When Robert and Anna Woods made plans to renovate their previous house in Savannah, they had no idea they could build their dream home in their dream location instead.
But that is exactly what happened when a friend pointed out that rather than spending money on a remodel, they could purchase a lot and have a property built to their exact specifications.
Luck would have it that the same friend knew of a lot at Sailfish Quay, which was the size the Woods wanted for not just a house, but a large garden for their dogs Molly and Michi.
“The next morning, we drove across to the other side of Savannah to view the lot,” says Robert. “We loved it immediately. It was a similar-sized piece of land to the one we lived on. It had great views of the North Sound, and a cabana and docks were already
on site.”
They were disappointed to find that another offer had already been accepted subject to finance. Undeterred, they made an offer anyway and were thrilled when the other deal fell through, with the lot being theirs by the following week.
“The architect John Doak designed it (the house) and, once he understood what we wanted, and the limitations on size, he was excellent at putting our thoughts on paper and expanding the ideas to create the perfect home,” says Robert.
Construction began on the 3,520-square-foot house towards the end of 2021, with Robert, Anna and their son Deion moving in during February 2023.
A BIT OF EVERYTHING
Robert describes the style of the house as modern Caribbean farmhouse.
“It’s a bit of everything,” he says. “We wanted an open-plan and simple layout with the house spread as wide across the lot as possible to give wide water views throughout, and a spectacular view when you walk in through the front door.”
With this achieved, it was time to furnish the house which they intend to be their retirement home in future years.
“We relied heavily on designer Katie Adams of Niche Design for interior design and furnishings,” says Robert. “We would give her an idea and asked that she give us no more than two options so we would not procrastinate. It worked very well, and we loved and appreciated all that Katie did for us.”
Most furnishings were sourced from HÜIS, the home furnishing and décor store in George Town. And the Woods opted for a palette of earth tones to match their take on a modern Caribbean farmhouse.
KEY PIECES
In terms of key pieces in the home, Robert’s favourite is the sectional sofa.
“It came a few months after we moved in and made a big difference to the interior look, once installed,” he says. “For Anna, it’s the outside furniture, and being able to relax outside with the sea breeze.
“For the dogs, it is the under-stairs space. This was a cupboard designed for storage, but the dogs picked up on it being somewhere quiet that only they would frequent, and moved in quickly, making it their own private den.”
OUTDOOR LIVING
The house faces north with the spacious patio offering fabulous views over the North Sound. There is also a large swimming pool on the property.
When they bought the lot, Robert and Anna were delighted to find two 40-foot boat docks, a jet-ski dock and a boat shed on the property.
“So, although we never planned on getting a boat, we thought it would be so nice at this location to be able to get to Kaibo or Rum Point in five minutes, if we wanted to, as opposed to a 45-minute drive around the island,” says Robert.
Therefore, they have acquired a 13-foot Boston whaler, with plans for many happy hours on the waves.
The garden was created after the house was complete, with Robert giving Tom Balon of Vigoro landscape design company a brief of “higgledy-piggledy and not too costly”.
“Once complete, the landscaping looked even better than in Tom’s plans,” says Robert. “It turned a beautiful house on a pile of dirt into a really beautiful home, with spectacular ‘minimalistic higgledypiggledy’ landscaping.”
Now they’ve settled into the house, the Woods are taking time to enjoy all that it has to offer.
“The open plan, the sea views and the privacy of the area are all great,” says Robert.
ARCHITECT
JOHN DOAK
CONTRACTOR
BCQS INTERIOR
DESIGN
NICHE DESIGN
KITCHEN CABINETRY
POOLEY CABINETS
APPLIANCES
BRAND SOURCE
ELECTRICAL
ARIAN ROWE – RELIABLE ELECTRICAL
AIR CONDITIONING
COOLING PROS
PLUMBING
MERVIN SMITH – MLS PLUMBING
LANDSCAPING
VIGORO
POOL
AQUATIC POOLS
This article appears in the Spring/Summer 2024 issue of InsideOut magazine, now available at magazine stands around the island.
