Photo by Brittany Ambridge
In the foyer, blue-and-white tobacco jar lamps sit on a pair of 20th-century chinoiserie-and- bamboo commodes from The Antique & Artisan Gallery in Connecticut. Commissioned paintings by artist Anne Harris hang on mirrored walls.
Whether derived from place, color, or simply the client’s own wishes for how they want to live and entertain, a single concept is often enough to formulate a design plan. This Lyford Cay, Bahamas, home started with a family’s love affair with the island itself and the easy, breezy glamour depicted in Slim Aarons’s photographs. “My clients wanted to re-create the nostalgic, gracious allure from the Bahamas of the past,” says designer Charlotte Moss. “This is a family that exudes joy, and the home needed to reflect that.”
Photo by Brittany Ambridge
In the living room, coral, cayenne, and chartreuse fabrics stand out against Benjamin Moore’s Pumpkin Seed. The Moroccan lantern, a piece sourced in Los Angeles, looks as if it could have been left behind during a trade expedition. On the rear wall, watercolors and 18th-century seashell engravings surround a mirror made by Jonathan Sainsbury in the UK. “Bling is not top of my list for decorating in the Bahamas, but this gilt mirror, with its shell and acanthus leaf design, felt just right,” Charlotte says. The dolphin-based side table in the foreground was acquired from the Mario Buatta sale.
Photo by Brittany Ambridge
The black painted tester bed with Chinese fretwork is the centerpiece of the room. Light green and blue fabrics serve as counterpoints to the black frame and bedside tables. Armchairs are covered in Schumacher’s Creeping Fern, and the rug was custom-made by The Loom and Company.
Photo by Brittany Ambridge
Hand-painted Iksel wallpaper panels from Schumacher offer the look of a custom mural in the breakfast room. The bamboo table and chairs are vintage.
Photo by Brittany Ambridge
Custom cabinets of ebonized wood with brass inlay are by Jonathan Sainsbury. “These were envisioned as cabinets of curiosities and are filled with antique coral, treen, coconut cups, and scrimshaw,” says Charlotte. “My eyes are always peeled for objects I think will work for a client.”
Longtime visitors to the island, the clients put down more permanent footings when a 1970s estate built for a member of the Mellon family became available. It’s a quintessential Bahamian house that feels much older than it is. Sited along 200 feet of shoreline with a private beach, pool, and gracious lawn and garden, the home consists of large-scale living spaces, private guest rooms, a guest cottage, and a pool house, all connected via walkways, breezeways, and terraces. Charlotte tapped into the history of the place itself, the architecture, and the chic, casual, jet-set glamour of the mid 20th century combined with an old-world sensibility.
Photo by Brittany Ambridge
The Michael Smith bamboo tester bed anchors the primary bedroom. A collection of 19th-century engravings of tropical fruits hangs on the painted, pecky cypress wall.
“When you think about the words dolce vita, you get a visual of an era with elegantly dressed women in kaftans enjoying old-fashioned, gracious living. There’s no pomposity. We wanted this house to be the Bahamian version of that.”
—Charlotte Moss
Photo by Brittany Ambridge
A small vestibule accessing the primary bedroom makes a big impact with a pair of still lifes by the late contemporary British artist Deborah Jones. The bamboo double settee is a modern version of an antique.
Photo by Brittany Ambridge
This vignette features a Jonathan Sainsbury mirror surrounded by 18th-century seashell engravings.
Photo by Brittany Ambridge
Conch-pink hues find their way to the dining room. Curtains in a Brunschwig & Fils fabric feature tropical birds and fruits. The table is set with a mix of Wedgwood and Spode china.
Photo by Brittany Ambridge
View from the property at Layford Quay.
Just like the trade routes that long ago influenced the island’s convergence of styles, the interiors feel both intercontinental and right at home. “It’s important to note that this was my fourth project for these particular clients,” says Charlotte. “Over time, you grow to know someone’s goals, likes, and dislikes. The most important things in decorating are listening to what the client wants and asking questions.”
Together, the designer and homeowners began the hunt. “These clients have an affinity for chintz, antiques mixed with modern things, and objects that have a story,” Charlotte says.“One of our first stops was the Mario Buatta auction at Sotheby’s.” Chinoiserie, vintage bamboo, and handcrafted items were also added to the mix. And over the course of a couple of years, the designer sourced pieces in cities from Los Angeles to London.
The home emits an elegant, resort-like feel with a sense of adventure. “In any location like the Bahamas, I think it’s important for the homeowners to feel relaxed and transported,” says Charlotte. That worlds-away perception begins just inside the double mahogany front doors where mirrored walls, original to the house, showcase what is only the starting point of this home’s cabinet of curiosities. Here, a pair of 20th-century chinoiserie- and-bamboo commodes ground commissioned panels by artist Anne Harris. The artwork depicts motifs that reference the family’s Texas roots, as well as their island home. Pocket doors slide back to reveal the main living room, open to the ocean on one side and to the pool on the other. “This is the kind of space you drop your shoulders in,” Charlotte says. “It’s a breath of fresh air.”
Photo by Brittany Ambridge
This giraffe-themed bedroom for the grandchildren was based on the book Zarafa by Michael Allin. “Decorating around the the giraffe-print fabric, Ismaelia by Pierre Frey, engages the children and gives them a story to tell about their room,” Charlotte says. The designer took the giraffe photograph while on a safari in Africa.
A second living area connects to the pool loggia and is designed for casual entertaining. The client specified a favorite shade of green for the space. “The room has a TV, backgammon table, and comfortable seating for reading, which is an important pastime in this family,” says the designer. Bedrooms and guest quarters are individually appointed with upholstered or canopied beds that pull in island notions. The primary bedroom is the only space that uses a traditional coastal scheme of blue and white.
Photo by Brittany Ambridge
Coastal notions abound in this guest room. A framed 1994 Hermès silk scarf in the Jardin Creole print portrays an illustration of a woven palm hat, coconuts, and bamboo. The marble-topped dresser from Badia has mother-of-pearl inlay, as does the mirror above. Bedside table lamps offer a bamboo motif. Fabric is Quadrille’s Kalamkari in lavender/green/navy on ivory.
“Overall, this home is bright and sunny with spaces that flow, distinguishing themselves through varying textiles, textures, and hues,” Charlotte says. “The acid test for any project is when the clients say they love it. This one passed with flying colors, and that’s all that really matters.”
