How do you fancy the whole of St Ouen’s Bay as the view from your hot tub? Just imagine it – watching the sun set with a sparkling glass of champagne, or easing tight muscles after an early morning’s surf, while watching the waves roll in across the bay. Doesn’t sound bad does it… especially when it comes with a luxury beach
pad attached.
Furze Close is the latest from developers Chapman Hugo, who saw the potential of the plot at La Pulente, turning an awkwardly-sited property into a contemporary timber-clad beach house positioned to maximize those stunning views. The property’s set back into the cliff, and higher than any nearby houses so there’s no feeling of being overlooked. From the private parking area, there’s a secure intercom gate that leads up to the decked terrace with glass railings that runs the length of the property. Bi-fold glass doors form the entrance into the open-plan living space and kitchen with a few stairs up to the property’s second level with two double bedrooms, house bathroom, a private garden to the rear and a stunning top terrace with infinity-style sunken hot tub with sweeping views straight across the bay. It’s a real find, with property agent Luke Brown from Le Gallais agreeing, “It’s very rare to find a house with such a huge sweep of the bay as a view for under a million pounds. And if you want a ‘pad’ by the coast, this is ideal, open-plan, modern and finished to an incredibly high standard”.
“It was a difficult build from a construction point of view,” explains Gary Smith, Chapman Hugo’s Project Manager. “We were working right into the cliff and the sand. It was quite a feat”. The work took around seven months to complete and the result is a sympathetically-designed property that will sit well with its surroundings. “The softwood cladding will weather naturally, turning a silvery brown in a year or so which will mimic the bark of the nearby trees. The lead roof will turn silver as well, complementing the natural stone tones of the cliff, so within a year the property will really blend in with the environment”.
Once you get inside the secure intercom gate that separates the house from its private parking, you realize that although Furze Close might blend in with its environment, there’s absolutely nothing rustic about the cutting edge technology and sleek design details that elevate the house to a new level of luxury. The latest in smart home technology – a ‘Control 4’ system runs through the house, designed to make controlling everything from the music to the heating possible at the touch of a button. There’s a super modern top of the range dark Rationale kitchen with double oven, Bosch appliances and a statement Smeg fridge and in the living area a contemporary multi-fuel stove that can be positioned to direct heat inside or outside onto the balcony area. And of course there’s that stunning hot tub with its complete bay views, located on the master bedroom’s private top terrace.
Inside, the décor is light and bright with white walls and American black walnut flooring, solid wood doors and beams which warm up the space, and prevent it from feeling cold and minimalist. The American walnut floors are under-floor heated, and there’s plenty of storage with built-in wardrobes running the length of each bedroom, an extensive underfloor storage area accessible from the open-plan kitchen, and an outside room next to the parking area for surfboards, bicycles or even a motorbike. The house bathroom and shower room is stunning, with a wall of stacked natural black slate, and the other walls finished in a unique dark metal-style polished tile. “It’s a combination of natural and modern materials,” explains Gary, “which really suits this property – a modern twist on a traditional beach house. And even though this is smaller than our usual developments, we’ve used the same extremely high quality materials and fittings. It’s unusual to see a development of this size finished to this level”.
It’s certainly been designed to appeal to savvy purchasers who’d like to benefit from the natural beach-side lifestyle without compromising on luxury. The large master bedroom has been designed to give you perfect ocean views from your bed – you can turn over, check the surf and go from catching some Zzzs to catching the perfect wave in a couple of minutes. And imagine folding back the floor-to-ceiling windows of the living space, turning the terrace into an outdoor room and having supper on the balcony with uninterrupted sunset views and fresh sea air streaming in.
Unusually for a property with such stunning views, it’s relatively sheltered; with the property’s set back location meaning it escapes the full force of the elements – all the views of Jersey’s wild coast, without the wild weather. You’ll just be in a prime position to watch the storms pass across the bay while you stay warm and cosy next to the fire.
The agents and the developers agree that this isn’t a house that would suit everyone. It’s not extensive enough to be a family home, and the layout is fairly open plan. It would make an ideal low-maintenance pad for someone looking for a luxury surf-side life, whether a high-flyer or a down-sizer. With the surf a few steps away and the dunes on your doorstep, it gives you all the advantages of an outdoor lifestyle, right next to your contemporary, cutting-edge home.
Furze Close
£995,000
Freehold A-H, J & K
Contact Luke Brown at Le Gallais Estates for more details, tel: 766689.
Property details:
Two bedrooms
House bathroom with Duravit fittings
Control 4 multimedia system
Rationale kitchen
Two terraces
Infinity-style hot tub on the patio
American black walnut interior
Private garden
Parking for at least 4 cars
