Listing of the Day
Location: Harbour Island, BahamasPrice: $1.65 million
Take a look at New York-based jewelry designer Trish Becker’s collection of baubles, and you’ll notice a decidedly beachy theme: stones in every shade of the ocean (seafoam green, turquoise, pearly white); cocktail rings adorned with miniature wooden coconuts; and gold pendants in the shape of coral reef.
But if her Harbour Island home has inspired Ms. Becker’s artistry, so too has her jewelry left its mark on her little beach cottage — christened, literally, by a wooden sign above the front door that reads, “Jewelbox.”
It’s a fitting name, not only for its aesthetic connection to Ms. Becker’s craft, but because the house itself is a box of treasures, filled with the stunning results of a meticulous restoration.
Like the broken cast-off shell of a hermit crab, the place was in bad shape when she and her husband Richard Chinitz bought it. There were no floors, no walls — just a severely deteriorated foundation and crumbling siding. The 19th-century cottage had been the victim of several aborted attempts at restoration, but luckily, Ms. Becker and Mr. Chinitz saw the project through to the end.
The first step was to lay out a renovation philosophy. In this case, the guiding principle was to honor the rich history of the home by staying true to its original 19th-century colonial style, which reflects the influx of settlers in the late 1800s, some 200 years after Harbour Island and the capital of Dunmore Town (named for the fourth earl of Dunmore) were founded.
Next they brought in architect Kiko Sanchez of FGS Design to draw up the plans. Then it was Ms. Becker’s turn to take over — the second time she found herself serving as project manager for the restoration of a historic home purchased with her husband.
Completed in 2014, the renovation succeeded in preserving as many 19th-century details as possible, using both new and repurposed materials, while adding on important 21st-century touches: a guest cottage with a bedroom, bathroom, and laundry room, as well as several technological updates.
The result, in Ms. Becker’s words, is a cottage that is “old school (mahogany windows and solid brass hardware) but with new school comforts (whole home stereo system, security cameras and wi-fi). The house is meant to please the senses of a dedicated island enthusiast, one who also appreciates being able to keep in touch with the off-island world.”
The Stats
The 1,850-square-foot home has three bedrooms and three bathrooms. There’s also an open-air entertaining and dining area, an outdoor shower and a backyard. The furnishings will be included in the sale.
Because the original structure was built in the late 1800s, the home qualifies for historic designation and therefore is exempt from property taxes until 2033.
Talking Point
Coastal Living dedicated an article, both in print and online, to the home and its restoration. It has also been featured in House Beautiful.
Neighborhood Notes
Harbour Island is often called the Nantucket of the Bahamas, for both its colonial cottage charm and its designer cachet. “India Hicks and David Flint Wood call it home, interior designer Alessandra Branca has a vacation home there, interior designer Tom Scheerer has breathed life into not one, but two historic homes on the island, and The Dunmore is designed in Amanda Lindroth’s signature style,” says listing agent Vanessa Pritchard-Ansell. “Regulars on the island include Diane Von Furstenberg, Uma Thurman and Elle Macpherson.”
Famous for its pink sand beaches, and its excellent restaurants serving a variety of cuisines, Harbour Island was named the best island in the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas by Travel + Leisure in 2015.
Agent: Vanessa Pritchard-Ansell, Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty
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