JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM
The main entry corridor part of the Masini house at Hawaii Loa Ridge, above, leads into a foyer with a breathtaking view of Diamond Head.
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The home that Al built
To enter Hi'ilani -- the home Al Masini built on Hawaii Loa Ridge -- is to walk into a grand entrance inspired by 18th-century French Versailles. Except that there's a floor-to-ceiling view of Diamond Head and the ocean beyond looking straight ahead.
Hi'ilani
The former home of TV producer Al Masini, located at 1133 Ikena Circle
Price: $12,998,000
Land: 30,855 square feet
Home: Three bedrooms, 6 1/2 baths
Amenities: Rock waterfall pool, Jacuzzi, sauna
Built: 1996
Views: City, Diamond Head, Ocean, Sunrise, Sunset
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Water running from a sculpture fountain of two dancers creates a pleasant song, while breezes flow in through the double doors.
The bronze, wrought-iron railings of the twin staircase run upwards in perfect symmetry. Above hangs an impressive, nine-and-a-half-foot Austrian crystal chandelier with matching sconces.
Al Masini, best known as the creator of the Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous television show, spent $12 million on this Mediterranean-style dream home. He named it "Hi'ilani, which means "in the arms of heaven."
He built it from the ground up on three combined lots -- a separate one was set aside for the swimming pool and Jacuzzi. Masini said he aimed to create a home with a view from every window.
Masini sold Hi'ilani in September 2001 for $9.4 million to build another home just a short walk away.
The home perched atop Hawaii Loa Ridge has since belonged to a Taiwanese corporation,
Tai Lung Plastic Industrial Co.
It is on the market again for $12,998,000. Ngan Le-Schnittger, a Realtor associate with Century 21 All Islands, is the listing broker.
Le-Schnittger said the home was used by relatives of the Taiwanese company for vacations, and has been unoccupied most of the time. The new owners have pretty much left the home intact, and furnished, as Masini left it over the years.
The three-bedroom home is spread out over more than 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor living space, offering two kitchens, a formal dining room, living room, media room, six full baths, one half-bath and a private sauna.
Inside, there is an expanse of snowy, white carpet, complemented by mostly light-colored, contemporary, European-style furnishings.
The furniture -- including a white baby grand piano, Masini's curved mahogany office desk, and marble pool table -- is being sold with the home.
Amenities include a rock waterfall pool, Jacuzzi, and drop-down movie projector screens. A generous second-floor lanai opens up to the ocean, ideal for entertaining.
Hi'ilani also has many customized touches, including handcrafted European plaster moldings, hand-embroidered silk drapes, Italian marble, mosaics, and gold fixtures.
The master bedroom offers a panoramic view from a curve of windows, its centerpiece being a Marie Antoinette-inspired bed beneath a gold Rococo and silk canopy.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM
The main entry corridor of Hi'ilani, the Masini property at Hawaii Loa Ridge, includes a foyer with a breathtaking, floor-to-ceiling view of Diamond Head. The Mediterranean-style home is on the market.
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Masini's personal gym, however, is now simply a seating area with several chairs situated in a semi-circle.
The home was first sold to the Taiwanese company for Masini by Pat Choi of Choi International. Choi also at one time listed the property for sale for the new owners.
Le Schnittger has had the listing since July.
She has had a few interested buyers -- two from China, one from the mainland and one from Hawaii. One offer came in for the home, but was below what the sellers wanted.
The owners are willing to wait for the right offer to come in at the right price. The home has no for-sale sign in front of it, though it is listed on the Multiple Listing Service.