Homes & Gardens UK – September 2019

fourtallwindowsinthesittingroom.Designedfor

eightpeople,fourbedroomsareeachseparately

containedfromoneanother,whilegenerous

communalspaces,bothindoorandout,areplentiful.

Whendesigningtheinterior,Tomwaskeenlyaware

ofthetropicalsetting.‘EverythingI didinthishouse

wasforthesakeofmaintenance,’hesays.‘I usedone

whitepaintinsideandout,andonlyonebrownwood

stain.’Therooms,withtheircleanandbrightwalls

andfurnishingsofcane,rattanandwovenhemp,have

a charming,understatedfeel.Muchofthefurniture,

includingthewallcabinetsofhardwearingpickled

teak,TomhadmadebyTheRajCompanyinIndia.

Thelaid-backinteriorlendsitselfperfectlytolong,

lazydays.Turquoiseis thedominantaccentcolour,

foundincushionsscatteredliberallyonsofasand

gardenfurniture.‘Thehouseis sobreezy,muchof

it is likeanoutdoorroom,’hesays,‘andwiththe

windowsopenallthetime,I hadtobecareful

aboutensuringthatallfabricsandartworkare

weatherproof.HavinglivedintheBahamasfor

20 years,I knowthatnothinglasts,astheweather

degradesit.It’simportantthatfurnitureandfabrics

aredurableasit’sexpensiveanddifficulttogetthings

shippedhere.Theoutdoortableshavestonetops.

Nothingis tooshinyandthereis noglass.Thereis no

plasticandnothingis lacqueredinpaint.’Thecouple

avoidvisitingthehouseduringthehurricaneseason,

fromJunetoNovember,butshouldthehousebe

hitbya storm,Tomis prepared:‘Wefeelsecureas

thehousecanbebatteneddown quickly and we’re

protectedbya bigreef.’

TomandMichaelhavenowspentfivewinters

at‘Zanzibar’.Duetothehaltinthedevelopment,

theneighbourstheyenvisagedneverarrived.

‘Myrealestateinvestmentmightnotquitebewhat

I’dhoped,butit’swonderful to have the place all

to ourselves,’ he says.&

W

heninteriordesigner

TomScheererfirst

visualisedhisBahaman

holidayhome,hedidn’t

thinkitsseclusionwouldlastlong.‘Itsitsona

stretchoflandthata friendofminewasdeveloping,

butsincethenthedevelopmenthasstopped,sonow

myplaceis practicallyallbyitselfwithsixmilesof

beachineitherdirection,’heexplains.Clearly

relishingtheproperty’sremoteness,Tomnamedthe

house‘Zanzibar’,afterthewildandwindyislandin

Africait remindedhimof.Havingownedtwo

previouspropertiesintheBahamas,hewantedto

movefromthemorebuilt-upandbustlingHarbour

IslandtothelesspopulatedAbacoIslands.The

allureoftheruggedNorthislandswasalsoinpart to

avoidever-encroachingbuildingworks.‘Inthe

Bahamas,there’salwaysa fearthatsomeonemight

puta bighotelupinfrontofyouornextdoor,’hesays.

Tomandhispartner,MichaelBaldridge,enjoy

sharingtheirhomewithfriends,whocomeforlengthy

stays.‘Thelogisticsofhavingguestscantakea fair

bitofplanningaswe’resoremote,butwe’relucky

thatourhousemanagerhasanorganicfarmandcan

provideuswithincrediblefruitsandvegetables,’says

Tom.‘There’salsoa chickenfarmnearbysoweare

treatedtotheonlyfreshchickenontheislands.’

Hedescribesdesigningthehouseas‘likeputting

togethera puzzle’.‘I wasgivena footprintof5,000

squarefeetfortheentirehouse,includingallthe

terracesandtheswimmingpool,’saysTom.‘Because

ofthis,everythingis designeddowntothelastinch.’

Thehousefollowsa localvernacularstyleoforiginal

settlersthatis rarelyseentodayintheregion.‘The

originalbuildingswereverytightcoralstonecottages

withwoodenshuttersandnooverhangs,’hesays.

Thehouse,comprisingsixinterlinkedpavilions,also

has some grander neoclassical elements such as the

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