BUILT 50 YEARS AGO, A HOUSE ON THE SEVEN MILE BEACH CORRIDOR has been given a glamorous new lease of life.
The one-storey family home is now described by owner Sophie Prior as boho chic.
This is a take on the relaxed, contemporary beach house vibes she and her husband Stefan fell in love with while in Byron Bay, Australia, just as they were purchasing the Cayman property.
“We wanted to honour the Caymanian history of the home by keeping the vaulted ceilings and the Cayman breeze blocks, whilst incorporating some modern elements in its redesign,” says Sophie.
THE NAME
When they bought the five-bed, four-bath bungalow the garden was overgrown with lush, tropical plants, which led to the house being named The Jungalow.
“The Jungalow just fit so perfectly,” says Sophie. “We’re working on bringing back more of the jungle.”
One of the bedrooms serves as a studio with its own entrance and has been dubbed the Mini Jungalow.
As the couple had renovated a previous home at Southern Skies in South Sound, they initially decided to undertake the remodelling work themselves, with their contractor. To help, they consulted close friend and interior designer Katie Adams, who guided them through key decisions on use of space.
However, they soon realised this was a bigger task than imagined, especially as they both have full-time jobs. Stefan is an associate broker and real estate agent, while Sophie runs digital marketing agency Lustic Media. The company was born out of her lifestyle blog Lustic Life, which she started in 2014 as a creative outlet while still working as a lawyer.
The blog allows her to keep being creative, and she recently launched a new division of content called Lustic Home. “It only felt right to honour my passion for all things home,” she says.
DESIGN
With an eye on renting out The Jungalow until they are ready to make it their family home, Sophie and Stefan enlisted the services of Cynthia Tranel, who was launching her studio Label C Designs.
“Cynthia understood the exact look we were after (something we hadn’t seen in Cayman before) and she was able to curate a beautiful mix of high- and low-priced items that worked with our budget and long-term goals for the home,” says Sophie.
They chose a neutral palette that wouldn’t tire, and natural, hardy materials that would hold up to family life. This includes lots of fresh whites, woods, cane, rattan, ochre, greens and oatmeal-type colours and textures.
“Cynthia sourced some really beautiful vintage pieces that added character and authenticity to the renovation, which we really loved, including some reclaimed teak tables, our handmade wall-hangings and the vintage throw cushions,” says Sophie.
Label C also took the lead in sourcing all furniture and furnishings, which came through original manufacturers as far as Bali and Australia, and felt authentic to the look and feel wanted by Sophie and Stefan. Cynthia worked with many of her US-based partners, as well as some high street stores that were slightly more budget friendly, like Urban Outfitters Home, West Elm, CB2 and others.
KEY FEATURES
One of the key features of the house was the mahogany front door which they decided to keep.
John Bird of Martlet Design refurbished the door and added a side panel and window to modernise and make it more functional.
“This door is an original from the build of this house, so to have something like this in our home really adds so much character and it’s always such a talking point,” says Sophie.
Another favourite statement feature of the house is the tongue-and-groove vaulted ceiling.
“Everyone who comes in is almost wowed by the impact, and it just makes the house feel so spacious and bright,” says Sophie.
The most fun part of the renovation was the ‘big reveal’ when work was finished.
“We also gave the previous owners a tour, and that was a pretty special moment watching the grandmother of the family see her old home transformed and ready to support another new family and their memories,” says Sophie.
Since completing The Jungalow, Sophie and Stefan have turned their attention to yet another house – this time in Little Cayman, where they have bought a small property.
Situated on more than 100-feet of beachfront, the quaint beach house – like its name The Hideaway suggest – is the perfect place to get away from it all.
This article appears in the Spring/Summer 2022 issue of InsideOut magazine, now available at magazine stands and delivered to select homes in eco-tote bags sponsored by LIVING.KY.
