House Warmer: Pacific Home Opens Retail Store

08/16/2004

Honolulu, Hawaii, Aug. 16, 2004 - A warm welcome to a new concept in retail and design style: Pacific Home, offering stylish home furnishings and accessories inspired by the unique flair of the Pacific Islands. Pacific Home makes its mark in the Honolulu market this August with the grand opening of its flag-ship store on Young Street in upper Kakaako.

The concept is the brainchild of two women entrepreneurs, Aubrey Morgan and Jennifer Johnson. Residents of Oahu, these innovative women sought to create a design-driven environment for local clientele that would combine the strengths of quality, imported, exotic merchandise with the newest, sharpest trends in home furnishings offered by the top brands in the U.S.

Pacific Home will be the exclusive retailer in Hawaii for Mitchell Gold’s sought-after upholstered furniture. Mitchell Gold furniture lines have been featured at national retailers such as Crate and Barrel and Restoration Hardware. In addition to Mitchell Gold, visitors to Pacific Home can find high quality wooden and rattan furniture, beautiful bed linens and decorative pillows, tabletop accessories, lighting and a variety of unique gift items.

“We saw a need in the market,” said Jennifer Johnson, Pacific Home co-owner, “that might be addressed by name retailers that do not exist in Hawaii. We want to offer something for the style-conscious, yet down-to-earth home decorator. Finding interesting, yet moderately-priced furnishings here that match with our island environment can be a challenge. Our own need to decorate and create a fresh, contemporary, home environment, with limited resources, drove us to the decision that residents are searching for design alternatives.”

“Most retailers in Hawaii are either centered on imports with a strong ethnic feeling or very modern furnishings which don’t reflect the Hawaiian style,” added co-owner Aubrey Morgan. “We’re offering the best from mainland manufacturers combined with high-quality imported artifacts to create a unique space that reflects the essence of the modern Hawaiian home - without too much kitsch.”
The Pacific Home brand is anchored with a distinct Pacific style, and appeals to the discerning home enthusiast. To enhance its local flavor, Pacific Home features the work of Hawaii’s talented artists who share the same visual aesthetics. Look for works by North Shore resident Jon Mozo, noted worldwide for his stunning surf photography; and Maui’s Kenn Briner, internationally acclaimed fine-art photographer whose prints and originals document the art of life in our Islands.

Ms. Morgan and Ms. Johnson are seasoned in the design and retail industry. Aubrey Morgan currently serves as president and co-partner with Brady Yee of a successful, wholesale home furnishings and accessory business, Amber Road International. Jennifer Johnson has worked for the prestigious architectural firms, San Francisco-based Gensler, Denver-based Murphy-Stevens, and local firms Wimberly Allison Tong and Goo and Architects Hawaii, Honolulu.

Pacific Home is located at 1115 Young Street behind the Safeway parking lot. Store hours are: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; and Sundays 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information, call 808-596-9338, or browse the Pacific Home Web site at. www.pacific-home.com.