Dream House | Rustic Portland Refuge

As we continue to open our eyes to the island’s atypical, unseen houses, we stumble upon yet another invitation to explore a spatial experience beyond the norm.

One is overawed by this peculiar find! What in heaven’s name is this structure, and where is it located? For that answer, I direct you to the beginning.

Sherol Ricketts had a tormented, unforgiving childhood. She was sexually, mentally, and emotionally abused as a child, got pregnant at 15, and an escape from misery couldn’t have come sooner with her travelling to England. She would eventually become a nursing assistant there, but despite her earlier traumatic life, she dearly missed Jamaica, people, and the culture.

So she returned in 2007 and eventually designed and built this cottage (beside a house she also owned), with a sea-view advantage. Its location is Fairy Hill, Portland, in an exclusive area seemingly reserved for returning residents – five minutes walk from Boston Beach and nine miles east of Port Antonio.

The circular structure enjoyed a former life in the 1990s as a garden gazebo for relaxation. Then two years ago, a project was embarked on, converting the gazebo into a two-floor haven, with a queen-sized bed in a room on the top floor. The kitchen, dining room, and living room are on the ground. Glass windows freely greet the incoming views of Boston Bay. Walls enclose you in marine plywood, popular for building boat hulls, docks, piers, etc. It is impact-resistant, resists moisture, and is the highest graded, strongest, and most durable among plywood types. The house is left unpainted for that rustic appearance on the façade, with the interior downstairs coated in blues and greens.

Ricketts gives of herself selflessly. Her charity, Young Donor Mama Foundation, feeds the homeless and the Government’s shelters. There is also the kids’ treats and lots more. This is feel-good therapy for her. The undeniable truth is that there are flashbacks of those early years in Jamaica. Memories never completely die. So she adjusts and lives with them, and giving to the less fortunate heals the pain (if it comes) as she continues to love herself. She has four children.

It has been said that architecture’s very being revolves around people and the lives they live. Their homes tell the story of who they are, their past, and even their hopes and dreams.

- Barry Rattray is a dream house designer and builder. Email feedback to barry-rattray@hotmail.com and lifestyle@gleanerjm.com.