: Global Views


White cotton curtains from The Home Depot let just enough light in and support the apartment’s monochromatic motif. Vande Velden took her Huffy cruiser bike to an auto body shop for a paint job. It was originally powder blue; she had it changed to a lowrider shade called Cocaine White.


More fun curiosities adorn the space, like these vintage brass crabs purchased on a California road trip. Glass terrariums are home to lovely succulent gardens.


White sea urchins from the Pacific Ocean are strewn atop a Kelly Hoppen interior design book.


The monkeypod coffee table is home to brass claw-foot candlesticks given to Vande Velden by a friend.


Vande Velden found the pair of midcentury-style black glass and brass end tables at Ross. She found the white lamps at Goodwill on two different shopping trips. “It was a magical moment,” she recalls. “I went to the Goodwill once and found the same exact lamp on the next trip.”

One of the throw pillows features palm tree photos printed on fabric by Gypsy Stone, Australia. The thrift store starburst mirror was the original inspiration for Pandeia’s logo.

Lampshades: Lowe’s; gray pillow: Studded Velvet Pillow Cover in Iron, West Elm; reed diffuser: Lucia


Distressed silver lassi drinking cups from India line the windowsill. “I like the story behind the cups,” says Vande Velden, explaining that each person makes their own cup to drink out of. She found the eclectic assortment at Gypsy River.

The letters on the outside of the house spell “Aloha.” Vande Velden bought the kraft paper letters from Ben Franklin Crafts and painted them white.


The ground-level lanai features stamped concrete floors and fronts a pretty garden and pond. Tribal ikat curtains from Urban Outfitters are tied back with nautical rope and a compass. A whimsical birdcage from a yard sale was spray-painted gold. The clear glass hanging candleholders are from CB2.


Being a renter means having to come up with creative solutions instead of fantasy renovations. Vande Velden fashioned a headboard from an antique Balinese wooden door and covered what she calls the “ugly orange wall” behind it with white cotton curtains. With no space for nightstands, she hung two gold hammered-glass lights from Pier 1 Imports from the ceiling and fitted them with Edison bulbs. A dream catcher features miniature skulls, feathers, sage, quartz crystals and pinecones.

Fringed curtains 10 feet long separate the bedroom from a walk-in closet that opens onto a lanai. White birch pillars and pinecones line the windowsill. “My mom ships me boxes of tree stumps every so often,” says Vande Velden.

Rug, button pillow, throw: West Elm; ship and thunderbird pillows: Gypsy Stone


White branch wall hooks from Urban Outfitters hold Vande Velden’s favorite necklaces. Her jewelry collection includes pieces from Sparrow & Sea, Spell and the Gypsy Collective, Vega Jewelry, Alkemie Jewelry and Wings Hawaii.


A small collection of crystal balls is displayed on wooden shelves. “When my boyfriend and I first met, he whittled those ‘love’ letters out of sticks,” Vande Velden says. The long rectangular tray holds wilted leaves from her grandmother’s yard. Old wine corks are also displayed.


The vaulted loft is a spare bedroom for guests and surfboard storage. A large window leads to a flat rooftop, perfect for watching the sunset.

The mosquito net canopy is a practical touch that’s common in the islands.

Glass vases: West Elm


Lace prayer flags line the ceiling, along with dried eucalyptus from the property and garden roses that were a gift from Ahrens.


“When Garrett’s mom came to visit, I realized we didn’t have any family photos up,” Vande Velden says. The black and white image on top is of her mom and dad; the bottom features Ahrens’ parents in Chicago.


Vande Velden crafts her sundial watches on the upper lanai. The Balinese worktable has a leather top studded with industrial nailheads.

Rug: Magical Thinking Diamond-Stamp, Urban Outfitters; Smoked Capiz Shell Windchime: Pier 1 Imports; slipcovered chairs: eBay


Vande Velden has lived on the property for more than three years, and on a recent stroll came across a plaster cast of a woman’s torso. “I found those boobs in the grass, and the name Melissa is engraved on the back. Every time I meet a girl named Melissa, I wonder if they’re hers,” she says.

The bone and turquoise statement necklace is by Wild & Free. A tin basket with rope handles stores Vande Velden’s leather samples, while glass vases house puka shells and river rocks.

Recycled Glass Vase, Slanted (left) and Recycled Glass Vase, Narrow (right), both by Pier 1 Imports


Vande Velden mixes her custom dyes by hand, then stores them in mason jars. The small white dish contains brass circles with numbers that Ahrens hand stamps onto every watch. Pandeia is up to stamp number 1,178.

Table lamp: Industrial Task Table Lamp in antique bronze, West Elm


Vande Velden’s toolbox is made of reclaimed farm materials from the Etsy shop Bacon Square Farm. It contains an old hammer, paintbrushes, custom dyes, a leather punch and a leather stripper. Pandeia watches in Bone and Whiskey are pictured.


Vande Velden relaxes with a cup of tea in front of her crochet hammock from Etsy.

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