Mon | Apr 6, 2026

Dream House | 30-y-o Silver Sands home now magnetic, contemporary dream

Published:Saturday | September 11, 2021 | 12:10 AM
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The rooftop sun deck floats among the coconut treetops.
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The rooftop sun deck floats among the coconut treetops.
Enter through this front door and you may find yourself unable to leave!
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Enter through this front door and you may find yourself unable to leave!
The living area is comfortable and open.
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The living area is comfortable and open.
The primary bathroom features an ornate double vanity sink.
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The primary bathroom features an ornate double vanity sink.
This kitchen is a delight to work in.
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This kitchen is a delight to work in.
Where does the inside of the house end and the outside begin?
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Where does the inside of the house end and the outside begin?
Barry Rattray
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Barry Rattray
The primary bedroom is light and lifts your spirit.
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The primary bedroom is light and lifts your spirit.
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Today we go in search of a Silver Sands home which many years before was part of a coastal estate, from where sugar and rum were shipped. It is situated approximately 40 minutes east of Montego Bay, in Duncans, Trelawny.

The exterior of the building has been withheld to conceal its identity, lest the good among us feel the uncontrollable desire to enter its innermost parts without invitation.

The truth is, there is a magnetic energy at play throughout the interior of this villa, with a power so great that it unsuspectingly attracts and keeps you from wanting to ever leave!

The electrically charged 3,000 plus square feet of contemporary indoor space is very light and airy throughout, one of the most noticeable features. It is all well-coordinated with emphasis, balance, rhythm, proportion and harmony – attributes of proper design.

There are three bedrooms – air-conditioned and fan-cooled – accompanied by en suite bathrooms with their walk-in showers.

The indoor/outdoor sun-filled living and dining areas open substantially to a garden patio at one end. At the other, a screened courtyard with its private plunge pool, powder room and wet bar – all seamlessly integrating inside with outside.

The ceramic tile floors mimic real wood; walls are coloured in soothing light grey; louvred windows breathe in the northeast trade winds, and dashing multiple recessed ceilings keep eyes riveted upwards.

Wooden furnishings complement accessories carved predominantly from driftwood (wood washed up unto the beach).

The rooftop sun-deck lounge seemingly floats in the air, admiring from its perch views of coconut treetops along with aquatic and mountainscapes.

All this and more on a secured 10,000 square foot plot, considered one of the best within a 2-minute walk of a 3,000-foot white sand beach.

The house itself is 30 years old. Three years ago, it was offered a new design role, under the direction of designer Kathryn May and was gutted and remodelled.

The owners, who spend a lot of leisure time here, are Bonnie and Michael Fraser. Michael is a former president of Island Life Insurance Co. and former senior executive of Sagicor Life. Now a practising realtor.

Barry Rattray is a dream house designer and builder. Email feedback to barry-rattray@hotmail.com and lifestyle@gleanerjm.com.