Tue | Sep 23, 2025

Dream House | Bengal mansion, a scene for intrigue, make believe

Published:Sunday | May 5, 2024 | 12:06 AMBarry Rattray - Contributor
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Fix a drink at the wet bar and relax in its private lounge.
Contributed
Fix a drink at the wet bar and relax in its private lounge.
The spectacular pride and joy of the property, the waterfall pond.
Nigel Lorde
The spectacular pride and joy of the property, the waterfall pond.
The grand atrium welcomes sunlight through a glass ceiling to a fountain below, in the heart of the house.
Contributed
The grand atrium welcomes sunlight through a glass ceiling to a fountain below, in the heart of the house.
An outdoor freestanding soaking tub under the stars.
Nigel Lorde
An outdoor freestanding soaking tub under the stars.
A house of suspense and mystery! You will be intrigued by its story.
Contributed
A house of suspense and mystery! You will be intrigued by its story.
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Dare we accept an invitation to a house committed to unravelling murder? A house of mystery and suspense, where baffling, sinister plots unfold, as deranged villains sit and dine among their innocent, intended victims.

What manner of house could this be, we alarmingly ask ourselves; and why do we feel impelled by, as crazed as it may seem, the need to visit here. The truth is, the residence excites beyond imagination with what architectural dreams are made of. Empirical evidence proves there is a thin line between fear and excitement. We brave entry inside, entranced by far more than what meets the eye!

A total of 11,000-square-feet greets and inundates you with space galore, including a thrilling atrium (with sunlight shining through a glass ceiling above, to the water fountain in the centre of the house below). A separate living and family room, with their verandahs, interconnect with a dining room, served by a granite counter, island, and commercial grade kitchen. A granite countertop wet bar, with its own lounge area, joins a library room with its lounge, along with eight bedrooms (and their sea vista balconies), augmented by seven bathrooms. A multi-functional, entertainment bi-level rooftop terrace, showcases a theatre, as if you were at the cinema. Don’t leave out the nearby gym.

External facilities include a patio wet bar, saltwater swimming pool, with its caressing, jetted heated spa, and an eco, freestanding, garden soaking tub, open to the sky. A gazebo at poolside with cabanas, a lawn tennis court, a spa massage structure, and an outdoor grill, share a one-acre space with a garden waterfall pond, the owners’ pride and joy, and a private miniature golf facility.

Somewhere in the hills of Bengal, Discovery Bay, St Ann, you will find this house, built in the year 2000. The American husband and his Jamaica-born wife of 33 years met while studying at Howard University in the United States.

They both love a good murder mystery, and their home always sets the stage with family and friends to act out an experience of make-believe, for full-blown delectation. We say goodbye, reassured in the knowledge that danger does not live here, just fun and games.

Barry Rattray is a dream house designer and builder. Email feedback to barryrattray1@hotmail.com and lifestyle@gleanerjm.com.