Set on approximately 1.29 acres overlooking the Guana Preserve, this distinctive Ponte Vedra home has a wonderful history and an extraordinary connection to its natural surroundings. In an era of tear-down-and-rebuild, this 1990 Low Country-style home remains true to its original intent: honoring its remarkable setting through a thoughtful, gentle transformation.
The original owners were the Rev. Dr. James “Jim” Cooper, longtime rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Ponte Vedra Beach, and his wife, Taye, a ceramic artist. Their creative imprint remains throughout the house. Taye Cooper’s hand-painted ceramic tiles surrounding the kitchen stove depict the house, the church, egrets, herons, alligators, raccoons, palms and the surrounding marshland.
Perhaps the most meaningful remnant of the home’s first chapter is an original stained-glass window depicting Noah and the Ark.
More than an architectural curiosity, it is a quiet reminder of the faith that was part of the home from its beginning and continues today.
Preserving these personal elements became important during a multi-year transformation, essentially rebuilding the house room by room. The owner wanted the interiors to acknowledge its Low Country character without becoming too literal. Laura West of Mineral City was brought in to help create that balance.
The design began with the centerpiece of the house: a custom handmade chandelier inspired by the marsh grasses of the Guana Preserve. Suspended over the dining table and visible from virtually all the main-floor public spaces, it established the direction for everything that followed. The surrounding landscape became the inspiration.
As the house evolved, West and the owner approached the design with a similar mindset. She presented carefully considered selections appropriate to the house, setting and lifestyle, while his discerning eye made the process an easy collaboration.
Today, intimate rooms invite settling in — spaces for long conversations, stories of travel and evenings listening to favorite rock-and-roll artists. Each has its own personality, connected through color, pattern, texture and natural materials.
The Guana appears in shades of water and sky, leafy greens, natural fibers, rattan and botanical patterns. A hand-painted cloud mural surrounds the bathtub, while flamingos and wildlife appear in unexpected places. In the upstairs treehouse, animal wallpaper and a whimsical woven alligator continue the connection to the landscape beyond.
The result is a colorful, collected and relaxed home that honors where it began while reflecting how it is lived in today — a new chapter whose connection to nature, art and faith endures.
