Four friends had been visiting the Cayman Islands for many years when they decided to purchase a property together.
Scott and Donna Bickford are old friends of Sharon and Russ Thomas, with the two couples enjoying holidays together with their respective families.
Scott and Sharon have also been business partners since 1999.
And despite none of them living in Cayman – with the Bickfords residing in the United States, and the Thomas family living in the United Kingdom – the foursome set their hearts on a house where they could all enjoy vacations.
“It was initially my idea (I get the blame), but we all had experience with building homes and thought that a custom build would enable us to have exactly the home we wanted,” says Scott.
With many of the trips having been spent around the Rum Point area, they all settled on the “quiet side” of the island as the preferred location on which to build the house.
MAGICAL VIEWS
When they found the site on a sugar-sand stretch of beach, it had an old slab on it, which they often stood and sat upon to absorb the west-facing ocean views that feature strips of teals, blues and greens.
“One of our goals was to recreate that magical view on the slab, from inside the home,” says Scott. “Our aim was that when you walked through the front door, there would just be this openness and direct connection with the views, and we think we did a really nice job achieving that.”
After purchasing the property in 2016, they began building in earnest in 2018, with Scott initially project managing everything from afar.
This proved challenging and, while appreciative of the original team that began the build, Scott was relieved to partner with Eric and Tracey Kline from design-and-construction firm Encompass, who took over and completed the project.
Following the delays caused by the pandemic, such as supply chain issues and labour shortage, the house was finished in December 2022.
CARIBBEAN MODERNISM
The architectural and design style of the house is Caribbean modernism.
It boasts 7,200 square feet of interior space and 5,000 square feet of outdoor living areas. Up to 22 guests can be accommodated, with eight en-suite bedrooms and eight three quarter baths. Three of the suites face the ocean and have large private balconies, all with stunning vistas.
“We wanted to create a home that has this sense of openness on the ground floor, and I think we achieved that with the soaring ceiling and the wall of windows facing the ocean,” says Scott. “We were also looking for an upscale but understated elegance, with very clean lines and a modern look that wasn’t too formal, heavy or ornate.”
The colour tones were chosen to evoke the brightness of the Caribbean land, sea and sky, including off-whites, teals, light blues, deep blues, emerald greens, greys and even some purple.
Of course, it wasn’t always easy for the four owners to agree on the design and décor of the home, with compromises made along the way.
“Such is the nature of personal tastes and styles,” says Scott. “On the plus side, we had a very rigorous process for vetting ideas about the home; how the space was designed and laid out, how the exterior would look, down to the last detail.
“Eric once told me that, essentially, we were building a boutique hotel. We took that to heart and tried to think of all the little details that make staying there convenient and relaxing.”
SUNRAYS
The house is called SunRays in homage to its tropical location and view.
“It was Sharon’s son Sean who thought of it, since it overlooks Stingray City, and is a very sunny place, of course – so, a very clever play on words and a wonderful name for the home,” says Scott.
But although the house is finally finished, life circumstances have changed since the two couples first dreamed of having a home on the island. They have therefore decided to sell the property.
“As beautiful as it is, we just don’t need an eight-bedroom Cayman home anymore, but it will be absolutely perfect for another family to make some of their greatest memories,” says Scott.
However, there is no doubt that the house has fulfilled all their hopes and expectations.
“While double our original budget, it is an incredible space,” says Scott. “We can see all the efforts large and small, the planning, the thoughtfulness that went into this project. We’ve received so many compliments on the home, and it’s validating that this wasn’t (such) a crazy idea after all. We did it.
“When you look at the size and scale of it in person, or even just look at the photos of the finished home, it is hard to believe that it was once an empty slab. We’ll always be able to say. ‘See that beautiful place? We built that’.”
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: ENCOMPASS
ARCHITECT: MJM ARCHITECTURE
AUDIO-VISUAL: 345AV LTD.
BUILDING WORK: WESTPOINT CONSTRUCTION
CABINETRY: POOLEY CABINETS
COUNTERTOPS: ELITE MARBLE & GRANITE
ELECTRICAL: MEGA SYSTEMS
ENTRANCE DOOR: MILLWORK 360
FURNITURE AND ARTWORK: DECORATORS UNLIMITED
LANDSCAPING: VIGORO
LP GAS: GO GAS
MECHANICAL: ECO HOUSE
METAL SCREENS AND LOUVRES: J&E WELDING
PLUMBING: ADVANCE FIRE & PLUMBING
POOL: POOL PATROL
RAILINGS/SHOWER GLASS: IBERICA MATERIALS
ROOF: HILL CONSTRUCTION
STONEWORKS: JM CONSTRUCTION
TILE: ITC TILE
WALLPAPER: WALLPAPERING CAYMAN
This article appears in the Autumn/Winter 2023 issue of InsideOut magazine, now available at magazine stands around the island.
