A blissful oasis in the Bahamas

Growing up in Nassau, photographer Sofia Whitehead vacationed on Harbour Island, staying across the road from Salt Box. “I remember thinking, ‘I can’t believe people live in such a beautiful cottage,’” she recalls. So, when the 19th-century property was put up for sale in 2021, Whitehead jumped at the chance to buy it.

Like many historic homes, it’s a patchwork of its previous owners. Top interior designer Tom Scheerer completely remodeled the main cottage—which dates back to 1820—restoring the original coral stone hearth in the kitchen and turning the attic into a soothing seafoam-green primary suite. The following owners added a sympathetic guest cottage and pool, in collaboration with well-known Bahamas-based decorator Amanda Lindroth.

When Whitehead and her French husband Elie Trichet bought the property, their focus was updating it for well-traveled guests. “The bones and the soul of the house were already here, but Elie redid everything beneath the surface,” she says. “For example, there’s now insane water pressure, [which] the Bahamas isn’t known for. But it’s these kind of things that make your vacation—the house now runs like a dream.”

How would you describe the house’s style?

“It has an eclectic, vintage island look: There are lots of rattan pieces, French antiques, but a bit of an old English country-house vibe too. Much of the furniture came with the house but we’ve added lots of photographs on the walls: a mixture of old pictures of my father in the Bahamas in the 1950s, and some of my images I’ve taken over the last 15 years. I recently published a coffee-table book, Bahama Mama, with portraits and wisdom from mothers around the islands, shining a light on the more authentic Bahamas.”

What did you change to make it super-functional for people to rent?

“One of the original features is the kitchen, with the old coral-stone hearth and beautiful Cuban tiles on the floor. It looks gorgeous in photographs, but previous guests who stayed before we owned it commented that there wasn’t enough space to actually cook—especially not for a group. So that was our priority: We added a clever moveable butcher’s block, got a bigger stove, and shifted the fridge into the little hallway so we could fit a larger one.”

What do you love most about Salt Box?

“When I first walked in, I adored the entrance: It’s a tiny living-room nook and like nothing I’ve ever seen in a house in the Bahamas. It feels like you’re in an English cottage. It’s a cozy place for reading—there’s lots of books, a guitar, and a chess board that’s always set up ready to play.”

What type of people rent the house and what feedback do you get?

“It’s perfect for groups as it’s an entertaining paradise. There are three main spaces that people can trickle between: The terrace at the main house, the outdoor lounge at the guest cottage and the new sitting area with a yurt that we recently built in the corner of the garden. It’s a very social place, but at the same time you’re never on top of each other. Kids also love the pool, as do parents because the garden is enclosed, and it’s a lovely, calm place to be if you have younger kids who need to come back to nap in the day.”

What have you learned from being a Vrbo host?

“I’ve learnt how to fix a lot of things! For two months in low season we move in and do all the renovations and maintenance—paint, reupholster, make it look amazing. It helps to see the house through the eyes of the guests. Plus, great soap, bed sheets, and towels are really important. It makes such a difference to invest in hotel quality.”

What do you recommend guests do when they stay?

“If I’m on the island—we live nearby—I’ll always try to greet guests and give them some tips. I recommend people ride a horse on the beach, that they go for a drink at The Dunmore or my favorite bar at The Landing and get amazing hand-rolled croissants from Bluwatur Bakery. My husband and I have also started doing sailing charters on our boat, and can offer watersports as well.”