“When we were designing the home, we would go watch the sunsets every single night,” says Anishka Clarke, one half of the New York City firm Ishka Designs, of this house on the south coast of Jamaica. “We wanted our clients to have the same opportunity, from every angle.”
The oceanfront project was a sort of homecoming for Clarke, who was born and raised in Jamaica, and her partner Niya Bascom, whose parents are Jamaican and Guyanese. The duo were brought on during construction of the vacation property, which in addition to a six-bedroom main house includes four cottages and a separate gym. (The four-year enterprise required many trips between their office in Brooklyn and the Caribbean—“not a challenge,” Clarke cracks.) Their primary goal? Guiding all eyes to those swaying palm trees and the sparkling sea.
“The first thing we did was increase the window sizes to seven-to-nine feet,” Clarke says, followed by a further expansion of some windows into doors, as on a balcony. “When we visited the site in the very early stages, we mandated that they open up the enclosed stairwell structure,” ensuring the views across the ground floor would be unobstructed.
The stairway’s treads were constructed by a local millworker, Princeton Barrett, of an air-dried native wood called guango, the same material found in the home’s paneling. “Local was very important to us,” Bascom says. “We created a lot of the furniture and lighting, but we also worked with several artists and makers who used natural materials sourced from the island in their work.” The base of the glass coffee table in the living room is a tree stump that was cleared during construction, while the asymmetrical bench in the foyer comprises mahogany and a large rock, both also found on-site.
The furnishings are minimalist. “We wanted it to be all white, with color coming from the artwork and some furniture,” Bascom says. Wood textures and bold, primary-colored paintings are a thoroughly modern complement to the turquoise sea beckoning beyond.
Dining Room
The exposed stairs “ensure that the sea can be viewed from most of the rooms in the back of the house,” says Ishka Designs’ Anishka Clarke of her project on the south coast of Jamaica. Lighting, table, and seating: custom by Ishka Designs, produced by Grey Furniture, Matahari Enterprises Ltd., and Princeton Barrett. Flooring: Creative Building Finishes. Staircase: structure by Bellindo Limited, treads by Princeton Barrett.
Kitchen
An all-white kitchen is warmed up with more touches of guango, a local wood. Pendant lights: In.Sek Design. Appliances: Bertazzoni. Stools: Organic Modernism. Faucet: Julien.
Living room
“The choice of chandelier, the dominant feature in the double-height room, was influenced by palm trees,” says Clarke. Chandelier: Allegro suspension large by Foscarini. Sofas: RH. Ottomans: Dwell Studio. Table: base of a tree cleared from the property.
Sitting Room
The 19-foot-high space “acts as an intimate spillover from the main entertaining areas on the ground level,” Clarke says. Light: Modo chandelier by Jason Miller. Art: Bruce Allen. Sideboard and table: custom by Matahari Enterprises. Sofa: RH. Chair: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Rug: Malene B.
Guest Bedrooms
Family Room
Chair: Tuulla by Vioski. Couch: Classic Sofa. Rug: RH. Media cabinet and table: custom by Ishka Designs, produced by Matahari Enterprises.
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