Approaching the shore, the first impression of the house we're currently looking after is Fort Knox. All-over grey plaster with sharp edges and no relenting features it definitely seems to warn 'this is private property'. And perhaps that’s deliberate. But inside its another world!
 
Upstairs in the open-plan living area, white plastered walls wash unevenly down to a festoon of shells and coral on the painted concrete floor. There’s shelving created from palm trunks sawn lengthwise in half, and an overhead fixture of LED lights roped to a triangle of bamboo. Downstairs, our bedroom has crisp white open-weave curtains and pelmets of sun-bleached driftwood, the latter collected from the shore and handmade by the owner. More lengths form the bedhead. Add two small beside-tables and a palm-leaf mat and the effect is blissfully serene and harmonious. 
 
Then there are the gardens, an on-going labour of love that would have taken countless weeks of back-breaking work just to clear the dense island vegetation. And that's before anyone could think of planting the vibrant red and pink hibiscus and the green/purple oyster plants edging the pathways. Not to mention build the steps and yoga deck!