Brewers Delight – The hills above Brewers Bay on the Northern shore of Tortola support a prize property 700 feet above sea level that, despite its young eight years, is reminiscent of a traditional West Indian house, yet has been built to modern standards. Owner Tom Parsons contracted the best skilled professionals in Tortola to build a dream house to accommodate seasonal living and visits from his grandchildren. Enjoying the comforts of both privacy and luxury, Little Nix includes a main house with its internal and exterior living along with a second house with four guest bedrooms, each with its own balcony and views overlooking Brewers and Jost Van Dycke.
The first aspect of Little Nix is the welcome. Down a slight drive with a bedrock wall, two large wooden cobalt doors surrounded by bougainvillea welcome you inside as the trades whisper at you, blowing across the infinity pool and deck, refreshing the senses. Opening this gateway can surely never become a matter of routine considering the wonders inside.
The Italian ceramic tiled deck entices you to the pool and immediately to the main living quarters, which are as open as possible, with low entrances of seven feet, 20-foot ceilings and a breathtaking pickled pitch pine roof that changes hues of colour as the sunlight moves across it. In the evening, high sconces give a dramatic lighting effect, teasing the pine into one more dance of the spectrum. Furniture, elegant and firm, ranges from antique mahogany tables to Balinese wood carvings and comforting couches for relaxed afternoons. The kitchen, elongated and equipped with all modern fittings including an electrical stove, is an integral part of the mix. Cabinets, both high and low, adorn this working environment which also features a bar counter from which you may observe the work. The kitchen is very much part of the living area, whilst the entertainment room, with satellite and high-definition television, is neatly tucked away in an alcove. Hunter fans add extra cool to the area. The deck, supported by steel girders with a four-foot wooden railing that does not obstruct the view or hamper outside living, incorporates outside spacious living between the two. One imagines the wooden doors and windows with hurricane fittings are never closed.
The main house boasts a fantastic master suite. Closet space is ample and a private balcony with telescope is ideal for tracking the many yachts circumnavigating the islands. An inside bathroom is complemented by an outside shower against bedrock, nestled under the stars.
Joining the main house with its guest bedrooms is, to the left of the communal deck, a living area courtesy of a long corridor with more storage space to the two-storey, three-bedroom unit with two Indonesian decorated queen beds and a bunk bed room for four persons, the children’s room. Upstairs with private balconies and down below with a gravel stone paved area a path beckons you to fun under the house. Here a horseshoe pit and Boulez gravel pit promise hours of fun. Amidst the undercarriage house is a plethora of beautiful ferns, palms and other plants, signs of a well-thought-out landscaping project that has reached fruition. Mango trees rub shoulders with coconut palms whilst the grounds are highlighted with Chinese firecracker, cactus and yellow poui.
Weatherproofing and longevity were key considerations in Little Nix’s construction. Nibbs were contracted for the cabinets and the infinity pool, heated to 78°F year round, features a pool room below complete with sump pump. Bob Wells was the structural engineer installing the steel beams throughout the property that contain the house for hurricane, earthquake and any other inclement weather possibility.
The house itself was built by acclaimed local contractors OBM. With a vast cistern and separate water heaters for each bathroom, Little Nix is an accommodating charming property with the best of everything this shore has to offer in terms of view and comfort. Although modern in construction, Little Nix pays respects to West Indian family housing traditions of communal and private space.
