Villa Tainos, St Barths

Description

Created by the renowned St. Barth design firm of Olivier Dain Perspectives, Villa Tainos offers a truly masterful combination of contemporary lines and exquisite comfort in an ideal location. At the summit of the peninsula of Pointe Milou, this property is truly one of the gems of the island.

The approach to the house curves up past a peaceful stand of casuarina pines, bringing you to a bridge-like entryway flanked by frangipani and dwarf royal palm. The villa's wide mahogany doors swing open to reveal the unexpected sight of an oasis of privacy with a stunning view of the ocean, the leeward side of St. Barth and the island of St. Maarten visible in the distance. Walk inside and you are enveloped in a cool, calming space lit from above, with a wood-slat ceiling to diffuse the sun's rays and a floor of soothing, soft-gray Casais marble. Directly ahead of you, clear water glitters in the two-tier infinity pool, which is adjoined by a teak deck and landscaped garden of fountain plant and blue agave. In a remarkable achievement of placement and design, Villa Tainos' orientation lends it a sense of occupying a natural, nearly undeveloped environment, with only the sky above and the sea below. With its westward view, Villa Tainos is privileged with the perfect vantage point for spectacular St. Barth sunsets, which set the sky aflame and transform the nearby islets of Bonhomme and Fregate into dramatic silhouettes.

Immediately to your right, the gourmet kitchen opens onto a living area equally suitable for a quiet afternoon reading a good book or a sunset cocktail with friends. The hallway behind the kitchen leads to a convenient half bath and provides a discrete entrance for caterers or housekeeping staff. A second skylight illuminates the space between the living area and the doorways to the bedroom suites.

Villa Tainos' three bedrooms are furnished and situated so that each one seems to claim the title "master bedroom" for itself. The first offers a view of the garden and the sea beyond through a unique, red-leather-upholstered bay window perfect for relaxing after a morning at the beach. A rain-head shower and raised glass vanity highlight the en-suite bathroom.

The other two bedrooms feature one of the rarest design flourishes on the island: floor-to-ceiling green-tinted windows meet to form glass corners, bringing to mind the clean form of New York's Lever Building. By angling the king-size beds just slightly in relation to the walls and windows, the layout accentuates the sense of flow of light and air between the interior and exterior spaces. These two bedrooms connect directly to their own spectacular bathrooms, decorated entirely in Italian glass tiles, each with a rain head shower.

Two other very secluded spaces beg to be discovered, for they are well-hidden and easily overlooked at first glance. Beside the entrance to Villa Tainos is a sheltered alcove, complete with an outdoor shower and chaises, the perfect hideaway for a private yoga session or massage. Follow the path through the shimmering fountain plants to the edge of the bluff overlooking the sea, and you will find that a few steps below you, beside the pool and yet hidden from view, is the ideal spot for sunbathing, reading, or just getting away without going to far from the comfort and elegance of your exquisite villa.