The moment you open the wide double front doors of Koko Kai, the sense of serenity is palpable. From the oversized sofa at the heart of the living space, you gaze across the aquamarine infinity-edge pool to the still waters of North Sound. The same layered, thoughtful design permeates every part of this Cayman Kai home.

“There’s a sense of calm that takes over the moment you walk in,” the owner affirms. “Everyone feels it. There’s no clinical therapy that works this instantly.”

In a neighbourhood where beachfront properties often change hands quickly and undergo surface-level renovations for the rental market, Koko Kai stands apart: a family home that has evolved over two decades, exuding a sense of purpose and permanence.

A Silver Lining

Originally built in 1998, the house was a product of its time, with ‘several avocado-coloured bathrooms and an ugly 1980s style pool.’ The current owners purchased the property in early 2004, and a few months later, Hurricane Ivan struck. “While the insurance didn’t cover the full scope of the renovation I envisioned, it marked the true beginning of a transformation,” the owner says. The house was stripped back to the studs and deliberately rebuilt in phases: first the pool, then the interiors, and finally the exteriors.

The Heart of Koko Kai

Reimagining the relationship between the living spaces was central to the transformation. Where once stood an enclosed kitchen and separate TV area, there is now an open, airy culinary space that flows seamlessly into the dining area and onto the deck.

The owner worked with interior designer Lydia Uzzell to achieve the classic contemporary beach chic style in her mind’s eye. The custom-designed kitchen, like the rest of the property, is elegant yet practical. The large island, crowned by striking, concrete pendants, features an integrated stovetop that makes cooking a social occasion and a plethora of drawers ensures ample storage within its clean lines.

In the dining area, the chunky hardwood table and comfortable cantilevered chairs have a reassuring solidity, creating a space that feels genuinely natural due to both the organic materials within and the views of lush gardens beyond.

In the living room, an oversized corner sofa and inviting rounded chairs are positioned to ensure clear sightlines to the North Sound. While the view through sliding glass doors is the focal point, prints of abstract seascapes – each carefully sized to fit the space – add pleasing balance and symmetry to the room.

Five automated mosquito screens surrounding the covered terrace allow the sliding doors across the living spaces to remain open, dissolving the distinction between inside and outside, while also keeping insects at bay.

Sanctuaries for All Ages

While the commercial offices from the original layout were eliminated (and replaced with two guest bedrooms), the architectural features that lend character – the dormer windows and curved frames – were kept.

A testament to understated luxury, the master suite is a bright, generous space, anchored by the interior designer’s custom-commissioned ‘cloud bed’. The extravagantly tufted bedframe makes a bold design statement, beautifully accented by the Tom Dixon smoked glass pendants hanging above it.

Then there’s the elephant in the room – quite literally. The sculpture, a genuine Banksy piece decorated with photos of the artist’s murals, has become a much-loved member of the family.

In the master bathroom, the ceiling mounted rain shower and double vanity are only half the story. Perhaps the greatest design indulgence is the freeform bathtub designed to fit the curves of the human body, imported from Australia.

A testament to the family-centric design, not only do the children each have their own rooms with en-suite bathrooms, but there is also a dedicated sleepover room with a triple bunk and double bed. The original mezzanine has been transformed into a den filled with sofas and tactile fabrics, ideal for the children and friends to relax after a day of water sports,
while also keeping the living room blissfully media-free.

Outdoor Living: Where Family Memories Are Made

Over the years, Koko Kai’s outdoor spaces have borne witness to what, for many, would seem a fantasy family life play out, the private dock having once served as the departure point for the school run, the beach being the launch pad for kayak and paddleboard expeditions, and the firepit the site of many a memorable evening.

This constant connection to water defines life at Koko Kai, and the pool is a focal point of the outdoor living space. Long enough to swim laps parallel to the sea, the wide steps and tanning ledge ensure it’s also a place to relax and have fun.

Behind it, the hot tub – the optimal place to enjoy a sundowner with a view – was meticulously designed so that when one sinks down into it, the view is of continuous water. “On calm days, you literally can’t see where the pool stops and where the sea begins,” the owner says.

The landscape, too, has evolved with the family. What was once bare sand and a few palms is now a lush, salt-tolerant garden of bismarck palms, silver thatch, hibiscus and bougainvillea. Lovingly planted and carefully nurtured over the past 21 years, the now lush canopy harbours discreet seating areas and well-established palms provide the quintessential support for hammocks.

A clear source of pride for the owner, she documented this botanical progress in a series of pencil sketches of the trees at different stages, now exhibited as a mini gallery on the entrance hall wall.

A Legacy of Permanence

Such a mature garden is unusual in Cayman Kai, where newly landscaped properties tend to dominate, but so is
a property that is a genuine family home, one that is lived in and loved, year round.

That is the true distinction of Koko Kai: its authenticity. In a neighbourhood dominated by vacation rental properties, here stands a home where every decision was guided by a family’s living needs rather than rental appeal or resale value.

“Above all, Koko Kai feels honest,” the owner says. “Nothing in this house is for show. Every detail was designed with purpose and integrity.”

Having had only three owners since its construction in 1998, Koko Kai stands as a testament to creating spaces that endure, where fixtures and furnishings are selected for longevity and gardens are given time to mature. The result is something increasingly precious in Cayman Kai: a home with roots as deep as the palms that frame it, that offers the profound sense of calm that only comes from being in a place built to last.