Situated centrally on Seven Mile Beach, this private villa has been tucked away on a glorious stretch of sand for decades, yet many people still don’t know of its existence.
Known locally as ‘Seascape, the house at the end of the street on the beach’, the villa has recently undergone a major renovation, giving it all the amenities of a five-star hotel.
Now named formally as Seascape Villa by owner Stephen Price, the house has been in his family for more than 30 years and has significant sentimental value.
“Our family is Caymanian, with roots that travel as far back as the early 1800s,” he says. “The family, descendants of Edmund Parsons (the last Caymanian custos) has purposely made every effort to maintain the villa’s sense of place, given the use of Cayman cut stone, hard wood, and Caribbean-style furnishings throughout.”
The original Seascape was built in the 1970s and bought by Stephen’s father in the 1980s, with the property at that time consisting of four apartments on the beach (a two-storey structure) behind which were two buildings, housing 10 apartments, leading up to West Bay Road. Most of the roofs leaked, so lots of restructuring and renovations were undertaken in the years that followed.
Then, during the COVID lockdown, Stephen gave the beachfront home a stunning facelift, while retaining the property’s island charm and sense of joy.
“In the 70s and 80s, Seascape was known to be a place of fun and a good time, and that sense of being carries on to this day,” he says.
FULL REMODEL
It didn’t start out as a full remodel but spending time at the villa during the pandemic restrictions gave Stephen time to consider the changes that were needed.
“What I didn’t know, is that I was embarking on what would turn out to be a full renovation, head to toe,” he says. “We started with the flooring, then got a quote for the windows and doors (92 openings) and that was the beginning. Before I knew it, we were building an outdoor kitchen, pool and a putting green.”
For the exterior changes, he brought in Mike Stroh from Trio Architecture, who was crucial to the design of the ground floor back deck, which includes a firepit and outdoor lounge and kitchen.
“The pool’s symmetry and size are perfect, and that was difficult given the limited amount of space and need to include all the aspects I asked for,” says Stephen.
Next call was to Anna Hislop, the founder of Anna Hislop Home.
“The interior of this home breathes like it does, because of Anna,” says Stephen. “She’s near genius at making a place unique, while being honest about what needs change and what she thinks.”
UNIQUE FEATURES
The 9,900-square-foot villa’s most distinctive design aspect is the way it flows and can be divided into two great, yet separate, large spaces; one for the children and one for the adults.
After walking through the front door, one stands in a large atrium filled with trees and plants, allowing to either flow up the curved stairs that sweep into a large living area on the second floor, or stroll into the ground floor living area facing four large, floor-to-ceiling panes of glass, overlooking the pool and Caribbean Sea.
Often on weekends, Stephen’s children Jamie and Lena will have friends over for sleepovers. They spend time together on the second and third floor, where there are four queen-sized bunk beds, a pool table, ping pong table and foosball.
“Parents enjoy the peace and quiet (or not) within the ground floor living area and outdoor entertainment areas, knowing the kids are safe and sound above,” says Stephen.
Another prominent design feature is the openness of the second and third floor interior spaces that join together, with two large skylights overhead.
The third-floor walls that face the sea are purposely built on a 45-degree angle, which blocks the glare and direct sunlight between 3pm and 5pm from shining into the second floor living area.
“This not only saves electricity costs, but it looks cool,” says Stephen.
With many neutral tones throughout, Stephen has opted for artwork from Cayman artist Hannah Cook, a friend whose pieces bring splashes of colour throughout.
“Her beautiful ability to capture Cayman’s wildlife and trees, painting in bold and luminous colours capturing their movement, is a wonder,” he says.
ENTERTAINING
Stephen enjoys entertaining, with Seascape Villa able to accommodate 100 guests for a cocktail party or event in an air-conditioned space, while benefitting from a great view.
For example, he hosted a Prep School reunion, where he reconnected with friends from 40 years ago, all of them enjoying the opportunity to reminisce.
He also hosts an annual ‘Celebration of Excellence’ event, in which he invites members of the community to pay tribute to things being done well. These celebrations have included wine-making, ping pong, big brass and education.
“It’s important to celebrate things done well,” he says. “I also think it’s important to bring people together, who normally wouldn’t meet.”
SENSATIONAL SUNSETS
Stephen’s favourite time of day at the villa is sunset, which he enjoys from the third-floor balcony known as The Hide, which is open and yet a private vantage point.
“Relaxing in the jacuzzi with a beer in hand, as the sun slowly descends over the edge of the horizon, is like few other spots,” he says.
“The tops of three mature coconut trees, easily 30 feet high, are at eye level, adding the colour green to the deep oranges of the sunset, all in contrast to the white sand of Seven Mile Beach. It’s like few other places I’ve been.”
This article appears in the Autumn/Winter 2022 issue of InsideOut magazine, now available at magazine stands and delivered to select homes.