Dean and Angela Garfinkel have created a home by the water, that they describe as taking a journey.
It’s a residence where the garden and the property enjoy a seamless flow, with the outside areas as important as the interior comforts and design.
It also enjoys green credentials, having been certified a ‘Gold LEED’ home in 2020, a year after it was built.
The five-bed, five-bath property is located on Hoya Quay in Crystal Harbour, with the Garfinkels enjoying life on the water’s edge. The back is on a canal, while the front faces Governors Harbour.
THE JOURNEY
The ‘journey’ into the house begins at the doorway.
“When entering the house, we wanted to avoid just walking into a room; we wanted to create more of a journey, allowing one to walk through an entry space, then choose a direction to enter one of the rooms,” explains Dean.
The timeless-modern house has 10-foot floor-to-ceiling glass windows. capturing the stunning island-scape all around.
“The 20 x 40 floor tiles start by steps that lead to a large patio in front of the house and runs through the house, and completes on the outdoor patio space,” says Dean.
This feature connects all the spaces, giving a feeling of openness and complements the modern construction, outdoor gardens and sweeping water view.
FAMILY TOUCHES
Dean describes the interior design as eclectic.
“It’s very modern, but warm by blending very personal antiques and lots of family photos,” he says.
These touches include a piano purchased in New York City in 1925 by Dean’s great aunt, which is located in the front entry and living room area, where it serves as a welcoming focal point for the home.
There is also a stunning two-storey bookcase as you enter the house, which is 28-feet high, partially accessible from the second floor via a glass walkway.
And, in pride of place is a 1918 telephone switchboard and accompanying collection of telephones, with the oldest dated back to 1908, which pay tribute to both Dean’s and Angela’s careers in the United States.
“Dean’s passion for telecoms began in his early teens, when he taught himself using discarded Bell System manuals – he managed to find a curiosity that ultimately shaped his life-long career,” says Angela.
A wall clock is a cherished antique that once belonged to Dean’s mother. “From time to time, Dean enjoyed antiquing with her, making pieces like this especially meaningful reminders of those shared moments,” adds Angela.
Artwork also features prominently in the home, with the Garfinkels favouring work by local artists such as Al Ebanks, Amanda Craig, Dready, Carlos Garcia, Lorna Briggs and Davin Ebanks.
Dutch/French artist Epko, Cuban artist Dua Moran, US artists Tim Schaible, D. Arthur Wilson and Meredith Hannon add to the mix.
“Each piece was selected because it makes us smile when we look at it and it complements the space,” says Dean.
As previous frequent visitors to Cayman, the Garfinkels decided to build a permanent home in Cayman, attracted by the warm weather and island lifestyle, while being close to their large family in the United States.
The islands also appealed for their safety, security and economy.
With seven children, their spouses, plus eight grandchildren, the house can accommodate the whole family.
Additionally, there are areas designed for special interests, including an art studio for Angela, and a golf simulator for Dean.
“The kitchen, living and dining rooms flow together to create one large space for entertaining, which we frequently do with groups of a few couples, to up to 80 people for larger parties,” says Dean.
OUTDOOR LIVING
The couple’s favourite aspect of the house is the lanai.
“We spend a significant amount of time outdoors in our screened-in lanai,” says Angela. “We love watching and listening to the green parrots. We enjoy looking at the water. We feel good energy when we’re outdoors, grounding ourselves in nature.”
Landscaping company Vigoro was tasked with creating the garden, which was planted in 2019 and is spread across almost half an acre.
“Our home has a lot of hard surfaces, so it was important to us to soften the home with lush landscaping,” says Dean. “In addition, we love bringing the green from the garden indoors through the window backsplashes in the kitchen.”
LOW-MAINTENANCE PLANTS
There is upwards of 200 species in the garden, with the plants selected for being low-maintenance to suit the location and climate.
“We like to design with a looser, tropical feel; a lot of texture, layers and so on,” explains Tom Balon of Vigoro.
“This usually lends itself to a lower-maintenance scheme. There are many, but the structure consists of areca palms, buttonwoods, acalyphas, jasmine, gardenia, arboricolas…to name a few, and others for texture like cordyline, alocasia, philodendron, etc.”
With the garden now mature after several years of growth, the Garfinkels are delighted with the results, blurring outdoor living with their interior sanctuary.
“Our vision for our garden is to seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor spaces to create a sense of serenity and calm,” says Angela.
ARCHITECTURE: Stace Magee
INTERIOR DESIGN: Stace Magee
CONTRACTOR: Core Construction, Peter Plunket
MILLWORK: KW Woodworking
APPLIANCES: A. L. Thompson’s
COUNTERTOPS: ITC
FURNITURE: Restoration Hardware
ELECTRICAL: Corporate Electric
GARDEN DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE: Vigoro
