luxury locations issue 21

FEATURE

LOCATE, RENOVATE, RECALIBRATE: HOW ONE COUPLE’S DREAMS OF CREATING A HOME IN THE CARIBBEAN BORE FRUIT I f you think buying and renovating a property on a tiny island thousands of miles from home sounds like a mammoth undertaking, you’d be correct. There are supply shortages to consider, seen the green flash a few times,” Kelly smiles.

“It also felt extremely safe and we knew we would be confident to let our children wander and travel around on their own.” The couple looked at a few properties in the area but nothing quite hit the mark. “We left Antigua and a few days later our friends called to say that their builder had a property on South Beach that had become available. We saw it on Facetime as they walked around and bought it on the spot,” Paul says. “The reason we wanted to do a full renovation was that Kelly was very clear in how she wanted the house to look.” Fresh fruit store owner Kelly met Paul, who is the chairman of Spitalfields Market in London’s East End, through work. “I took over my family’s business when my dad passed 12 years ago. My dad was a big customer of Paul’s and a good friend of his so we met and fell in love while I was buying produce off him,” she says. “We each have two daughters and both sets are the same age so we currently have two 15-year-olds and two 17-year-olds. It’s like having two sets of twins. Poor Paul, can you imagine the hormones that run

steep costs for importing materials and furniture to prepare for, and cultural discrepancies to navigate. Throw ‘island time’ – once a jocular notion, now a daily reality – into the mix and you’d be forgiven for wondering why anyone would bother. Happily for those who do, the end result is a custom-created home that suits your personal tastes and lifestyle, and an unrivalled sense of achievement. You might even have some fun along the way. Paul and Kelly Walker from Loughton in Essex, UK, were by no means the first to fall head over heels for Antigua on their first visit to the island. After tying the knot in September 2021, the loved-up newlyweds chose the Caribbean for their honeymoon – and ultimately for a second home. “We were looking for a house in the sun and travelled to St Barts, Anguilla and St Martin to see if we liked the islands. “We thought we were going to buy in Anguilla but when we visited Antigua and

Kelly and Paul Walker

spent time in Jolly Harbour with friends who have had a place for over 20 years, it was Paul who said, I’ve fallen in love with this place and I definitely want our second home here,” Kelly recalls. With a combined four daughters from previous marriages, a safe location was paramount. “We both found Jolly Harbour to be such a wonderful community filled with friendly, happy people. Jolly Beach is just stunning, with crystal clear water and white sands, and I dare you to find anywhere in this world with a better sunset. We’ve even

74

www.luxurylocations.com