Honolulu Design Center

If you want quality furniture that will last for awhile, do not buy from here! I got a leather armchair from them for about $ 400 about 2.5 years ago and the «leather» has since peeled off in shreds! When my guests sit on it, it’s kinda embarrassing to see some «leather» bits coming off on their clothes when they stand up.
I got older Ikea furniture that are holding up way better than that one armchair I got from them. What a shame!

That cool looking, boldly orange building houses our personal furniture store, INspiration, as well as a restaurant with private room, wine bar, and café that oddly shares the same space without any separating walls. Parking is free and plentiful in the garage out back.

Purchased a sofa on a Sunday and was told the warehouse will give me a call in about 4 – 5 days to let me know the item is ready to be picked up. So I wait… and wait. I had to leave the island the following week so I gave them till the following Thursday and I gave the warehouse a call and arranged for pick up that weekend. It was easy pz but took an unnecessary amount of time between purchase date and pick up date. Warehouse personnel told me it’s the customer that needs to call in.
I distinctly remember sales telling me to wait for the warehouse to call. I don’t know if I was misinformed by sales or warehouse dropped the ball.

Way overpriced for inferior quality furniture. One star for an attractive store with convenient parking. Ended up on their catalog mailing list out of the blue and without my permission. .that sort of thing ruins a place for me. NOT feeling INSPIRED \ (

3 floors of modern high-​end furniture for any room. Some of the most unusual pieces, very unique though and some from designers like Fendi! Top floor has sales for condos. Staff is very approachable and not too aggressive. Gave us breathing space as we walked through the showroom. Can definitely get ideas for a more modern, contemporary, chic look-​come here! You will be spending a pretty penny.

Again, as i sit here writing this review I am so disappointed. (I put this same review on the Inspiration review because its the same thing.) Ain’t nobody got time to be fooled by a different name with crappy service. I came here a couple times before but had the same service. No Hello, how can i help you today. The same people working, the same kind of service. People here profile you like mad. If you are not wearing nice designer clothes, don’t expect to be helped. They pass you by as if you are some kind of filth. Honestly I’m just a girl with her parents trynna find a damn couch. Their service is really awful and they don’t even ask if you need help. I had to flag someone down to ask questions. Poor customer service. Totally dissatisfied! I hope they get their act together because the furniture is nice, just the people selling it arent.

Review for Cupola Theatre and Ice Room (private event for Isle Media):
I only visit the Design Center when their are private events. I’ve been here many of times but last night was the 2^nd anniversary for Isle Media — a wedding photography company owned by my dear friend Alan Sangpan.
The ICE ROOM: is a small, quaint area. I actually love that they put furniture inside. Before it used to be very empty. The room can get hot if there are too many people compact. However, its a nice area to host small parties, shopping events, and get together’s. I think the rental for this room is depended on food and beverage so not bad for a nice space.
CUPOLA THEATRE: spacious area and modernly designed. It is a great space to host an elegant, formal event. cash only bar, stage, projector screen, pupu stations, tables, chairs, all your party needs included. It can probably fit at least 500 people standing. Its my 9^th time attending an event their and I really enjoy my time every time I go.

I swear this is my third sofa and I bought my place in 2011. YES third living room sofa. So this time my husband and I decided to buy a real good quality italian leather sofa. You all know how much that’s gonna run.
I made a complaint about a sleeper sofa that we bought from them. The faux leather bubbled up and ripped on it’s own. We never really used it. It was in our spare room that no one uses. I use it for an office space but have a desk chair that I use. After going through phone calls after phone calls we finally got a credit. BUTTTTTTTTTTT when we get to Inspiration to use the credit for our new sofa the salesman gives us a hard time. He starts to make phone calls in front of us. It’s not like I don’t have ears, but what he was telling his regional manager made us sound like we were dumb and how the hell did we get this credit. Then he decides to give us a little attitude about the whole credit thing. My husband walked away and told me to handle it because it look like he was about to blow.
REMEMBER now I have to use my credit there since it’s from them. So I had no choice but to take his attitude. The only good thing about that day was they gave me the ugly duckie sofa credit as well. That’s why I gave them an extra star. Other than that you deserve two stars because not everything they carry is made of high-​quality but yet they like to price everything they sell as if it is. RIP OFF!!!
Wish we had better furniture stores in Hawaii. Need to minus out the snooty ass people that work here. Just because you sell Fendi sofas don’t mean you can walk around with your nose in the air. You should have your nose up my butt so I buy something.

This review is for the Honolulu Design Center as an event venue. I came here on 12÷12÷12 for my cousin’s wedding reception and it was a nice break from the usual ballroom type receptions. We utilized the outdoor rooftop for the dinner portion which was perfect for our Tahitian entertainment complete with fire dancers. The first floor had a room perfect for the speeches, dessert, and dancing to occur; private room, but we had to walk through a bar which probably bothered some patrons, but not that bad. The restrooms were clean and well stocked, and surprisingly not a long wait for the women. Parking would be a problem for those that had to take their own car, but I was on a private bus with fellow wedding guests so we were able to exit the building without the hassle of a long walk. Mahalo to the staff at Honolulu Design Center!

Short Version:
No self-​respectng gay man would show his face here. It’s that bad.
Long Version:
Bland «modern» furniture, if by modern, you mean big boxes with upholstery on them. In the whole place, I saw a Noguchi rip-​off coffee table, and an Eames rip-​off chair — the only two items with any provenance. Everything else was chrome, glass, and over-​sized with no references to the local climate. Very little on offer in the way of lighting and accessories. Poor craftsmanship throughout.

My mom purchased a sofa here at full price. She received a phone call telling her that the sofa was discontinued so only the floor model was available. They did not offer her a discount for the floor model nor did they offer free delivery or even an apology.
I’ve purchased a few pieces of furniture from here over the years (sleeper sofa, TV stand, Ekornes Stressless recliner, bar table and chairs, and table lamp). From here on, I’m going to wait for Design Within Reach sales (15% off) so I can get pieces I really love and also feel appreciated by the salespeople.
I feel like my mom was taken advantage of. She didn’t want to «make waves» and cancel her order because her salesperson is a friend of my aunt and she assumed HDC would automatically discount her for the floor model because «it’s the right thing to do.»

Man oh man do I love it when furniture salesmen profile me!
Seriously though, could the staff at the Honolulu Design Center make it any more obvious that they profile like crazy? Next time I’ll be sure to walk in with a 60 year old Japanese business man with plugs, rather then my 23 year old boyfriend with an intern badge.
The first time I entered the Honolulu Design Center I was in furniture heaven. The high end furniture here is of excellent quality – if I had $ 10,000 to blow. However, their reasonably priced furniture is basically stolen from IKEA. I don’t mind IKEA quality furniture, I just don’t appreciate the fact that HDC is trying to sell me a $ 500 tv stand made out of particle board.
My biggest spat with HDC is their store policies. When I finally decided to purchase a pair of lamps from the lighting center, the computer messed up and indicated that one of the lamps was in stock when it wasn’t. At first this wasn’t a big deal, as the manager told us we would still be able to purchase the floor model. Once we arrived at the store, we were informed that there would be no discount on the floor model price. Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t that sound like a huge ripoff? Was I really expected to pay full price for a floor model, especially after I was expecting a brand new lamp in the first place?
Hate me all you want for giving this place a bad review, but be warned. The lamp issue wasn’t my only bad experience with HDC, nor was it the worst. It is however the experience that efficiently summarizes the way this place treats their customers.

I have honestly never bought any furniture or lighting fixtures from here, but I do come here to go browse, go to events, and have a pauhana drink … more like pauhana drinkSSSS. My mom has bought stuff, and she’s never been disappointed.
We usually come here when we’re redecorating — shuffling a room — and want a new piece of small furniture like a bookcase or a table. And we never have complaints. It is a tad bit expensive, but the quality is excellent and it matches our taste!
Stage Café is one of my favorite places to be. 20% of with a Military ID all day every day, but sadly I’m not military.
I love that parking is free!!!

This place is open to the public! Yep its not some snob place that only allows designers, they are open 7 days a week to everyone, the furniture store, the wine bar and the restaurant! Yes they all exist in that huge orange building, it is a furniture mall in there!
HDC is 3 floors of awesomeness!!! You can live in this store for days just finding everything and the little details that this place has to offer. You can get breakfast, lunch and dinner and a few cocktails if you have a whole block of houses to furnish!
The parking is free and very spacious for you to load your bought furniture (s). This place is huge!!! The first floor you will have your 2 furniture showrooms, I believe these are more of the high-​end pricey furniture. They also have a café bar that makes their own speciality smoothies and coffee of course.
2^nd floor is the more affordable furniture showroom and that has Stage Restaurant, the Martini Bar, Wine Bar and a Cupola Room which is private room for all different types of function. That room is the perfect size for intimate parties and get together with your friends and family.
The last floor has the office furniture and an outside lanai area that can also be rented out for private functions. This place is just amazing, you will need a map to find your way through this place and they actually provide that for you at the receptionist desk on the first floor.
Whats also great about this place is the bathrooms on every floor, so you don’t need to delay your furniture shopping any longer! The bathrooms are very clean and functional, which is such a great thing in a furniture room because it just shows how much this place is spectacular!

Inspiration furniture has the best quality furniture ive seen on the island! all the other stores I’ve been to have funiture that lacks quality construction. not only does inspiration furniture come with a 1 year manufacture warranty, they also offer 5 years on accidental damage… sales staff was very helpful and everything was in stock! not too sure why the reviews are so terrible on here… i was told that it was a disgruntled ex-​employee who wrote alot of the reviews… anyhow. i would highly recomend Inspiration for all your furniture and lighting needs.
its funny how one of the reviews talks about missing hardware, cause they dont even charge for assembly… false review perhaps… fail. lol

Ok, It’s SAT time…
What is the Honolulu Design Center?
a) Restaurant
b) Furniture Store
c) Wine Bar
d) Light Store
e) All of the Above
If you answered «E — All of the Above» then you have just passed with a score of 1600 (or is it 2400 now?)!
Located in the Ala Moana-​Kakaako neighborhood, the Honolulu Design Center is a truly unique experience where you can shop for furniture, home décor, and lighting for any room of the house or your office. The store is laid out by «experience» with INSpiration, Bo Concepts, Natuzzi, StudioWorks, and Cliq (lighting section). Prices vary and can range from low to high so be prepared and shop around to have some ideas.
The center also features the Stage Café on the first level which is a mini-​coffee shop type experience. Amuse, the wine bar, on the second level which features a unique wine pour experience (see Unilocal reviews for futher details) and great appetizers. Stage, also on the second level, is a great dining experience showcasing local ingredients and a unique ambaince.
Parking is available in the structure and is conveniently accessed off Piikoi, however there is a smaller entrance off Pensacola as well, just past the Moana Pacific main entrance.

I over did the sun tanning on my first day in paradise. Thinking I was Ms. Azteca America, I was burnt to a crisp on my back. Didn’t know what to do with myself while my burn turned into a «tan». I didn’t want to waste a day.
There is plenty to do!
Being an interior design junkie, I roamed every floor and took in all the modern design. The building itself is amazing. Endless rows of furniture set ups. I fell in LOVE with an oak buffet and dining table but there was NO one around to speak to. The lighting department is super cool too.
They have all kinds of Ikea like furniture and a nice selection of higher end designs too. The café/​bar upstairs was closed and it would have been wonderful to grab drinks during the day. I hear they have a super hip happy hour but I never made it back.
The coffee bar on the main floor was open so I sat there for a while until some clouds blocked the sun outside and I was able to walk to my next destination.
Thank you design center for a wonderful afternoon!

My wife and I often visit the wine bar and the furniture store since we live in the adjacent building. Whether we’re walking around in our running clothes, our work clothes or our casual shorts and slippers… we’ve always been treated nicely and fairly.
To date we’ve purchased a Natuzzi leather sofa, a dining table set, a buffet table, a computer desk, bookcases and a dresser from here at various times. Each purchase has been a good to great experience but recently we’ve met our favorite sales person and we highly recommend that everyone work with Imelda. She is fantastic, considerate and helpful beyond necessity. Ask for her and you will have a much better shopping experience.
They have quite a few sales events that take place throughout the year so unless you’re sitting on folding chairs or beach chairs as your current furniture I would wait until you see one of their events. You can typically save anywhere from 15% — 50% off their everyday sale prices, also be sure to sign up for their email and mailing list. Patience is a virtue when buying furniture here.

Okay, this review is strictly to do with the furniture experience I have recently had at the Honolulu Design Center. I like Amuse (the wine bar), Creama (the café), and the events they have in the Cupola. Just not too hot on what I have experienced when buying furniture there.
First, its a BEAUTIFUL building. Not that I am biased or anything, seeing that the firm I work for (RIM Architects) was the designer and architect for it, lol… it just really did come out very nice. Shameless plug, I know.
Moving on…
So, HDC is a compilation of a few different furniture manufacturers under one roof. On the first floor you will find the higher end brands such as Bo Concept, FENDI and Natuzzi. Quite expensive stuff…
On the second floor, you get into the more «affordable» brand of INspiration. Still pricey if you ask me.
Anyway, the day I was there, they were having a sale on the Bo Concept furniture. Because they are choosing not to carry the line anymore, all Bo Concept items are discounted.
So, being that I have been looking for a coffee table for, well, three years, I figured it was about time to spend some money and just get one already. After walking around and looking at everything in the showroom for an hour or so, I finally decided on picking up a particular table.
The sales people were nice, and very educated on the line that they were assigned too. They helped me see what was available at their warehouse, and the purchase was made…
So far doesn’t sound too bad huh? It all goes downhill from here though.
A few days later I get a call that my items are in from their Kapolei warehouse and that I can come and pick them up. Being coffee table deprived for a few years, I jumped in my car right after work and flew down to HDC to pick everything up.
When I got there, I was told by the reception people to wait a few minutes and that they will have one of the back workers bring out my items and help me load them in my car. No problem! I waited three years for this moment, whats a few more minutes…
Not too long after the guy from the back comes out with a cart loaded with my stuff, and we walk out to my car. After loading everything up, I ask the guy if everything is there including the hardware I need to put it all together. Of course I get a «Yes sir, its all there for ya», so I sign the slip and I’m on my way! (everything was packed in a few boxes, so I wasn’t really able to confirm this fyi)
Well, as soon as I got home and started assembling it all, what do you know… I am missing a full set of hardware! I had ordered two tables, and was only given one set of screws and such! Okay, mistakes happen, not too mad yet. After calling them the next day to tell them what I was missing and what I need, they say they will call me back in a bit after seeing if they have it at the store. No apology.
5 hours later… I finally get a call back saying I can come grab the hardware I need, so I go and pick it up. Strangely, it is packed in a sealed letter envelope… not a good sign. I get home and open the envelope and right off the bat I know they got used hardware from one of their floor displays, and repacked it for me to use. Not a huge deal, but I didn’t pay that much for anything used.
So, now the tables are built. One oak topped, and one glass. The glass topped table is very sleek looking, and in order for them to achieve this, they provide suction cups to hold the glass so there would be no need for mounting screws. Good idea, but a big FAIL. The damn suction cups don’t work at all. They give about as much suction as a dust-​buster with a dead battery.
Again, I called to see if they could provide me with better suction cups for the glass… guess what the response was…
«That’s just how it is. You can go to Home Depot or City Mill and buy some adhesive to glue the glass to the base»
WHAT??? You have to be kidding me! I did not pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars for these cool slick tables to have to glue the damn things together! Are they nuts?
In all, maybe this is more a bad review of the Bo Concept line of furniture, but I don’t think the HDC sales staff handled it very well. Never once received an apology for anything that happened. Oh, and I have Velcro holding my damn table top on. Wonderful.
Beautiful building though! :)

The HNL Design Center now has a new happy hour! Woot woot! ½ price wine cards on Tuesdays too! $ 5 appetizers, $ 4 beers. Go, run, let’s meet up and it’s your treat!