Master of Mustique - Photographer DALE CURTIS

On an island famed for luxury, Dianne Wilson finds a contemporary home rich in design and natural beauty

Oliver Messel brought a looook and aN INCOMPARABLEMPARABLE style to the homes of the Caribbean.

His work in the theatres of London, where he designed costumes, masks and sets, prepared him to set the stage here in the islands with residences rich in style and character. Messel’s work still rules the architecture in Barbados and Mustique where he did most of his work for his titled and influential English friends. His designs were so complete, interiors often included flourishes of Messel-designed furniture and accessories to complete the look.

Messel died in 1978 but his style lives on, and Coccoloba House in Mustique is a home that pays homage to the great designer who combined traditional styles with modern sensibilities and flourishes of fantasy.

Mustique is an island enclave of extraordinary homes. Nearly 100 private villas occupy the island, and each is as individual as its owner. Exclusive and somewhat remote, Mustique has attracted the well known and the affluent who come to build retreats, bravura reflections of their fancy. These sanctuaries provide respite from the cities of Europe and North America. Such was the desire of a busy financier from New York City.

Having holidayed in Barbados for many years, he finally found his way to Mustique to visit a fellow New Yorker. That short stay was enough to sow the seeds that would in a few years become Coccoloba. The purity and ease of the Messel style soothed his harried New York soul. A parcel of land with views of five of Mustique’s pristine bays was a perfect location for the home he had in mind. Two years of design and study of Messel’s work and four years of construction produced a Caribbean hideaway of coral stone and teak.

A winding concrete drive through natural forest mounts the hill where visitors are welcomed into a large hexagonal arched foyer centred by a trickling fountain. From there, the pavilions of the house and the pool extend with a vista of the sea and a view to the main island of St Vincent 15 miles away.

Built on two levels, Coccoloba is as much a haven as a tribute to Messel. Coral stone and slurry pathways connect bedroom suites to entertainment and common rooms. The dining room mimics the shape of the foyer with glass and wood panel doors featuring Messel’s oft-employed low rail, allowing diners unfettered views while seated. The dining room is lit only by the candlelight of the sprawling chandelier above. Limed side tables sit on a hand-rubbed teak floor. Teakwood reclaimed from ancient buildings in Indonesia was purchased and installed in several rooms of the house. The result is spectacular with a sensuality that begs a barefoot embrace.

The six-sided parlour is rimmed by the same Messel doors affording views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea from one of three inviting sofas. Featured prominently is a custom creation that pays homage to Messel: a whimsical shell-encrusted bar cabinet commands the room and the imagination. Fragile as it is, it longs to be touched; hundreds of shells cover the exterior. A pair of companion shell-covered urns graces the side table and twin display cabinets house a collection of shells and sea life from around the world.

The owner’s terrace is one of the most private areas on the property. A little wooden bridge extends to a private plunge pool, inviting an intimate dip. Luxurious oversize sun lounges look out over the bays of Mustique where the Atlantic Ocean crashes in waves that have travelled uninterrupted all the way from the shores of Africa. Both indoor and outdoor showers of coral stone figure in the ample en suite bath and dressing room. The adjacent study, dressing room and bedroom proper are all finished with teakwood floors.

The three guest suites are well appointed with four-poster beds, pencil lattice dressing rooms and bathrooms of marble and coral stone. Each suite has its own pergola-covered terrace and MP3 system. The Orange Suite has a media-centred sitting room with two baths, so it can be used as a nanny room, making Coccoloba a five-bedroom house.

From the Angelo Po-equipped gourmet kitchen, a gifted chef produces luscious meals, offering specialties ranging from homemade ice cream and fresh-made breads to grilled meats and vegetables. Luncheons are taken poolside in a Balinese palapa, while breakfast is usually served on the terrace. A favourite of guests is Woody’s Pizza Night where guests are invited to assemble their own pizza from a dizzying array of toppings nestled onto chef’s-secret-recipe-crust.

Coccoloba is at the vanguard of modern living with two very specialized rooms: one for the active personality and one for the ultimate in lounging. The private gym in soothing green is equipped with work-out machines, free weights, ballet bar and mirror. With vistas of the Atlantic, it is one of the most inviting gyms in the region. Should the song of the birds and the tree frogs become tiresome, the Dolby THX-equipped theatre offers surround-sound entertainment. Curled up on one of 12 leather lounges with pots of popcorn, the couch potato in all is sated with DVD and satellite TV. The fabric of the sound baffles of the theatre are in fact photos of the construction of Coccoloba, a record of its birth and a testament to engineering.

Coccoloba, the house, is named after the seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera), a sturdy and beautiful scrub indigenous to the region. Landscaping of the residence began long before construction was complete and seagrape plants are used throughout the luxuriant garden. More unusual plants like the lucky nut tree share plantings with sweet lime, banana, ferns, bamboo, and seven varieties of palm and pergolas of mandevilla. The garden is a flourish of colour populated by an array of leafy plants strewn with flowering plants and trees. Behind a bamboo fence, the kitchen garden heaves with vegetables and herbs. Local fruit trees of citrus, mango, cocoa, papaya, plums, cherries and guava tempt the chef to create fresh sorbets and preserves.

Coccoloba has been described as a home that is Messel in style, Four Seasons in service, and Jimmy Buffet in attitude. The owner got what he wanted: a piece of heaven that soothes and enriches the tired urban soul. A home that reaches forward as much as it looks back. A home with personality and character on an enchanted island paradise.