Resting on a ridge above the island’s west coast, Cool Wind is one of nine villas in the exclusive Westland Heights estate – a community created by a group of friends who purchased the lots together with the intention of each building their holiday homes there. 

Designed by architect Jeremy Gunn and completed in 2008, Cool Wind was always conceived as a family home, but the owners had wanted to add elements of glamour. Built over two storeys in a classic Caribbean style, with timber-framed roofs, coral stone walls and shady verandas, the house wraps around one end of the pool. Stretching the width of the house, the expansive living and entertainment space, which is entirely open on one side to embrace the views and allow air to circulate, is, without doubt, the property’s most enticing space, and the double staircase, inspired by the grand staircase at the Palace of Versailles that connects it to the pool deck creates an imposing view. 

Despite its fine bones, it was time for a renovation that would ensure the interior styling matched the grace of the architecture. Ellen Richings Interiors took on the redecoration project, using creativity and resourcefulness to stay within budget and making judicious choices as to where expense could simply not be spared. The designer scoured auctions for suitable pieces, pored over fabric samples, refinished, reupholstered, and repurposed existing furniture, and used local craftspeople to make bespoke items.

The hand-made wood-framed French doors and sash windows were replaced, but not with the UPVC many opt for to avoid maintenance. “Even though we were modernising, we still wanted to keep that island charm, and wood always looks more classic,” the designer observes.

While the renovation required almost no structural work, the one area where the home was not fulfilling its potential was the pool deck. It was simply too hot to relax around the pool with no shade, forcing the family to retreat upstairs as soon as they had cooled off. The two parts of the property were disconnected.

The solution was as simple as building a semi-circular bar – with draft beer on tap – at the end of the pool, with a giant shade sail designed and installed by Undercover Canvas and Awnings Inc. that covers the width of the pool deck. “It’s transformed the pool area and how you can use the space,” the designer says. “It’s become what it was always supposed to be: dad making drinks at the bar, mum sunbathing, and kids jumping in and out of the pool.”

Elsewhere, the renovations were of a decorative nature. The coral render on the walls, and the floor tiles could not be changed, so the designer had to work within the parameters of the creamy tones and rougher textures. Simple changes, however, transformed the bedrooms into regal spaces and the living areas into cool, calm oases that invite relaxation.

“One of my pet peeves is when the style does not flow from one room to the next,” the interior designer says. “But I knew I wouldn’t find enough artwork in the same style to create that continuity, so I used fabrics for wall dressings.”

In each bedroom, textiles were the starting point for the décor. In the master bedroom, therefore, a dark royal blue patterned fabric was used sparingly for the pelmets, cushions, and an upholstered bench and artworks in the same tone were then commissioned specially for the room. Dark wood furniture, silvery dressers and a stunning chandelier create a decadent ambience. This continues in the dressing room, now a serene space, with a bespoke oak vanity, window seat and his and her shelving, and the extravagant bathroom with its freestanding oval bathtub and oversize walk-in shower with an outsize rain shower head.

The larger than average size of the bedrooms required more – and larger – pieces to feel finished, some of which had to be made to measure. In the other two suites on this level, huge, imposing headboards, custom made by local furniture and upholstery firm Designer Décor, tower over the beds in rich teal and gold tones respectively. Pelmets upholstered in the same fabrics continue the colour scheme while concealing curtain rods, and similar toned accessories pull the look together, resulting in an air of grandeur and opulence.

Down in the garden-facing queen room, where the walls are not rendered in coral stone, the designer was able to make use of a cooler wall colour and be bolder with the décor. Opting for a glamorous, feminine style, she chose floral prints and luxurious velvet in a blush pink tone and offset these by painting an existing four poster bed and dressers in black – a stark contrast to the cool whites and greens of the twin room.

The main indoor living space comprises a large kitchen with a curved breakfast bar with space for the whole family to sit and an air-conditioned TV room, decorated in cool grey, white, and silver tones, where chandeliers and well-chosen accessories add a glamorous sparkle. French doors in both kitchen and TV room lead out to the expansive entertainment space.

Covered by a pitched white roof, with balustrades in the soft green popularised by Barbados architect Oliver Messel in the place of a fourth wall, affording views over the treetops to the sea, this space embodies gracious Caribbean living at its finest.

A place to relax undercover but outdoors, this serene and soothing space is the heart of the home. With a travertine dining table that seats 12, two seating areas and a wet bar, this is where the family eat, drink, read, and entertain. Decorated predominantly in white, the designer brought in pops of blue with patterned slipper chairs, scatter cushions, and two blue and white porcelain ginger jars that stand sentry either side of the entrance.

“You have to have one or two statement pieces in a space like this, and the ginger jars are exactly that,” the designer says. “They were an extravagance, but they were definitely worth it.”

The other statement pieces are the unique leaf motif chandeliers, hand-crafted by local metalworker John Burgess, that hang between ceiling fans. Made from copper, which gradually gains a green patina, they add a warmer tone and an organic element to the space, which is in turn accentuated by a plethora of potted trees and plants dotted throughout the property, further blending indoors and outdoors.

This meticulous transitional make-over has re-invigorated a property languishing in a bygone era, using a clever balance of contemporary and classic design to turn it into the sophisticated, timeless retreat it was always supposed to be. A superb example of a grand design, the interiors now do justice to the elegant architecture, without the property losing any of its Caribbean character or its purpose as a family home.