With over 100 nationalities represented across three tiny islands, the Cayman Islands are a celebration of multiculturalism. Hence, interlaced with historical and far-flung influences, domestic architecture tells the bricks-and-mortar stories of the people and place-makers who call these islands home. Such is the case with one developer’s uniquely personal build, completed in 2021. Born to Caymanian and French parents, his new modern family abode, along the meandering canals of one of Red Bay’s most exclusive coastal neighbourhoods, intriguingly reflects this duality.

Statuesque and bold, with its iconic pitched roofline – a throwback to the zinc roofs of yesteryear – exposed soffit cornice brackets, black jalousie windows, Bahama shutters and upper balcony railings providing the perfect counterpoint to a pure white exterior, Winter White House possesses all the gravitas, grandeur, and nostalgia of the West Indian Great Houses of a bygone era.

With its 5,800-square-feet elevated nine feet above sea level – protection against potential storm surges – the residence rises dramatically out of indigenous tropical foliage, where shade trees and towering royal palms reduce the ‘island heat’ effect by cooling the property’s micro-climate. Exotic ginger lilies and bougainvillaea blooms add enchanting bursts of colour, with passion fruit, lime, guava, mango, and breadfruit trees holding the promise of future harvests. Two-storey slender square columns, shady louvres, and wide overhangs root the home in time and place, topped by a soaring three-storey tower that amplifies the structure’s substantial scale and scope.

Sited to capture dreamy North Sound seascapes from countless vantages around the home and to enjoy continual easterly breezes and golden light, covered balconies and patios with traditional cedar shiplap ceilings provide perfect perches to enjoy a morning café crème or cheeky Chardonnay, simultaneously acting to shield the interior from direct sunlight. Explains architect Sean Rory Evans, “Incorporating energy efficiency into the design was a key client requirement. This was accomplished starting with exterior walls of Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) and reinforced concrete, a reflective roof finish and roof spray foam to reduce heat gain, coefficient Energy-Star rated windows and doors to improve thermal performance and the provision of louvered shading devices.”

With a nod to his Caymanian forebears, who used the, now protected, mighty Ironwood for construction, modern exterior materials were selected for durability. “Living in Cayman with all its harsh elements, I wanted to ensure the longevity of the house and eliminate the maintenance factor,” the owner explains.

Exterior columns and decorative trim come with lifetime warranties, while composite Hardie Board shiplap and cedar shingles are impervious to rot and termites. Designed with functionality and island wisdom at its heart, the home features hurricane-rated windows, is equipped to run entirely on solar power, has a backup generator and possesses a 9,000-gallon cistern to capture rainwater.

Practical to a fault, yes, but step inside, and like Alice through the looking glass, one enters another wholly unexpected dimension, where art, beauty, and luxe reign supreme. Harbinger to this transition, in the garden stands an ethereal, life-size bronze sculpture by French Moroccan artist Bruno Catalano which, more than anything, holds the key to unlocking the design ethos of this stunning home. In Catalano’s ‘Travellers’ series, the sculpture prompts viewers to examine the experience of a ‘world citizen’ – suitcase in hand, part of him either fading away or materialising before one’s eyes. As Galleries Bartoux contends, “… the adventure of the human race is replayed, always between two shores, pushing back all borders.”

Says Evans, “It was important to the client… that the two cultures that he loves so much be merged and captured in the architectural language.” Pass through double glass front doors, and there is no denying that you have arrived on the far shore. Replete with antique mirrors, veined marble tiling, framed vintage Hermès scarves and vast, oversized glass doors – tantalising precursors to the pool terrace, lush garden and broad waterways beyond – and an enchanted new Parisian, très chic vibe unfurls before one’s eyes. Built for entertaining, ten- and 14-foot custom couches nestle with Sacarro occasional chairs to provide ample seating and swoon-worthy style. Floor-to-ceiling drapery, de rigeur gold and black accents, and the textured wallpaper inlaid with Swarovski crystals create an air of sumptuous luxury, with a peppering of playful sculptures and art pieces, like the prominent, shiny, red, smiling figure from contemporary Chinese sculptor, Chen Wenling’s ‘Red Memory’ series adding intrigue and punches of colour.

Walls featuring custom millwork, wainscoting and generous baseboards are, all the while, presided over by the pièce de resistance, the breath-taking hero feature…THAT ceiling. Michelangelo would surely be impressed by the ornate 16-foot custom coffered ceiling scape, which is evocative of the Baroque era and delivers a formidable focal point for those who cross the threshold. “It took almost two months
with an expert carpenter sometimes lying on his back to cut each joint with hand tools to ensure all design elements connected perfectly on each corner,” the owner recalls.

“The ceiling height creates the maximum volume effect and enlarges the living room space, keeping with the Art de Vivre theme.” Off to one side lies a custom chef’s kitchen, complete with double Fisher Paykel dishwashers, an oversized Subzero fridge-freezer with wine cooler and two ovens, including a Miele gas stove set around a vast, hand-crafted quartz island, where the family can indulge its passion for cooking and socialising.

Flanked by an intimate, light-filled breakfast nook on one side and an elegant formal dining room on the other, gathering options are endless, continuing outdoors where a summer kitchen with barbeque is just the ticket for lazy Sundays by the pool and a pizza oven is ready to fire up after watching the game on the 100-inch screen inside or a day out boating from the 40-foot Trex canal-side dock. Overhung by swaying palms, the 40-foot aqua-mosaic pool caters to sun worshippers, lap swimmers and deep divers, with its shallow entry platform dropping to an ear-popping 8-foot depth. And, to create the right outdoor ambiance, the owner integrated a full Bowers & Wilkens audio system, “The same one used by The Beatles in the Abbey Road studio in England,” he adds.

As the sun drops below the horizon, the house still has more in store. Process up the black and white marble stairs with their sweeping wrought iron bannisters, and you are met, says Evans, “with a 34-foot-high grand stair tower that allows natural light to travel into the interior in all directions, creating a cascade of different light patterns throughout the day and night.”

The bedrooms feed off a central, gallery-like corridor, lined with arresting artwork, with glass doors at either end that let the light flood in and, when open, create cool cross-breezes. High-ceilinged rooms are sophisticated, with warm wood floor tiles, walk-in closets, and trademark wallpaper accents. However, as it should be, the sumptuous primary suite, with its breathtaking North Sound views and deep, shaded balcony, takes the prize.

Featuring traditional French herringbone tiled floors and capturing light using large hanging mirrors, the corner window frames views of the sea and sky to the north. A lavish formal dressing room leads on to the spacious designer bathroom with a substantial walk-in shower complete with double rain showerheads and a free-standing soaking tub. Quintessentially French, textured, striped wallpaper flawlessly pairs with black and white basket weave floors and Carrera Marble wall tile in a triumph of design.

With intense and carefully curated attention to detail driving its charismatic flair,
Winter White House manages to be larger than life and intimately personal. Within its walls, vintage meets visionary; practical embraces palatial; and shore to shore, worlds collide.