Gifts, Furnishing, Art, And …

Carol Dumeyer and David Brune
Hunter Gatherer

Please tell us about your business.

Dave: Hunter Gatherer, located in Kilauea, encompasses two businesses – my original business called Designscape (landscape and interior design) and the store. Originally when I first saw this space I was just going to use it as an office for Designscape but I thought, ‘Why not have a shop here?’ I do a lot of importing from Indonesia for projects (landscape materials, furnishings, art), and it just made sense to have a shop or an outlet to share that. We usually store everything in our home so it’s packed with all this stuff that gets imported. So instead of having it in the house, we thought a shop would be perfect.

What sort of items do you sell at Hunter Gatherer?

Dave: We have art pieces, gifts, homeware, candles, soaps, books and jewelry. We really don’t have any limits – whatever we hunt and gather, so-to-say.

Carol: We wanted to fill a niche where if you need to buy any gifts for yourself or your friend or family, you would have a place where you could find something neat for $5 all the way up to $500. People struggle here looking for unique things for the home.

What would you say the style of your business is?

Dave: Modern Asian fusion.

What exactly is Designscape?

Dave: It’s landscape and interior design and installation. I’ve been in business about 10 years. We’ve done multiple houses on the North Shore from concept to creation and from design to implementing the irrigation and lighting. Basically, there is no limit. So if someone just bought a property on Kaua’i and is building a home, I can help them create the landscape, source the materials for the landscape and source the furnishings for the interior.

How did you start your business?

Dave: I was lucky enough to meet someone who had just bought a property in Kilauea, who hired me to be her property manager. So we created her property, which included several acres, together. I realized during that creation that it was my passion. I realized I wanted to create gardens and work in home environments and make them beautiful. Wherever I leave, it seems to be a little more beautiful than when I got there.

Carol: He makes spaces sacred from little parts in the garden to entire homes. Dave really has a talent for seeing the potential in everything.

Dave: A client once told me I had a Feng Shui meter. Working with the land, as far as the landscape is concerned, the land really tells you what to do and you’re just accentuating what’s already there.

Why do you do what you do?

Dave: It’s what comes naturally to me. I can’t not see improvement. I notice when I go to someone’s property and they ask me, ‘What would you do here?’ I see it very clearly. I am thankful for that. I also really enjoy hunting for beautiful things – it’s like a treasure hunt. And I always want to improve things and make them better.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your business?

Dave: I just like to see people walk through their gardens and smile. That’s nice. And, in the store, I love when people comment about how beautiful it is. For me, when I go somewhere, the things I remember are the places that felt good to me. I frequent places that feel good and I like to create a good feeling. I think that’s important and I think that’s missed a lot, in my opinion – a healing atmosphere and actually feeling good when you walk in.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your business?

Dave: It’s hard for me to turn work off. And, on a practical level, getting materials on Kaua’i is challenging. We all have to ship things here, so the lack of materials is challenging and trying to keep prices reasonable with shipping costs.

What makes you get up every day and go to work?

Dave: I enjoy creating and making nice spaces for people to enjoy.

Carol: We both realize how lucky we are to have our own business and do what we love. It’s a blessing to live in a place we love and be involved in a community we really appreciate; to be a part of that makes us feel so lucky.

Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday

4270 Kilauea Road 828.1388