Words by Jo Victoria Russell. Photography by Heather Holt Photography.

In 2013, my family and I decided to trade in the hustle and bustle of London life and relocate to the Cayman Islands, a country that neither my husband Ali nor I had ever visited before. It was a decision that was made fast, and within a few months, we landed here, with our two-year-old son in tow, not knowing what to expect. My only wish was to live by the water – there is just something about the vastness of moving water that is calming for the soul.  

Since our first home in Cayman was an oceanfront apartment in West Bay, we often drove along Northwest Point Road, and we instantly fell in love with a beautiful seafront parcel there. When it became apparent that we were going to be staying for the long term, we began to invest in the idea of making our forever home here.

We wanted something contemporary, featuring a variety of organic materials and abundant natural light. We were lucky to work with Rob Johnson of Johnson Design and Architecture, who had experience designing modern homes. 

My husband grew up in Trinidad, so we envisaged a harmonious blend of modern design elements and thoughtful details that paid homage to his West Indian heritage. This was an interesting challenge for Rob, given that his underlying philosophy is to design a new Caymanian vernacular.

From the outside, the nuances of Caribbean design are visible in the shape of the building, the pitched roofs and the louvred shutters, and in the choice of materials: the weathered Ipe wood and Cedar roof shingles also borrow from old Caribbean-style architecture.

Ali is really the creative genius behind a lot of the interiors (he should have been an architect!). This is his dream house and he worked closely with Rob, sketching out most of the rooms, which Rob then translated into architectural drawings before Reed Consulting Engineers ensured the design’s structural integrity.

We wanted the heart of the house to be warm and inviting, with rooms that flowed from one to the other, making it easy to entertain a large group of people. Therefore, the main entrance leads into an open plan living and dining area with large windows framing panoramic views of the sea and sky. Separate but connected to this is the spacious kitchen, which also faces the sea, and a family area and playroom, making it ideal for hosting gatherings that include all ages.

We designed and decorated the home ourselves for the most part. Michelle Butler of Design Studio, a dear friend, and her team helped us source some of the larger pieces, such as the cream Camrich sectional sofas in the living room and a tamarind wood coffee table, as well as some of the soft furnishings, accessories, and rugs. We also had much of the woodwork, including kitchen cabinetry, our four-poster bed, and the library shelving custom made by a designer in Peru.

The house is very white, and we wanted to give it some character, so we used dark blues and greys for the colour scheme. These bold but neutral colours worked perfectly with the sea and sky tones outside. For instance, one wall is painted in a dark, moody blue in the dining area, creating a great backdrop for the bookcase made from interlocking brass boxes that display some of our favourite artwork, family heirlooms, and precious keepsakes. In front of this, is a dining table that seats up to 22 people. It is made from a single piece of Angelim Pedra wood from Brazil, which was given to us by a family member and was finished by John Bird of Martlet Design. Arranged around it are custom made chairs in pastel colours, chosen to contrast with the darker shade of the wall.

Another striking feature in this room is the floating wooden staircase designed by my husband. He sketched out a one-of-a-kind design of stacked teak steps and a glass balustrade, which was then constructed in a factory in South America. The timber stairs complement the light oak wood flooring that runs through the ground and upper floors, giving the house a finished look.

Connecting to the bedroom is the office. We wanted to create a library ambiance here, so we had custom-built shelving and specialist lighting installed. The shelves on the back wall are filled with books we have collected over the years and our favourite framed pictures. The opposite wall is floor to ceiling glass so that you can sit at the oversize hand-crafted desk and find inspiration in the ocean view.

One of my favourite spaces in the house is our boys’ bedroom: it features double queen-sized built-in bunk beds, dressed in whimsical bedding, accommodating up to eight kids for a sleepover.

Outdoors, Ipe wood decking, chosen because it ages gracefully over time, gaining a silvery, distressed driftwood look, runs the length of the house. Beyond that is the pool, designed by Pool Patrol, which merges with the ocean beyond, while the marble-inspired mosaic tiles tie back to the house and bathrooms inside.

Our favourite places to entertain include the sunken fire pit, designed with marbleised tiles from ITC, which has seating surrounding the fire feature on four sides, as well as the cabana and pool. The cabana doubles as an alfresco bar where we can enjoy sundowners with guests and an outdoor kitchen. As Ali is a great cook, we made space in this covered area for both a barbecue, and a Green Egg, sourced from Bon Vivant.

A few steps below this, down by the ironshore, is what I affectionately call my Zen Garden. This is where I meditate and do yoga, a practice I have been devoted to for more than 20 years. Vigoro Nursery expertly relocated palms, coconuts, and sea grape trees from their original locations within the property and planted bougainvillaea, bamboo, and native foliage to create this serene, verdant setting along the seafront.

Ali’s grandmother’s home in Trinidad was called ‘La Casita’. Our Cayman twist on this name pays tribute to her and the place where he spent many happy days as a child. I believe it is a fitting name for our home as I would love for our two boys to grow up looking back at their childhood here with the same nostalgia.

The kitchen was also Ali’s design. A true minimalist, he conceived this very sleek space, with an extra-long island that incorporates a sink and stovetop so that we can cook while looking at the views. All our large appliances, sourced from A.L. Thompson’s, are hidden behind the midnight blue Shaker-style cabinetry, and small appliances are housed in drawers, keeping the surfaces clear and uncluttered. Brushed brass hardware and fixtures compliment the matte paintwork and add subtle glamour to the room.

It was always our dream to have family and friends from around the world stay with us regularly, so we have three guest rooms with en-suite bathrooms down a hallway on the ground floor. This enabled us to keep our family areas – master bedroom, office and boys’ room – separate on the upper floor.

We had a lot of fun designing the bathrooms, including the powder room. These are the spaces where the interplay of natural materials is most visible. We travelled to Florida to visit natural stone showrooms and chose a variety of beautiful marble and quartzite slabs for the walls, countertops and even some of the sinks. Where we used the same stone on two walls, we had to book match the two slabs to ensure the lines and colours flowed across both, and then we backlit them with LEDs which gives them a whole different life at night.

Upstairs in the master bedroom suite, we kept the spacious bathroom open plan and chose Invisible Blue marble slabs throughout. This eye-catching stone is repeated in the countertops, the double vanity sinks and the large steam shower. As an alternative to the shower, we have an indulgent free-standing stone bathtub in front of a picture window, so we can soak while enjoying the view.

A balcony runs the length of the upstairs, and so parallel to this, we have an outdoor shower and soaking tub where we can bathe under the stars. 

As co-owner of Bedside Manor, a luxury bedding, bath, and gift store, I take the business of sleeping seriously and believe that creating a peaceful bedroom is essential for a restful night’s sleep. We used calming white, light and dark grey tones for the walls, drapes, and custom cabinetry in both the bedroom and bathroom, and dressed our bespoke four-poster bed with high-quality pillows and comfy sheets in complementary colours from the store. Mirroring our bed is a hanging double day bed on the balcony, which is the perfect place to indulge in a lazy Sunday afternoon nap to the sound of the waves.