Dream House | A Renaissance woman’s retreat

The behavioural characteristics of a house are determined by how its architecture and interior layout have been influenced by the distinct personality of its owners, how they think, feel, and behave.

Take the Renaissance owner of this luxurious residential space with a golf course, mountain, and sea views. She has made this property hers, and it is an exemplification of a life lived to the fullest as an influencer, entrepreneur, publicist, and globetrotter, in addition to being a philanthropist, a photographer and a culinary artist. She has supported causes near and dear to her heart, such as those in the arts, education, and women’s health.

Take your beauty sleep in any of the six stylish bedrooms (with balconies and patios), including private sitting rooms and a wet bar, with one being in its own cottage. Perform your daily ablutions in eight marble and travertine bathrooms, featuring spa hot tubs, and double outdoor rain showers within the confines of hidden gardens.

Be enthralled by the entrance pavilion, a foyer, a living room (with its individual seating areas), a formal air-conditioned dining room, and a family games room – all embracing the covered outdoor leisure-dining wraparound terraces. The island kitchen is equipped with a butler’s pantry. There is also a study, a fitness centre, a triple carport, and staff quarters. A Sonos sound system brings music to your ears throughout. The 12,145 square feet of refined interiors is an amalgamation of Jamaican, Asian, and European influences, certain to impress and comfort you.

We find the beautifully landscaped grounds no less appealing, with two highly unusual, independent heated saltwater swimming pools (one a 50-foot lap pool with a 12-foot sun shelf), along with a pool gazebo, and a hydrotherapy heated spa tub which fits 12 people. A garden shower is a welcome sight, as well as a fire pit for roasting those marshmallows among the laughter of family and friends.

This dream house, sprawled on a three-and-a-half-acre hilltop plateau in Sandy Bay, Hanover, is within a prestigious guarded enclave, sharing beach, golf, and tennis amenities. Photographed before the passing of Hurricane Melissa, it was spared by the Category 5 storm.

Architecture does have an emotional effect on us, both physically and psychologically. This dwelling space, a source of constant pleasure, evokes a positive response beyond measure.

Barry Rattray is a dream house designer and builder. Email feedback to barryrattray1@hotmail.com and lifestyle@gleanerjm.com.