Villa Aigue-Marine

Natural materials define Villa Aigue-Marine, from the timber slat facade to the live edge oak dining table. At dusk, the glass walls glow through the slats. The house sits on a quiet hillside near the Marigot and Grand Cul-de-Sac bays, above a sheltered bay with a palm backed beach. Green hills dotted with villas surround it, and from the pool a glimpse of sea shows past a headland. This villa in Grand Cul-de-Sac, St Barts suits guests who prefer a hillside setting to a wide panorama.

The contemporary two level house is clad in vertical timber slats under a gray metal hip roof. Concrete overhangs shelter large sliding glass walls and wide timber decks. Black louvered windows add contrast.

Inside, the mood is relaxed and modern. Dark stained beamed vaulted ceilings top the main rooms, and oak floors and oak plank feature walls warm the white space. Large woven rattan pendants hang above the dining table, which is ringed by wishbone chairs. The white kitchen has oak counters. A botanical mural lines the hallway, and black and white island photography hangs on the walls.

The heated pool is long and narrow, edged in gray stone coping beside a broad timber deck. A palm grows from a large planter on the deck. Up on the raised sun deck, loungers sit under a large black umbrella next to a BBQ cabinet. A covered lounge with timber slat walls provides shade.

Five bedrooms each have a king bed, sleeping up to 10 guests. The upper room has a vaulted beamed ceiling and doors to a deck. On the ground floor, rooms with oak feature walls open to small private garden patios. Bathrooms come in white beveled tile or dark mosaic. Each pairs an oak vanity with a rain shower under louvered windows.

Grand Cul-de-Sac is the north east lagoon, protected by a reef. Its shallow, calm water is popular for kitesurfing and paddle sports. When bedrooms matter most, Villa Récif covers 4 bedrooms for up to 8 guests and adds an outdoor hot tub in a private walled courtyard.

Families or friends of up to 10 who like a design forward home will enjoy the indoor and outdoor flow of the bedrooms. Paddle the lagoon in the morning, then spend the afternoon on the sun deck at this villa in Grand Cul-de-Sac, St Barts.