Dream House | Retirement property filled with rural-modern country charm

My friends, let’s throw away all the cares of this world and enjoy the rural lifestyle offered at this homey place in the back-of-beyond area of St Elizabeth. Aah, so far away from the hectic pace of our day-to-day existence as we come to realise the true meaning of life.

We are invited to spend the day in this brand-new abode – a modern take on a Jamaican country house finished in 2020, located in the fishing village of Old Wharf, Treasure Beach.

Greeting us at the entrance are the owners, Joan and Danny Morrison. Joan was in insurance and finance, and Danny is a chartered accountant and founding member of Real Mona Football Club. After one year of construction, this is their retirement home, all 4,000 square feet of it, on one-quarter of an acre plot. A house that takes the environment very seriously.

It was designed by one of Jamaica’s most experienced architects, Marvin Goodman, incorporating an abundance of ventilation and natural sunlight through 300 judiciously positioned windows (many of floor to ceiling height). The interior floors are tiled in porcelain, with vaulted ceilings in timber. There is a balance between vintage and new furniture as a rural, modern country charm is achieved.

WELCOMING OUTDOOR

The flowering upper decks and balconies are realised with flower boxes on the periphery, carrying the blossoming gardens from ground to airspace! The vistas from up here engage your eyes with the sea nearby and Santa Cruz mountains in the distance.

As we walk through the home, manifest in its unrestricted architectural design welcoming the outdoors, we come upon four bedrooms (with ensuite bathrooms) on the two-level floor structure – an old-time modern kitchen (with cedarwood countertops and cabinets). Boy, curry goat is on the stove being prepared for later. I hear it is not to be missed. A kitchenette is also upstairs. The dining area, along with the living/TV room, unfolds with wide-open arms to the semi-enclosed, covered, outdoor hardwood deck, merging with the raised infinity-edge swimming pool. The backyard treats you with its barbecue grill set-up and picnic table.

The community and immediate family are very sacred at this family home. It is not surprising that the village members applied their skills and labour to facilitate the completion of the building. The Morrisons are community builders and leaders from Mona days. Credit to their two children – their son, paying the bills, etc, and special mention to their daughter, a Harvard-trained environmental scientist who acted as project manager on the construction as her parents protected themselves within their Kingston home during the ongoing pandemic.

We thank this hospitable family for opening their doors to us. They show us what a united family and community can achieve.

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