WWW.CBJAMAICA.COM 81 KÚYAappointed plunge pool on the palatial roof-top looks across the
Caribbean Sea, morphing to ultramarine in the early morning sun. The
naturally ventilated verandah is framed by billowing white curtains to
shield guests from the midday sun. Gore’s ideas on design are evident
everywhere. “I think space is luxury,” says Gore, who adds,” I don’t need
fancy. If you can line up a bed in a huge room with a view. That’s
luxury. The breeze is a big luxury here. Sun, wind and light that’s what
you design around. I want it to feel as if you’ve walked in and made
the discovery yourself.”
Her latest commercial collaboration with Henzell was on Lovers’
Leap. A newly renovated bar and restaurant next to the lighthouse at
the famous monument to the star-crossed lovers who chose to run
away, cruelly denied those sweet words of home and love. Together
they have created the quintessential local hang out. Henzell made a
significant investment in renovating the dilapidated building despite
leasing it from the government, essentially gifting it back to the
country to enjoy after years of neglect. “We’re custodians of a state-
owned asset. We wanted to create something that every Jamaican
would be really proud of. I really felt a sense of pride to work on it,”
Henzell said.The emphasis is on modern, banquet style decor, large tables, rum
barrel chairs with vintage Red Stripe imagery and Jamaican heritage
iconography adorning the walls. Nestled in a verdant forest reserve
of over 400 acres the building sits among bounteous, scented jungle