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Of Land and Sea ARCHITECT CHARLES STINSON CRAFTS A MODERN CAYMAN ISLANDS BEACH COTTAGE.
BY MARGUERITE HAPPE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL CROSBY
From seaside homes in Costa Rica to luxury villas in Dubai to environmentally conscious abodes in Germany, international design comes naturally to the team at Charles R. Stinson Architecture + Design. So it was a perfect fit when a Minnesota family tapped the Wayzata firm to create a Cayman Islands escape. After honeymooning in the Caribbean destination followed by years of vacationing there, the couple decided to create their own getaway on Grand Cayman’s northern edge. They scored a petite waterfront lot in a stunning, secluded locale with its own stretch of sandy beachfront. The clients attempted to work with local designers but struggled to achieve their vision of a sculptural, architecturally refined residence that properly utilized the landscape and the available
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space. “Our team had the opportunity to create a home that melded with the powerful, strong horizontal lines of the ocean and the beach,” explains architect Charles Stinson. “The resulting structure is this beautiful sculpture with strong horizontal planes that epitomizes the modern beach cottage. The exterior is primarily white to blend with the sand and the clouds, while the blues and greens inside are very fitting of the site.” The house’s square footage rings in right around 1,700 square feet, so the team focused on simplicity and unity, maximizing ocean views. “While the floor plan is relatively simple, we opened up as many rooms as possible to create expansive, scenic portraits,” says Stinson. “The great room features a higher room that faces north, so daylight from sunrise and sunset flows into the space.”