< PreviousOn St. Barts, Vanessa Alexander has crafted a glamorous yet comfortable retreat that champions indoor-outdoor living Island life Words Mayer Rus Photography Douglas Friedman 78 AD_047_78-85_Arena_St Barts_12651448.indd 7806/10/2022 12:50:43 PMA louvered entryway leads into the compound. Stone excavated from the site was used in the construction. AD_047_78-85_Arena_St Barts_12651448.indd 7906/10/2022 12:50:55 PM80 AD_047_78-85_Arena_St Barts_12651448.indd 8006/10/2022 12:51:06 PMFrom top: A Hans-Agne Jakobsson pendant light hangs above Erik Buck stools in the kitchen of the main pavilion; a vintage Louis Vuit on punching bag hangs in the outdoor por ion of the home gym. Opposite page: A lawned outdoor seating area has idyllic views of the island. ’’The decor isn’t overtly beach-y, but it has the kind of feeling you’d want in a place like St. Barts’’ AD_047_78-85_Arena_St Barts_12651448.indd 8106/10/2022 12:51:19 PMAD_047_78-85_Arena_St Barts_12651448.indd 8206/10/2022 12:51:37 PMSet on a hillside promontory high atop St. Barts in the French West Indies, the home of Kathrin Bruss, owner of Hamburg’s high-fashion emporium Petra Teufel, and her husband, automotive executive Oliver Bruss, commands seriously seductive views of the island. From one side, the house looks out to the venerable Eden Rock hotel and the cerulean waters of St. Jean Bay. From the other, it aff ords sweeping vistas of Saline beach. The views in and between the various pavilions that comprise the Bruss compound aren’t bad either. Designed by Vanessa Alexander of Los Angeles–based Alexander Design, the home presents an idiosyncratic vision of clas- sic St. Barts chic, with pitched roofs and exposed beams, peppered with glamorous accents. “It’s really my style seen through her eyes, and vice versa. Kathrin brings a lot of personality and style, and she collaborated heavily on the furnishings. My job was to put it all into a cohesive sto- ry. The house has moments of glam, but it’s also really liv- able,” says the designer. Alexander worked with the local architect Johannes Zingerle of Design Aff airs to craft the compound, which encompasses a series of interconnected pavilions that cel- ebrate the best of indoor-outdoor living. The main pavil- ion has a living room and kitchen on the main level and the primary bedroom suite above. Vintage Mario Bellini seat- ing, upholstered in olive green leather, anchors the living room, accompanied by a striking Lindsey Adelman wall light/sculpture, a shapely Pietro Franceschini console, and a Paul Matter fl oor lamp. The primary bedroom on the second level radiates a similar vibe of restrained luxe. A fl oor of ebonised grey French oak coupled with walls sheathed in pale textured plaster create a backdrop of dra- matic chiaroscuro for the furnishings, a spare assemblage highlighted with a jewel-like Gabriel Scott chandelier and a brass-lined portal to the primary bath. The humbly-scaled guest pavilions follow a similar aes- thetic path, allowing the views to do the heavy lifting. Artworks by the likes of Imi Knoebel, Rene Ricard, and Barbara Probst add a contemporary gloss to the more tra- ditional elements of island decor, as do strategically placed furnishings such as a Soriana lounge by Afra and Tobia Scarpa and a marble bookcase by Piero Lissoni. Bruss’s connection to fashion is evident in the alfresco gym setup, which features a Louis Vuitton punching bag, a Chanel basketball, and Chrome Hearts medicine balls. “The decor isn’t overtly beach-y, but it has the kind of easy comfort you’d want in a place like St. Barts,” says Alexander. Of the many sybaritic spots on the property, the pool and the adjacent dining pavilion are “the place where life happens here,” the designer adds. “The clients love to entertain, so there’s always lots of music and lots of activi- ty.” Custom canopied daybeds arrayed along the pool, which off er views of shimmering beaches to the north and south of the island, are the best seats in the house – save perhaps for one. “The hot tub is incredibly tranquil,” Alexander muses. “You’re surrounded by lush green mountains, looking down onto the red roofs of St. Barts. It’s heaven.” alexanderdb.com 83 The location is, in a word, dreamy. The main living room is outfit ed with vintage Mario Bellini seating, a Lindsey Adelman wall light Maar en, and a Paul Mat er loor lamp. The ar work above the Pietro Franceschini console is by Louisa Clement. AD_047_78-85_Arena_St Barts_12651448.indd 8306/10/2022 12:51:48 PMClockwise from above: The pool has views in two directions: To the right lies St. Jean Bay, and to the lef is Saline beach; a brass por al leads from the primary bedroom to its bathroom; the vanity area in the primary bedroom; the suite includes an outdoor tub by Native Trails. ’’The house has moments of glam, but it’s also really comfortable and livable’’ AD_047_78-85_Arena_St Barts_12651448.indd 8406/10/2022 12:52:01 PMA Gabriel Scott pendant light and Paul Matter sconces illuminate the primary bedroom. The painting is by Rene Ricard. AD_047_78-85_Arena_St Barts_12651448.indd 8506/10/2022 12:52:29 PM86 The sit ing room features a custom sofa, armchair and cof ee table of Damien Langlois-Meurinne’s design. The sculpture in the lef -hand niche is COLONNE#24 by Lucien Petit. On the right is Sculpture F003 by Philippe Anthonioz. AD_047_86-97_Arena_Paris_12609162.indd 8604/10/2022 10:31:00 PMFilled with statement art and elegant custom furnishings, this turn-of-the-century Paris mansion has been skilfully reimagined by Damien Langlois-Meurinne Private View Photography Stephan Julliard Words Ian Phillips AD_047_86-97_Arena_Paris_12609162.indd 8704/10/2022 10:31:14 PMNext >