In 2004 I started decorating my neighbors’ vacation homes in
the ski hills north of Montreal. A year later I moved to the
islands and met Jean Legoubey, developer of The Cliff at Cupecoy: St. Maarten’s
first luxury high rise. The iconic landmark towers 12 floors above beautiful
Mullet Bay beach. Mr. Legoubey regularly vacationed in the Laurentians ski resorts, so this
simple affinity led to my decorating dozens of condos at The Cliff. When I
sized up the magnificent opportunity, it didn’t take long to move beyond the furniture
available on island. I researched American and Italian furniture manufacturers
and obtained distributorships of ideal brands for Caribbean residences. These include Tommy Bahama, Laneventure, Century, American
Leather and more.
One of the many benefits of living on a dot in the ocean is instant acceptance from
manufacturers worldwide, without the necessity of a brick and mortar
storefront. I’ve never seen the appeal of a roadside presence, preferring
instead to live in my showroom. I designed and built Eversummer high on a hill...
my dream villa, blessed with magnificent views and luxurious oxygen, just not possible
on a road side. From my home, I research furniture online and correspond with clients
via email. As part time residents, they often prefer to spend vacations
on the beach, so we choose furniture online at their leisure.
Of the many Cliff condos I helped to furnish, I've had the
privilege of decorating several Penthouses, although every unit is a luxurious sanctuary. Besides sourcing exclusive designers
like Oscar de la Renta and Richard Frinier, my work entails every detail of the
interior, from elegant window treatments to rock face
walls and innovative column designs.
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