Dream House | Cardiff Hall residence is home away from home

Miguel Davis spent his first year of high school at Kingston College then moved on to England, but he could not have foreseen meeting a young girl originally from Angola at his new British secondary school.

In the fullness of time, he would become very tormented. The daily sight of Marilia’s good looks forced him to make his romantic intentions known to her. But alas, the more determined he became in trying to win her over, the more stubborn she was in rejecting him. But the young man had no desire to quit and take no for an answer, and the pretty young lady continually found every reason to deny his annoying overtures.

Today, many years later, the happily married couple is now in their thirties. She is a client liaison officer, and he is a director in marketing. They have three lovely children in London, with eventual plans to retire in Jamaica. This is their home away from home, built in the early 2000s and purchased by them in 2019.

Despite the outdated and poor state of the building, the Davis family found themselves completely at home the very moment they first walked through the front door. With Marilia being the main driving force and inspiration behind the revamping and modernising during the four-month construction process, she was able to capture a contemporary design (with some traditional elements) and put her stamp on its 4,500 square feet of interior enhancements. All furniture is from England.

Let’s get acquainted with the new and improved physical appointments. Five bedrooms; six bathrooms; leather seating living room; charming dining room; kitchen with granite countertops; verandahs and balconies seizing mountain and limited sea views from various vantage points. We also welcome the sight of an entertainment room and a gym, continuing with the porcelain tile floor theme throughout. The colour scheme on the inside is white, enhancing the natural light within while giving a larger feel and clean look. The outside walls are also in white paint, keeping the home cool and highlighting it within its surroundings. The outdoor pool (with cascading fountain) was added, along with a bar and stone-encrusted outdoor shower.

The dream house, occupying a half-acre, is situated in the hills of Cardiff Hall, Runaway Bay, St Ann, in a private residential association. It is also blessed with rights to an exclusive white sand beach just down the road.

All’s well that ends well!

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