John Paul DeJoria asks $32.5M for remarkable Hawaii house, built half a world away

A one-of-a-kind oceanfront estate on Hawaii’s Big Island, built half a world away and reconstructed piece by piece on the Kona Coast, has hit the market for $32.5 million.

The property belongs to John Paul DeJoria, the billionaire entrepreneur behind Patrón tequila and John Paul Mitchell Systems.

Known for building global brands, DeJoria applied that same long-view thinking to a personal project that took years to realize — and required moving an entire house across the Pacific.

Listed with Anne Hogan Perry and Chris Cortazzo of Compass, the estate stands apart not for its size, but for how it came together.

Built in Bali, then taken apart and shipped across the ocean

The home’s origin traces back to a trip DeJoria took to Bali in the mid-1980s, where he encountered a group of temple craftsmen working deep in the jungle.

Sky Makai Photography / Compass

Rather than simply admire their work, he proposed something far more ambitious: build a house in Bali, dismantle it, and ship it to Hawaii. It wasn’t a widely supported idea at the time, but he pursued it anyway.

Over the course of roughly four years, the artisans constructed the residence using traditional ironwood and teak, following the same methods used in temple building.

Every piece was numbered, packed, and reassembled in Hawaii

Once completed, the structure was taken apart piece by piece.

Sky Makai Photography / Compass

Each element was individually numbered, wrapped, and packed for transport across the ocean.

When the materials arrived on the Big Island, approximately 50 local carpenters worked alongside around 30 of the original Balinese craftsmen to rebuild the home.

The structure was reassembled using traditional wooden pegs rather than modern fasteners, maintaining the integrity of the original construction methods.

A three-acre oceanfront setting along Kiholo Bay

Sky Makai Photography / Compass

The finished compound sits on approximately three acres along Kiholo Bay, one of the Big Island’s more secluded and largely undeveloped stretches of coastline.

Bordered by a nature preserve and shielded from neighboring properties, the setting offers a level of privacy that’s increasingly difficult to find on Hawaii’s more developed coasts.

Designed as a series of pavilions connected by open-air walkways

Sky Makai Photography / Compass

The home follows a traditional Balinese layout, with separate pavilions arranged across the property and connected by covered walkways and open-air decks.

This approach allows each structure to function independently while still contributing to a cohesive whole, creating a rhythm between indoor and outdoor space.

A roof made from more than one million hand-placed wooden shingles

One of the home’s most distinctive features is its roof.

Sky Makai Photography / Compass

Constructed from more than one million individually placed wooden shingles, the surface is shaped to resemble dragon scales — a detail rooted in Balinese architectural tradition.

During rainfall, water is directed through carved dragon figures positioned at the roof’s edges, adding both function and symbolism.

A primary pavilion oriented directly toward the Pacific

The main pavilion faces the ocean, with walls that retract to open the space completely to the surrounding landscape.

Sky Makai Photography / Compass

From this vantage point, views extend across the Pacific toward the Kohala Mountains, with the horizon shifting throughout the day as light changes.

A kitchen set in its own circular pavilion

The kitchen occupies a separate circular pavilion, designed to promote airflow and maintain a connection to the outdoors.

Sky Makai Photography / Compass

Its placement encourages movement between spaces, reinforcing the home’s pavilion-based layout.

Interiors furnished with antiques sourced across Asia

Inside, the home is furnished with antiques collected from across Asia.

These include a centuries-old Taiwanese lounging couch and Chinese opium beds, along with carved wood elements that echo the craftsmanship of the structure itself. Some of these pieces may be included in a future sale.

Sky Makai Photography / Compass

A home designed to operate entirely off the grid

The property is fully self-sustaining, with its own water and solar systems.

This setup allows the home to operate independently from local utilities, a practical advantage given its remote coastal location.

Sky Makai Photography / Compass

A relatively modest footprint compared to its setting

Despite the scale of the land, the home itself measures approximately 3,600 square feet.

Rather than maximizing interior square footage, the design emphasizes outdoor space, separation between structures, and integration with the surrounding environment.

Sky Makai Photography / Compass

A project shaped by long-term vision

What sets the property apart isn’t just its design, but the process behind it.

From commissioning temple craftsmen in Bali to coordinating the reconstruction in Hawaii, the project required a level of commitment that goes beyond typical residential construction.

Sky Makai Photography / Compass

A global portfolio that no longer requires a Hawaii base

DeJoria and his wife, Eloise, maintain more than 10 homes around the world, including properties in Austin, Newport, and Malibu.

The decision to sell is largely practical. With Texas as their primary base, the Big Island estate has become one of the least frequently used properties in their portfolio.

Sky Makai Photography / Compass

A rare island home shaped by craft, location, and intent

At $32.5 million, the property represents a different kind of luxury.

Rather than relying on scale or amenities, it offers a combination of craftsmanship, setting, and origin that’s difficult to replicate; a home that was not only designed for its environment, but physically moved across the world to become part of it.

Sky Makai Photography / Compass

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The post John Paul DeJoria asks $32.5M for remarkable Hawaii house, built half a world away appeared first on Fancy Pants Homes.

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