THE SWIMMING POOL

I designed this swimming pool for a client in Anguilla. The existing house had a slight Asian flair and the client wanted to add a studio apartment and pool. The concept was to link the studio to the house so that they looked like they had been designed together.

The pool was created in the shape of an arrowhead and acts as a bridge between the house and studio apartment. It is very geometrical in shape. The play on  triangle and square gives clear direction and an anchoring of the pool.

The hot tub anchors the pool but it also sits above it, giving a terraced feeling to the flat pool deck. The use of stone fountainheads gives the impression that the water flows over the side into the pool like a true waterfall.

The use of chiseled and carved travertine marble is the single most important material on the project. Each element-the  floor, column or bench,  creates texture and contrast.

The columns are designed to be very simple and are made of travertine marble. The trellis is of  greenheart hardwood from South America.  In order to get the curves in the greenheart wood the artisan had to cut nine thin strips and mold them when heated.

HOUSE ON THE RIDGE

The client wanted a Mediterranean style villa after falling in love with the Moroccan styled hotels on the island. The site of the house ideal as the views from the house of the ocean and beaches and surrounding islands are literally 360 degrees around. From each space within the house, including bathrooms, the views are truly spectacular.

The concept of the house was born out of the fact that the site allowed for 360 degrees of views.  The distinguishing features of the house are the arched windows and doors that are placed to frame the views and bring the outdoors inside.

THE OFFICE

 

This office building belongs to a four diamond boutique hotel in Anguilla, British West Indies. The owner already had a plan for the office building but it didn’t fit in with the style of the property on the whole. There were too many rooms and the floor plan was too complicated.

The challenge was to change the interior design so that, as the first building entered and the last used before departure, a clear and memorable statement about the property as a whole will be made.

The space was opened up by moving all the support rooms to the sides of the building, out of the view of  clients. This left a large open space in the center to cater to the guests (of the property or for the conference room upstairs). While checking in guests can relax in the waiting lounge or at the bar at the back of the room.

The use of marble, granite and hardwoods give an idea of the experience that awaits you in your personal villa.

A stair at the side leads to the conference room upstairs. The room opens onto a roof garden though one door and an outdoor kitchen through another door opposite. The side opposite the staircase has large windows so that one is engulfed by an almost 270 degree constant view of the gorgeous ocean that wraps around the property. The space is perfect for private parties.

SEASIDE HOUSE

This house is a true reflection of the lifestyle of its owners. When they described what the wanted they gave me two words- WABI SABI. While  most houses that I design have a common element of Open Plan, and the creation of views through picturesque frames of doors and windows, each house is adapted to the individuals that occupy it. It is theirs in every sense.

This house sits on the beach. It has large doors and windows on the sea side to frame the crystal clear water and the sugar white sand that stretches before it. The owners have a style that is both elegant and luxurious, but simple. Wabi Sabi essentially.  The house is one with nature with its natural wood doors and windows. The use of louvered windows creates a filter for the light giving a warmth to the house while the large glass windows acts to extend the open spaces outward and bringing the outdoors in. The deck is of natural wood that when weathers will become a natural grey, like the driftwood on the shore.

THE FIRST HOUSE

There’s always the first. This house wasn’t the first that I designed but it was the first that was built. The open plan and courtyards are signature to most of my designs.  Mediterranean style mixed with the island vernacular style play important roles in the aesthetic of this house. The highest priority was the creation and the capture or framing of views.

The challenging part of this project was making each major room in the house as important as any other part. What was important for me was to give each room a view to the outdoors.

Wrapping the rooms around an open courtyard satisfied many desires.  The living, dining and kitchen were centralized in an open plan, but large patio doors bring the outdoors in and extend the living space out to the porch. Likewise the three bedrooms have access to the courtyard space. The two bedrooms on the ground floor open onto the courtyard via patio doors while the master suite upstairs does so via mini balconies.

Another major feature in the house is the spiral staircase which leads to the Master bedroom suite. The stair has many functions. It is a feature in the living room, but its shape allows for freedom of movements from room to room without taking up too much space and obstructing views.