Arco Iris was built on the beautiful island of St. John in the United States Virgin Islands. Ester and Roy purchased a plot of land on this small island. The lot of land was covered in tropical brush that covers most of the island. The villa is a spectacular vacation home which was a labor of love (especially for Ester). The island itself allows for wonderful adventures on land and sea.
The island itself is 19.61 square miles and the local population is just over 4,000 people. The majority of the island is the Virgin Islands National Park which protects the wildlife, plants, and trees. This keeps the island a tropical paradise with spectacular views. The island is divided into four subdistricts: Central, Coral Bay, Cruz Bay, and East End. Majority of the islands inhabitants live in Cruz Bay.
The lot of land was covered in tropical brush as shown in the photos. The brush was cleared out to create this two-story villa. It took 18 months for the villa to be built. Workers were brought in from the neighboring islands to work on this vacation home. This was no small feat. The land is located on a hill which creates breath taking views of the ocean but makes it very difficult to build. Ester took many trips to St. John to make sure that the building would be completed. Often "Island Time" can interfere with work time.
After several years of construction, Arco Iris was ready the finishing touches. The foundation was ready and the interior was ready to be designed, painted, and furnished. The next post will show the intricacies of the interior and the original murals that make Arco Iris one of a kind.
