This Bahamian home is a joy to behold – at every turn there are colours, patterns and moments of repose that just feel good
STYLING HELEN CROWTHER
Approaching this family home located at the top of a hill in Hope Town, Bahamas, you’d be forgiven for thinking it had stood here for generations thanks to its weathered clapboard frontage and green shutters. However, it is newly built – twice over, in fact. Its Canadian owners, a couple with four grown children, commissioned the build in 2018, after holidaying here for decades. But disaster struck when Hurricane Dorian hit the island, leaving the near-completed house severely damaged. ‘It was an emotional time,’ says its American interior architect Andrew Howard. ‘But the storm made us re-evaluate everything. There is something humbling when you have to start again – we were determined to make it even more joyful.
’ That sense of joy, which Andrew says is a reflection of its dynamic owners, can be seen throughout, from a vivid colour palette to a selection of energetic patterns, layered with informal finesse. Known for his playful but practical approach to coastal interiors, Andrew says that he was compelled to think outside the box with this project, largely because the owners favoured whitewashed tongue-and-groove panelling throughout. ‘Vibrant wallpaper is an important part of my box of tricks, so without that option we had to think of alternative ways to create depth,’ he says. Together with his colleague Lindsey Waters, who sourced fabrics and trimmings, he conceived schemes that blend florals with geometrics, primary colours with pale, and densely patterned mosaics with natural materials. Combined, they provide a softly contemporary take on the tropical landscape beyond. ‘One approach is to go super simple and let the views do the talking, but we preferred to allow inside and out to “co-mingle”,’ he says.
‘The trick is to mix scale when you are going for pattern. Big and bold is great, but that needs to be tempered with small scale repeats to give the eye a roadmap of how to look around a room and appreciate it.’ Though colourful interiors are part of his stock-intrade, Andrew says that a well-designed home should convey the personality of its owners. ‘I’d much pre
