About 11 years ago, on a slope of open farmland bordering the expansive beach of Great Bay, a small For Sale sign was seen. Out of The Blue was ‘born’ and now sits on that curved slope where cucumbers and watermelons once watched pelicans dive beneath a setting sun.
This holiday property is a project fully completed by SW Interior Design — architecture, construction, project management, sourcing, purchasing, budget management, shipping and maintenance management.
The project requirement was to effectively design and construct a family holiday home that melded seamlessly with the surroundings and that stood up to the elements. Other factors to be considered were warmth, simplicity, communal and private spaces, a pool that accommodated swimmers and loungers.
Great Bay is the most welcoming beach within the area of Treasure Beach. The sparkling dark sands are generously wide and slope gently and endlessly into the sea and beyond.
This arid part of Jamaica is a dramatic setting — glittering seas, the shadow of the Malvern Hills, a farming setting of golden pastureland dotted with the enduring Lignum Vitae trees and flowering cacti.
Built to withstand the sun, sea and sand, this house represents all the possibilities of local workmanship and St Elizabeth excellence with local architectural lines that are simple. Using materials from the sea and land, there is so much warmth and soul — an old canoe from the fishing village offers a soft swing on the lower verandah, a bar fashioned of water sanded driftwood collected on the rocky headland, a soft thatch-covered gazebo for dining and lounging, and a weathered tree trunk from the dunes that supports a garden shower.
Travertine has been installed throughout on the honed side, soft and organic underfoot and continuous throughout the house and showers, offering a soft sandy palette that mirrors the expansive beach.
Upstairs the views to the horizon are breathtaking. Through louvred doors that open completely one watches the ever-changing sea from the centrally positioned white four-poster beds, gently swagged with muslin and crisp white bed linen.
Windows and doors are all made of sustainably farmed Westmoreland cedar, the locally built louvred design offering simple durability and wind protection.
This property welcomes travellers and adventurers seeking a gentle escape off the beaten track — it is uncomplicated and comfortable and feels completely natural, with a full appreciation of skies ablaze with sunsets, shooting stars and windblown clouds.
