Luxury Caribbean house resists humidity with MEDITE TRICOYA EXTREME

Situated on an exclusive Caribbean island, luxury private residence Casa Blanca underwent a specialised interior refit geared especially toward immunising the house from the intense humidity.

Where the moisture in the air can reach up to 82% in the wet season (July-Nov), Mark Reeve, Director of the Wardrobe and Bookcase Company Ltd. who manufactured and installed all fittings and doors, made sure to choose MEDITE TRICOYA EXTREME (MTX) for the project.

"Specialist products are often required to ensure interior fit-outs maintain dimensional integrity and stand the test of time in this part of the world,” Mark explained. “On top of this, the client wanted an extremely smooth and uniform finish to each and every interior fitting. Therefore, MTX was the only product perfect for the job.

An acetylated MDF panel, MTX is water resistant and can be used outdoors in all weather and humidity levels for up to 50 years above ground. With outstanding durability and dimensional stability, this FSC^® certified wood panel can be used in applications and locations that were once restricted to other materials such as plastic or metals—and is just as smooth.

“Other specialist products claiming to be water resistant just don’t offer the same finish or consistency that MTX does—they’re definitely not as smooth,” said Mark.

Using only sustainable raw materials in its manufacture, MEDITE SMARTPLY ensures that MTX offers architects, designers and joiners a whole new material to work with that also has zero added formaldehyde, making it safe for homes and sensitive areas.

Living up to its name, Casa Blanca is a completely white house, inside and out, achieving a look that is clean and modern. Outside, the building is a pearl in the jungle; inside the calming and cooling white walls and fixtures enable anyone living here to fully relax.

Most items of furniture are part of larger, build in units, eliminating clutter and complication. The only patterns are the subtly coloured floors and the precision cut sliding shutters, which continue the lace effect of the ventilation brick visible from the outside.

“The guarantee that MTX could be used in contact with water for up to 50 years was my initial reason for choosing it. I thought, the humidity will stand no chance against this!” Mark explains. “It’s also brilliant to cut, both by bench saw and CNC router, giving a clean edge, and its surface is completely smooth, perfect for spray painting. All items for the project were cut by bench saw, with the exception of the shutters, which required a CNC router.”

Over one hundred panels of MTX were used throughout the house, between the storage furniture, a media centre, the shutters and all interior doors, which are built from two panels of MTX layered together.

Supplied by James Latham in the UK, all of Mark’s creations were finished in 40% sheen white spray paint, before being shipped to the Caribbean and installed. Mark divulged: “The biggest challenge was ensuring the safe shipment of such a large number of items to a fairly remote island—but we managed it!”

The project was fully installed and finished after six short weeks of work. The client liked the installed furniture so much that they have continued to order many more items in the same materials since.

“The quality of the products that we were able to deliver, and the finish that we were able to obtain through the use of MTX, completed on time and within budget resulted in an extremely happy client.

“Overall, I think that deciding to use MTX is what won me this project, and is what I’m sure will do again,” concluded Mark.

The Wardrobe and Bookcase Company Ltd. is a bespoke cabinetry company that manufactures exclusive products for exclusive clientele.