A Greenhouse for Guests

This traditional cottage is not what you expect when you walk in

Hidden away on the historic Sea View property, overlooking Cambridge Beaches in Sandys, was the ruin of what owners, Jo Stanton and Jonah Jones, say was once a greenhouse. All that remained of the original structure was a wall and two columns, which have been transformed into a charming, 846 square foot guest cottage, with a traditional look at the front, and a more modern take at the back.

Designed by Sue Bendell, Design Director at Bendell Design, who worked alongside Architectural Technologist, Rick Evans, ‘Greenhouse’ is a onebedroom, one-bathroom cottage with an open-plan chef’s kitchen, living and dining room, verandah, full-length roof terrace and even an outdoor shower.

“Because it’s an historic property, we had to work within the footprint of the existing stone structure that was here, as well as the height, so we had quite a restrictive footprint to work with,” explains Bendell.

This was also part of the reason for designing a traditional look for the front of the cottage, including custom Dutch front door, in a striking turquoise colour, along with custom accoya wood windows and shutters, all made by BS&R. On the inside, the windows have been stained so “they wouldn’t look like unfinished lumber,” she continued.

Outside, the cottage is a cement wash, giving it a natural feel.

At the rear, a full-width Nana Wall glass system, which opens the indoor living room up to the outdoor verandah, cantilevered stairs leading up to the roof terrace, and surrounding glass railings, complete the more contemporary look.

“We wanted to make the back part of the building quite modern so there was this bit of surprise when you walked through the door,” says Bendell. “It’s very traditional at the front and then you walk in and it’s not what you expect.”

The property has a right of way onto Cambridge Beach and, because of its close location to the beach, the size restrictions, and the fact the structure was once a greenhouse, the owners wanted the cottage to be light and airy, with a coastal feel.

In addition to all the windows and the Nana Wall, four large skylights bring a mass of natural light into the main open plan living area. The ceiling has been layered with wooden beams and stained in a warm grey colour, which blends into the indoor-outdoor ‘Irene’ ceiling fans by Atlas. Subtle tracked lighting sits on some of the beams.

Simple, light and bright, the en suite bathroom has its own glass fronted door leading out onto the deck and outdoor shower, which has been designed with its own accoya frame for the shower curtain, should you want it for privacy. Matching pops of grey-blue glass tiles in the indoor and outdoor shower areas as well as above a simple pedestal sink, add to the coastal feel.

While Greenhouse is currently for guests, Stanton and Jones may decide to use it themselves one day. In addition to being an artist, Jones is also a chef, so the kitchen had to be designed accordingly.

“The kitchen is really large,” points out Bendell. “They wanted it full sized, but to keep it open.”

There are therefore, no overhead cabinets and all the appliances are low. The cabinets are white with chrome hardware, and the countertops a white-grey, giving it a clean and spacious look. A laundry and desk area has also been incorporated off to one side.

Minimalist, but stylish ‘Ceilo’ pendant lights by Pablo Designs hang above the kitchen-island style seating area, and a light grey porcelain floor tile from Bermuda Brickyard has been used throughout all the indoor and outdoor living areas creating natural flow throughout all the spaces.

In contrast to the light, clean colours for all the fixtures and fittings are Jones’s own show-stopping paintings and the other soft furnishing and furniture colours that complement them. These were all chosen by the owners and among the subtle greys and whites are bright shades of blue and turquoise. This colour scheme continues up onto the roof terrace, and includes a very large, fixed umbrella from Island Trading. Up here, you can enjoy views not just of the beach and sunsets, but also the mature gardens around the property. Particularly close are two trees which had to be protected. These are a rare Lignum Vitae and a tall Washingtonia Palm, which the owners call ‘Eric’.

“You can see Eric from way offshore,” says Bendell. “It’s right on the edge of the site, pretty close to where they had to dig down to do the footings. We were frightened for Eric!” Eric, luckily, survived.

Another challenge during the construction phase was how close the property is to sea level: “We did hit some water in one corner of the excavated area,” she continues, “but the contractor, Byland Construction, successfully dealt with that.”

Key Contractors

• AES Solar

• Bendell Design

• BS&R Group

• Byland Construction Limited

• Frias Carpentry

• Hamma Galleries

• Hamma Kitchens & Baths

• Island Trading