The restraints here were when restoring this 1970’s house on Mustique were principally the location itself and the climate. It sits in an exposed spot, looking down over an expanse of the Caribbean Sea. Battered by the elements, it had to feel stable and possess a warmth and even cosiness to mitigate the feeling that the weather can sweep in. As it was on an island, we needed to work with local materials that would weather well and cope with heat, the salt, sandflies, mosquitos... The central room was wrapped in bamboo, and we decided to continue this throughout; we put it everywhere, using cured bamboo lining, sapele wood floors, and vintage bamboo or rattan furniture. Interiors were kept neutral to allow any vivid notes of colour to come from the greens and blues outside. Our intention was to conjure up an echoes of an old James Bond film and the panache of early Mustique. Ultimately the house had to work as a retreat that would deliver a castaway feeling with a huge extra dose of chic.