If, as they say, God is in the details, then there is a house in Waialae Iki that may be some kind of cathedral to remodeling.  Sitting on a 9,000-square-foot lot with approximately 4,000 square feet under roof, the house is an unlikely place of worship for the home building industry. But look (and listen) carefully and this three-bed-room, four-bathroom home redefines the term "detail oriented": GPS activate solar window shades, motion-sensing closet lights, constantly heated bathroom tiles, antique brick walkways and much, much more. Hallelujah!

The home's owners bought the property several years ago, drawn more to the commanding views of Diamond Head and East Honolulu than the house itself, which once was the model home to the gated community high up on the Koolaus. The couple was looking for a vacation home, so space wasn't as important as comfort. After purchasing the property, they promptly went about building a home to fit their needs.

Currently, the project is in its third year and fourth phase of renovation.

"This guy is smart, extremely smart. This brain is always in motion," says architect Paul Noborikawa, AIA, of his client, an executive at a large high-tech firm in Washington. "His favorite phrase is: What if? He sees the little things, the things that other people don't notice. I guarantee that there will be a fifth phase to this project."

The first phase of the renovation involved an extensive renovation of the home's interiors, with the kitchen recieving the biggest makeover. The stove was relocated from a hearth against one wall to an island with a pair of high-end ovens in the middle of the room. All cabinets, lighting and fixtures were replaced as well as the flooring.

The rest of the home also recieved a much-needed facelift. All the rooms were gutted, and walls and light fixtures were replaced. In the living room, a fireplace was significantly upgraded and a wall was realigned to accept an antique armoire. In the family room, the entertainment system was custom built to accept a large television yet maintain a very clean profile. Antique porcelain art pieces were added to the center's doors to give it an Asian touch.

All the bathrooms were refit with new fixtures and cabinets. The master bathroom in particular was re-oriented and expanded to accommodate a larger, custom-designed shower.

The second phase of the remodel included adding two built-in wine cabinets, adding an EIFS system skin (a sort of high tech stucco) to the entire home, redoing the wood decking, replastering the pool, changing the exterior light and adding a front entry gate, pathway, pond and waterfall. The third phase involved renovating the driveway and side entry walkway. The fourth phase, adding a shower to a ground-floor powder room, is currently underway.

"Actually, the floor plan has stayed pretty much the same," says contractor John Gregory of Gregory Design Build. "The homeowner has kept within the envelope and has really made this house fine. He's really tested everyone's abilities, and we're all happy with how it turned out."

Other imporvements are subtle but no less impressive. For example, the homeowner wanted cordless phones to be installed throughout the house, but didn't want to see unsightly transformers plugged into his wall outlets. The solution was to imbed the phone bases into the walls and relocate the transformers into a small computer and electronics room under the stair way. In addition, protecting the dining area with its generous windows are electronically controlled solar shades that are lowered when the sun is too bright and powerful. Not only do these shades go up and down with the flip of a switch, they are also connected to the home's own GPS tracking system and computer, which calculates the position of the sun, and lowers and raises the shade accordingly.

"Any light switch with more than two switches has been replaced with a keypad," says Matthew Yaletchko, president of Home Automation Hawaii. "The pads control lighting, audio, air conditioning and the security system. Everything is neat and tidy in this house, and there are not unsightly wires or switches."

According to Yaletchko, every room has its own "scene" and selection of soundtracks. For instance, pick the "eating" scene and the lights dim and the apporpriate music softly wafts from high powered speakers hidded in the ceiling. The stereo systems can operate independently or can play the same soundtrack simultaneously, a feature that comes in handy during parties.

Yaletchko also installed other high-tech touches, including motion-sensor closet lights and a bathroom fan with a five-second delay shut off. (In other words, the fan continues to ventilate the room after the occupant has left.) Also noteworthy are the heated floor tiles in all of the home's bathrooms. Not only are these tiles warmed constantly, they are also connected to sensors, which measure the temperature in the room and make appropriate adjustments so that the floor is never too hot or too cold.

The home also has its own computer server, which transmits the owner's e-mail to his various homes across the country. Whether he is in Honolulu or at his Seattle residence, the homeowner can control various house functions through the server, including adding and editing the music selections at his other properties. "This is the most electronic that I've packed into a house this size," says Yaletchko.

The fine attention to the detail didn't stop at the home's electronics. Because the homeowner wanted his furniture to rest flush against the walls, he had the contractor cut out the appropriate spaces in the baseboards. Even then, he instructed the workmen that no more than one-fourth of an inch could separate the furniture legs from the edge of baseboard. In another case, the nightstands in the master bedroom were a little too wide for the room so the homeowner had the pieces desassembled, cut down and then reassembled.

Outside, a Brazilian ironwood deck replaced one made of redwood. The dark, rich wood is so hard and dense that it will spit out nails pounded into it. The deck is oiled monthly to maintain its luster. Out front, in a renovated entryway, which now includes a quaint koi pond, the homeowner opted to keep and extend an antique red brick path instead of installing a moss rock one. The change in the plans sent landscape designer Tom Hanson on a statewide quest to find matching bricks. He finally found them in the base yard of a local contractor at Sand Island. "It turns out that these bricks are from the demolition of the original Alexander & Baldwin building," says Hanson. "Not the one on Bishop Street today, but the one that previously stood on the site! You just can't find bricks like these at Home Depot. Every brick has its own distinct color and shape. That's the look we were after."

"This house is all about the details. But that's a new trend on the mainland right now," says Noborikawa. "People are building smaller and really customized homes. You bring in higher quality materials and really customize the house, tune it to the homewoner's needs."

While no one could improve the view - it was already beyond spectacular - the homeowner has come up with a plan to preserve it. He is toying with the idea of buying the empty lot across the street so that no one can build there and block is view of Diamond Head.

"If there was a way to build a bridge over the street or dig a tunnel under the street to that lot, he'd do it," says Hanson, smiling. "No doubt in my mind."

That, of course, probably won't happen until at least phase eight or nine.