In this monthly feature, we visit with well-known Central Oregonians and get a glimpse into their lives at home.

He’s a long way from his island home, but Hawaiian native and singer Bill Keale has found home and “ohana” (family) right here in Central Oregon.

And though the cold and snow sometimes get to him, Keale finds warmth in the company of his wife, Tiffany, and their two children, Mac, 11, and 9-year-old Rosie.

With seven CDs to his credit and lots of tours planned for the summer months, there is rarely a dull moment in Keale’s life.

And just when things couldn’t seem to be better, he recently signed a deal with JVC Victor Entertainment for distribution of his music in Japan.

He’s riding a wave of success, and he credits his good friend and fellow Hawaiian, surfing legend Gerry Lopez. Lopez has used Keale’s music in his surfing films, which introduced his music to a Japanese audience.

But with all his growing fame, Keale remains humble and seems genuinely embarrassed at the mention of his Central Oregon fan club.

Though Keale remains extremely busy giving concerts and being booked by private parties, he continues to work at St. Charles Bend as an EKG technician. Lucky is the patient who gets to hear Keale sing, as it isn’t unusual for him to pull out his Breedlove guitar and give an impromptu concert.

The Keales have also given back to this community by hosting 11 years of the Bill Keale Luau, which raises money each year for the Alyce Hatch Center.

Keale and Tiffany, an interior home designer and co-owner with her sister of Circa Interiors, sat down with us to talk about their favorite things. They describe themselves as “homebodies” who appreciate the comforts of their home life.

The Keales met by bumping into each other, literally, and hitting heads when Tiffany was walking with her then toddler nieces, and Bill was carrying his guitar and a stool as he headed for the concert stage in the Sunriver Mall. They married in 1997.

Since then, the couple has owned three homes in Bend, and Tiffany has designed each one of them. She has promised Bill that their current west Bend home, where they’ve lived for about a decade, will be their last one in Bend.

What I love about my home is … Bill: It’s just a fine old house, a sanctuary made of wood and glass. My family is what makes it a home, that’s what I love most.

Tiffany: It’s a family home on a beautiful piece of property. It’s a 1950s ranch (home) that has enjoyed many years of raising kids and forging special memories … enormous old-growth pine trees hover over the house like guardians.

My favorite room is … Bill: The living room. I like the big picture window and natural light it gathers in — it makes the room come alive, and it’s also the music room where I like to write, and where most of us find great comfort, creativity and relaxation.

Tiffany: Toss up between living room and master suite … The master has a sweeping window system that looks out onto the backyard, which is a dream in the summer months.

My favorite possession is … Bill: That’s easy, a surprise custom-made guitar from Breedlove Guitar Co. It was a gift from a community of doctors, caregivers and health professionals here in Central Oregon — a wonderful story in the spirit of love and compassion, a spiritual awakening in a time when we all needed something to feel good about.

Tiffany: Besides my family, it might be a newly acquired baby grand piano. My whole family pitched in and bought a cool used piano for my birthday a couple of months ago.

If I had a Monday off to do anything I wanted to at home … Bill: Well, actually I do have Mondays off, but if it were a Tuesday, I’d probably organize that dang garage!

Tiffany: If it were the summer, I’d garden in the backyard with the dog. During the winter, I’d sort through the boxes of photos that needed to be put in binders.

The three things you’ll always find in our refrigerator: Bill: No. 1: Parmigiano Reggiano — the real thing … When you have nothing else, pasta with olive oil, garlic and shower it heavy with parmigiano … it’s heaven! No. 2: Eggs for late night, Sunday breakfast, cakes and cookies. No. 3: Butter, the good fatty kind, Lurpak Danish butter (I hope my doctors aren’t reading this) and don’t forget shoyu sauce … that’s four.

Are you handy around the house ? Bill: Do I have a choice?

Tiffany: I guess so. I come from a family of do-it-yourselfers.

Favorite home improvement project … Tiffany: Oh boy! Four years ago, we decided to remodel this house. I’m a general contractor through my interior design company, and my sister (and business partner) is a rock star designer. We opened up walls to other rooms, got rid of the fourth bedroom and added a laundry room and walk-in closet.

(We) expanded the master bathroom … we love how it turned out. Rich, dark floors, chartreuse-colored walls … very fun. But like any project, some things continue to be unfinished — rooms to be painted and light fixtures to hang. Bill and I did as much of the work as we could ourselves but with full-time jobs and little kiddos, we left most of the work to the professionals. We lived with my parents for six months during the gutting of the house. It was great for us to see the kids “hang” with their grandparents — an unexpected perk of enduring the remodel process.

My favorite piece of artwork in the house is … Bill: A surfing poster, “Face in the Wave.” It has Gerry Lopez dropping in on a wave at the Bonzai Pipeline — whoooa, chicken skin! Stoked man!

My life would be simpler if … Bill: My alarm clock went off at 8 a.m. instead of 5 a.m.

Tiffany: If we had not gotten the dog, the cat, a pair of rats and goldfish, but they all bring joy to our lives. Life is messy.

Gardening is … Bill: Good for the soul. Nothing better than to feel the earth between your fingers and sweat on your brow. For me, it’s a connection that goes way back to the islands where I come from.

Do you like to cook? Bill: Mmmm yeah! Mostly for family and friends, food from my mom’s secret recipes. (Bill’s mom made a family cookbook for all four of her children. Bill illustrated it.)

Tiffany: No. Mostly it’s a time issue (at least that’s what I profess to the family). Bill is the king of the barbecue and beyond in our kitchen. His mom taught him well.

When you go out for dinner, where do you like to go? Bill: I like Sumi’s Japanese Restaurant, Big Island Kona Mix Plate, The Aloha Cafe and Merenda. (Bill played a farewell concert the last night Merenda was open.)

Tiffany: Typhoon!, too, and anything Mexican.

What’s your idea of a perfect get-together at home? Bill: Celebrating life with an outdoor barbecue.

Tiffany: With tiki torches lit, and the guitars playing and people singing!

If you could have a second home anywhere in the world, where would it be? Bill: Is this a trick question? Hawaii, of course!

What do you do for relaxation and recreation? Bill: On a warm day, sitting on the back porch strumming my guitar. However, I want to try to board or canoe paddling, I’m feeling the water more these days. Being raised on the islands and being away from the ocean a year at a time weighs heavy on my soul. Maybe I can find some peace in that.

Words I live by are … Bill: “Aloha” This spiritual word expresses many sentiments. When you truly look inside the meaning of this expression, it reveals: ALO — presence of — plus HA — breath. So, the aloha meaning is “in the presence of the creator, we share the breath of life.” We are taught this at a young age, and will continue to pass it on with grace and humility.

Tiffany: I like Yoda’s motto: You either do, or you do not. There is no try.