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Artful Escapes

Artful Escapes: Norman’s Cay

Designer Joseph Dirand celebrates the natural beauty of the Bahamas with attention to light and space

By Lucy Rees
Luxury beachfront villa surrounded by lush greenery and clear skies with palm trees in the background.
Photo: Courtesy of Norman's Cay

Located at the northern end of the Exumas archipelago in the Bahamas, Norman’s Cay is rich with colorful tales of pirates, drug lords, filmmakers, and explorers. A new destination adds to that lore with bungalows and villas conceived by famed Paris architect and designer Joseph Dirand, who decorated the spaces in his elegant, modernist style.

Beachfront patio with wooden furniture overlooking turquoise ocean under a clear sky, surrounded by greenery.
Norman’s Cay. Photo: Courtesy of Norman’s Cay

Celebrating the natural beauty of the island with attention to light and space, Dirand imbued the interiors with a muted color palette and earthy materials. The property’s yacht and beach clubs, meanwhile, are a bold explosion of color and pattern, skillfully layered by designer Cathy Vedovi, who injected the vibrant spirit of Bahamian style into the mix.

Modern beachside living room with wooden furniture, large windows, and lush green view.
Norman’s Cay. Photo: Courtesy of Norman’s Cay
Outdoor stone bathtub on a wooden deck surrounded by lush greenery and a fence with clear blue sky in the background
Norman’s Cay. Photo: Courtesy of Norman’s Cay


A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Summer Issue in the section “Artful Escapes.” Subscribe to the magazine.