A 1700's British Colonial Home Beautifully Restored in the Bahamas

BahamasBeach LifeBritish ColonialRestorationWhite Interiors
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Jewel Box

Harbour Island homeowner Trish Becker, a New York jewelry designer, had watched as this historic cottage across the street from where is lived went through multiple fruitless attempts at a restoration. It was among a small number of cottages from the island's original British Colonization that remained standing. After years of watching the cottage slowly deteriorate, she and her husband, Richard Chinitz, finally had the opportunity to purchase it and turn it into this insanely sweet home. They also rent it out! The link is below....

Bright blue painted shutters crafted of pressure-treated pine closely mirror the previous versions. Together with a coat of pale yellow paint on the siding and a newly stuccoed garden wall, they brighten the home's facade. "The wall is a combination of li

Inside, cypress walls and reclaimed heart pine floors anchor the rooms, and new doors were constructed in the exact shape and design of the sole door that remained when Becker and Chinitz bought the house. "So much research went into making sure we were u

The owners also made the most of the relatively small rooms with clever design choices. In the kitchen, where Becker preserved the existing layout, she installed smaller than standard appliances to conserve space. For example, a scaled-down, 27-inch refri

This is one of my ALL TIME favorite kitchens!

And in the upstairs bedroom, built-in shelving provides storage, maximizing the available space under the low, pitched roof.

Without room for an indoor dining room, Becker designed an open-air entertaining area just off of the kitchen. A pass-through shelf and window connects the two rooms, facilitating easy serving and cleanup. Louvered walls here and alongside a nearby outdoo

"The backyard feels very private and secluded, in spite of being in the center of the village," Becker says.

Added square footage also comes by way of an adjoining guest cottage that houses a third bedroom, a bath, and a laundry room. "We gave the new space a more modern look to draw a distinction between it and the original house," Becker says.

The house's furnishings reflect a mix of styles and eras. In the Bahamas, Becker explains, furniture often stays with a house from owner to owner, so the homes typically have eclectic interiors.

The clear acrylic coffee table in the living room, for example, references the island's 1960s heyday and helps to make the space feel larger. Meanwhile, small accessories dot the rooms with a whimsical sense of place.

The claw-footed tub in the master bath is by Restoria Marquis. Becker found the decorative privacy screens on eBay.

Thank you so much Coastal Living | Home Away | Belle for sharing this with me!

For rental information click here!

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