Linda Garland, Ann Hodges
The Garden of Eden
In 1946 James Bond author Ian Fleming built a house in the quiet town of Oracabessa on the northern coast of Jamaica. He was so taken the area’s natural beauty, that he intentionally kept the design of his home “GoldenEye”, simple. Living, Fleming said, would be as much outdoors as indoors.
GoldenEye’s new owner – Island Records Founder Chris Blackwell – has since built on Fleming’s legacy, developing it into a 52-acre beachfront resort. When Blackwell invited his friend Linda Garland to redesign the interiors, she stayed true to Fleming’s vision of outdoor living. “I envisaged it like the Garden of Eden,” she says, “where you could wander naked picking fruit and herbs.”
Working with architect Ann Hodges, Garland expanded the bedrooms into the outdoors, creating private garden bathrooms fenced with bamboo. “In each we placed a clawfoot tub sitting on a timber deck, a rainhead shower with a duckboard base, a stone sink and a lounging area on a shaded terrace of cut stone protected by a roof of bamboo matting on a timber frame,” Hodges explains. “Stones and pebbles made pathways among the groundcover and the gardens were planted with green and white fragrant and medicinal plants, vines, palms and other trees.”
Bathroom, image courtesy of GoldenEye, Jamaica
United Design Partnership
Sophistication in Simplicity
London’s United Design Partnership was responsible for the refined interiors of the beach houses and villas at Parrot Cay by COMO in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
When designing the bathrooms, CEO Keith Hobbs used an understated approach to allow the stunning surrounding landscape to take center stage.
“The pared-down, contemporary interiors are designed as a restful escape from the brilliant sun,” Hobbs explains. “The delineation between indoors and outdoors was blurred with the use of windows or rooms that literally open onto a private garden complete with shower or bath.”
“A simple aesthetic combines white marble and natural, warm wood finishes for a modern, clean look which allows the guest to connect with nature and admire the beautiful views of turquoise water and white sand beaches.”
Bathroom, image courtesy of Parrot Cay by COMO, Turks & Caicos
Mariel Asencio
Classic Elegance
One of the finest resorts in the Caribbean, Sugar Beach is nestled between the iconic Pitons and surrounded by acres of pristine rainforest on the south-western coast of St Lucia.
The resort, which is owned by Roger Myers, is home to a collection of stunning residences designed with a classic French colonial feel, brought up to date for the ultimate in contemporary luxury living.
The design of the interiors, including the bathrooms, was primarily directed by Myers and interior designer Mariel Asencio who took inspiration from traditional Caribbean design, updated with a modern twist.
“We used a backdrop of cool white walls, hardwood floors and natural stone vanities, to showcase the clean, modern style of the bathroom fixtures,” she explains. “The architecture of the Residences has its roots in the French colonial style traditional to the Caribbean and we echoed this through the interior design.”
Bathroom, image courtesy of Sugar Beach, St Lucia
This article was originally published in Issue 5 of The Caribbean Property Investor magazine. To read the full issue, click here.