After what felt like a trailblazing experience down the rugged driveway, Maritha Keil and I pull up to North Shore Lookout and its clean, contemporary lines. We walk past a healthy papaya tree, popping with dozens of fruit in various stages of ripeness, before taking a few steps across a Saltillo-tiled corridor. Double doors open to the living room and a staggering view of Brewers Bay.
The canvas-covered sofa and chair, reclaimed teak coffee table and side tables, and brushed metal accent lamps all add to the subtle and soothing feel of the living room, advocating peaceful, uncluttered thought. A large flat-screen TV unobtrusively sits in a corner. On the other side of the couch, an office area with a teak desk, spacious bookshelves and an ergonomic chair spans three large windows that face the hillside.
The kitchen, separated from the living area by a counter and a partial wall, dazzles me almost as much as the view. The counters and walls are covered in tiles the colour of chilled blueberries. Solid wood kitchen drawers and cupboards provide ample storage space. Gleaming among the blue and russet backdrop, Viking stainless steel appliances certify this kitchen worthy of a budding chef. The massive side-by-side refrigerator/freezer, stove, oven, microwave, dishwasher, food processor, blender, toaster, coffee maker and cappuccino/espresso machine all carry the Viking logo.
On the other side of the living room, through sliding glass doors, a covered, outdoor dining area displays enough seating for ten guests. Shade and a constant breeze guarantee this space as the perfect locale to both start and end the day—I can imagine relishing my morning tea out here as easily as I can picture chilling to music long after the dessert plates have been cleared. This is also the perfect spot for watching the sun set over the Atlantic.
Stepping into the sun shining on the large tile deck, I’m not surprised to notice a Viking professional barbecue grill. This house is made for entertaining, both in and out of doors. Three comfortable lounge chairs and two ottomans invite outdoor lounging. The view includes various shades of azure in Brewers Bay that remind me of my sticker collection and the "oily" stickers that changed colour when pressed and the liquid inside swirled around.
Directly across from the house, on the opposite side of Brewers, is Anderson Point, home of Shark Bay National Park—18.4 acres of park and wildlife preserve that will never be developed. At the tip of Anderson Point rest several boulders, similar to those seen at the Baths in Virgin Gorda—and I’m told there’s a large cave over there as well. Beyond Shark Point, the seemingly endless Atlantic Ocean stretches to the horizon.
The bedrooms are accessible from the corridor in the front of the house. One is upstairs and one is down. I go up first, to the cathedral-ceilinged master bedroom. Again, the furniture and fittings are simple, clean. The bed and matching dressers and bedside tables are nautically inspired, not in a rope-and-anchor sort of way, but in that they are efficient and practical without protruding pulls or unnecessary flourishes. Beige ceramic tiles in the capacious shower continue the theme of unobtrusiveness, as do the stainless steel fixtures, white walls and classic porcelain pedestal sink. Four large windows provide the eye-candy.
Downstairs, a stacked washer/dryer combo fills a small closet across from the second bedroom. The large second bedroom, like the rest of the house, has Saltillo tiles. A closet with folding doors provides ample storage space. One of the best features of the entire property, though, is the small, private balcony off the downstairs bedroom. The balcony has no railing, so you feel close to the surrounding vegetation of the hillside and the stunning view. If I would spend my mornings and evenings upstairs sipping tea or socializing, I’d spend long, lazy Sunday afternoons in one of the two Adirondack chairs on this patio. And though I’d be tempted to pass the time with a book or crossword, I’d probably just end up memorizing every detail of the scenery.
