With panoramic views just steps from the Caribbean Sea, Surfsong Villa Resort in the British Virgin Islands is a popular choice for those looking for a private getaway. As part of its intimate charm, the boutique resort recently converted a small patio just outside the reception area into a larger, highly functional courtyard. With its breathtaking ocean views, the new outdoor space includes a wooden pavilion ideal for outdoor dining, a dramatic rock fire feature, and meandering pathways that lead to the beach. With the help of strategically placed lighting from Auroralight, the space experiences a beautiful transformation each night by the romantic ambience it creates.
“The project is nestled between two existing buildings, large natural boulders, and an ocean view. Part of the efforts of the remodel were to maximize the site features, says Annie Lilyblade, the design manager with Blue Ocean, a design group from Colorado that worked on the project at Surfsong. “By highlighting the natural features in the area with light, the courtyard becomes a memorable location for the property’s guests.
“One of the focal points of the project is the boulder fire feature. The lighting scheme was created to highlight the landscaping and draw attention to this element, she explains. “Lighting was also used to highlight the pathways, boulders, and rocky areas that lead to the beach. Tree lights create additional ambiance throughout the property.”
According to Lilyblade, CT Lighting Sales from Denver was the lighting rep company that worked with Blue Ocean and DTJ. The lighting engineering was produced by Architectural Engineering Design Group, Inc. also out of Denver. “With such a harsh natural environment due to the salt air along the ocean, it was critical that we find a line of luminaires that were long-lasting, featured solid brass construction, and offered high performance, combined with a solid warranty because we didn’t want to be replacing the fixtures in a couple of years,” she says. “Auroralight offered everything we were looking for, including the beautiful living bronze patina finish and Balinese stylings in the pathlights and bollards we used that perfectly complement the design aesthetic we were trying to achieve.”
Mark Stephenson, the director of development at Blue Ocean oversaw the installation of the fixtures. “We worked closely with Greg White of DTJ Design, the landscape architect firm in Boulder, CO for this project to determine what the overall layout would be for the lighting. Our team found the installation was very straightforward and so the process went very smoothly from start to finish,” he says.
According to Stephenson, the lighting has been extremely well received by everyone. “It’s provided a really elegant and romantic setting that we couldn’t have created without a line of such high quality products like those from Auroralight. We especially like having the ability to control and fine tune the lighting levels to create just the right amount of ambience in the space,” he explains. “At night, the focus is on the beautiful light they create and in the daytime, the artistic stylings of the fixtures are quite pleasing to look at and blend well with the landscape.”
Lilyblade adds, “The owners of the resort absolutely love how the project turned out. The lighting has assisted to make this space flexible and allows for unique daytime and evening events. We’ve heard nothing but very positive feedback about the use of Auroralight.”
Auroralight Products: HWM1, HSL16 & LPL7
Key Players:
Mark Stephenson – Blue Ocean Caribbean, Surfsong– www.surfsong.net
Annie Lilyblade – Blue Ocean Design – www.blueocean-inc.com
Greg White – DTJ Landscape Design – www.dtjdesign.com
CT Lighting Sales – www.ctlightingsales.com
Vannessa Pederson – Architectural Engineering Design Group, Inc. www.aedesign-inc.com