The 700 islands and coral reef cays that make up the Bahamas—strung out like a vast comet tail in the Atlantic Ocean between southern Florida and Cuba—have long been a radiant sanctuary for sun-starved northerners and urban escape artists. Shades of gray come mostly in the form of stingrays and reef sharks, shells outnumber people, and the water is more dependably gentle than in places like, say, northern California.
For the San Francisco–based owners of a breezy, British Colonial–style beach house in the Great Guana Cay community of Baker’s Bay, plans for the home followed a single weekend’s visit with their four children. “By the end of our first trip, my husband said he was going to find a local real estate agent,” recalls the client. “Of course, I thought he was crazy. But we have East Coast roots, so we thought it would be great to get another foot back on that coast. And we’d really fallen in love with the Bahamian culture and the warmth of the people.”
Miles Redd House Tour
Having built and renovated several residences, she was adept at the process. In short order, they enlisted a pair of blue-chip designers with whom they’d worked in the past: Bay area–architect Jacki Yahn drafted a gracious architectural plan that built on the work of Florida firm Merrill, Pastor & Colgan (the architects of record for the project), while New York–based decorator Miles Redd, a master at conjuring modern rooms imbued with personality, sought a lively take on traditional Bahamian style. “We told them we wanted something that felt very open and easy,” says the client. “I don’t want a home that is intimidating in any way.” The result is a clean-lined residence that hews to the local vernacular—from the classic stucco exterior framed with Colonial-style columns to pastel-blue shutters and extended rooflines devised to cast shade. “They’re like the broad brim of a hat,” says Yahn.
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The entrance establishes the animated atmosphere with a graphic zigzag-patterned abaca rug beneath oversize lanterns hand-painted with chevron stripes; Chinese urns are set off by walls sheathed with grass cloth. “I always like to put something raw next to something slick, something nacreous next to something rough,” Redd explains. “Disparate elements make for interesting decoration.” The open living and dining areas beyond are outfitted with deep, easygoing seating upholstered in the soft hues of blue and yellow that go so well in the tropics. “My cry to myself is ‘don’t make things too fancy’ but I love fancy,” Redd admits.
Redd’s trademark use of pattern is unleashed in the bedrooms, including a muted-coral and navy bunk room that sleeps seven children. It was the client, in fact, who initially collected bags and bags of textile swatches. Together, she and Redd sorted through fabrics and images, choosing vibrant shades of coral, emerald, and sky blue to accentuate each room with energy. “You always want to walk into a bedroom and feel wowed,” he says. “But it also has to be a place where you can settle in and relax.” In the process, decorator and homeowner pushed each other in a pas de deux they had polished over the last decade. “She can show me something, and I may say, ‘Hmmm, we can do better.’ Or I can show her something, and she’s like, ‘Nope.’ I’m her editor.”
One “nope” ultimately was overruled: an exuberant Iksel wallcovering for a powder room that mimics Turkish tiles. “Powder rooms should be outrageous—it’s the one space you want to take people’s breath away,” the decorator declares. “Miles knows that when he can’t get around me, he goes to my husband. I think that’s called an end run,” she concedes with a laugh.
Yet as this genial Bahamas retreat proves, Redd is perfectly attuned to his client’s vision for a cheerful home imbued with flair but without airs. “I know where my talent stops and where Miles’s magic begins,” the client says. “He’s so good about proportions and scale and just the right touch of whimsy.”
Featured in our July/August 2019 issue
