When asked to design a 4,400-sq ft house in Salt Hill, to be constructed on a site comprising of three acres of sloping land, all I could think of were the many obstacles that we would face transporting lumber, cement, steel and other building materials up a steep pothole-filled narrow road, 45 minutes from Papine. We managed to manoeuvre small trucks up the hill and in one year this beauty went from a dream to reality. A work yard was set up within the first month with a tiny shack constructed of zinc which housed tools, bags of cement and a few brave artisans who managed to cut each stone by hand. There was no flat land so 87 truckloads of earth had to be removed from the site before the construction could begin and the house oriented to perfectly capture the view of the Blue Mountain Peak.

My partner, being an engineer and having an extensive background in lumber, decided that different species of timber would be the dominant building material at Stone’s Throw along with cut stone. Timber homes remain warm in the winter months and stay cool during the summer.

The mountains present many advantages in terms of climate but one of the many challenges is the high humidity in the air. Lining the closets with cedar is an example of how we eliminated the presence of moisture. The Honduran pine floors, left natural, resulted in warm floors while adding to the natural beauty of the interiors.

While the one year of construction was in progress, with a clear vision of the interior design, I visited every estate sale I could find and trounced through all furniture establishments on the island. Fortunately for me, while travelling to purchase for clients I was able to find a few precious pieces to add to my collection. It is always such fun to be able to rummage through the furniture markets of Brimsfield and Red Top.

Here is my local FFE (furniture fixtures and equipment) list:

Mirrors, Lamps, Furniture & Hardware – Lavange LTD

Rugs – Fontana Pharmacy

Antique Light Fixtures – DC Tavares Finson

Antique Photos, Accessories, Sugar Boiler – Nazralla Antiques

Plumbing Fixtures – Active Traders

Appliances – ATL

Kitchen & Bathroom Cabinetry – Edward Morris

Millwork – Benton Harris

Doors & Windows – Alcor

Roofing – Spectrum Roofing

Floor It JA Limited specialises in exotic hardwood flooring, decking, doors and cabinetry.

Join Philippa Epstein tomorrow, Monday September 23

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Floor IT Plus JA Limited

Barbican Business Centre

Unit #20

88 Barbican Road

Kingston 8

Register @info@flooritja.com

or @ 876-631-8616