Mixed-use development · Grand Cayman
A boutique mixed-use community of 83 residences and Class A commercial space on the Seven Mile Corridor.
The Grove Too is a three-storey mixed-use community on West Bay Road, anchored by Class A commercial space on the ground floor and 83 residential apartments above. Unit types range from one-bedroom to three-bedroom layouts, between 645 and 1,175 square feet, designed to serve both owner-occupiers and the short-term rental market.
KEMPA Design was brought in to shape the design experience across two fronts: refining the typical unit interiors handed over by another design firm, and leading the design of every common area, from the glass-fronted rooftop pool and lounges to the ground-floor public bathrooms and elevator cabs.
The brief was clear. The residences had to feel turn-key, contemporary, and timeless. A unified palette across the building that supports the long arc of ownership and rental performance. The common areas had to do more than function, they had to be the reason someone chose to live here.
Project details
Project website
Project type
Mixed-use development
Location
West Bay Road, Seven Mile Corridor, Grand Cayman
Residential units
83 apartments (1-bed, 2-bed, 3-bed)
Unit size range
645 – 1,175 sq ft
Floors
Three storeys plus rooftop terrace
Scope
Common areas (lead design), residential units (refinement and finish selection), construction documentation
Status
In progress
“The residences had to be turn-key and timeless. The rooftop had to be the reason people chose to live here. Two very different briefs, one consistent standard.”
01
The residences
83 units across three floors.
A unified finish palette, neutral, hard-wearing, and built to support the long arc of ownership and rental performance.
The vision for the residential units was turn-key sophistication interiors that preserve the original design intent the moment an owner walks in. Owners shouldn’t need to overhaul, restyle, or “fix” anything to feel at home. Renters shouldn’t notice anything missing.
To achieve that, we built around a unified finish palette of neutral tones, applied consistently across every unit so the building reads as one calm, contemporary, timeless community. Every finish was specified to be hard-wearing, with millwork that’s highly functional, well-programmed, and durable enough for the realities of multi-family occupancy.
The typical unit layouts were developed by another firm. Our role was to review the drawings, refine the proposed three-bedroom plan within its structural constraints, and lead all material, finish, and FF&E specifications across the building.
Each bedroom pairs a custom curved-oak headboard with integrated lighting, a dedicated vanity-and-wardrobe wall, and full-height sliding doors leading directly to a private balcony.
The detail thinking matters in residential developments, bedside reading lights, USB-integrated nightstands, considered storage, properly-scaled wardrobes. The kind of things that make day-to-day life work without anyone having to think about them.
02
The rooftop
A resort-grade common space designed to be the heartbeat of the development, and the reason someone chooses to live here.
The rooftop pool spans the building’s footprint with a clear sightline to the courtyard garden below. Striped tile detailing, white-canopy pergolas, sun beds, and shaded daybeds create the kind of atmosphere usually reserved for boutique resorts.
The brief asked for a luxury-resort haven that would evoke awe and inspiration, and crucially, perform commercially. For a development competing in the Seven Mile market, the rooftop isn’t an amenity. It’s the differentiator.
The rooftop lounge is the rooftop’s quieter sibling, a covered lounge area framed by trellised greenery, rattan armchairs, modular sofas, and concrete plinth tables that handle daily wear without losing their refinement.
Acoustic considerations, shade planning, and circulation between the pool, lounge, and bar were all worked through at the design development stage to make sure each zone has its own atmosphere while flowing naturally into the next.
The rooftop bar anchors one end of the terrace, a green marble counter, brushed brass hardware, neon signage detail, and a vertical living wall flanking the back-bar shelving. Custom rope-back stools and bistro-style tables make it equally suited to a quiet morning coffee or an evening service.
The decision to feature a living plant wall came out of the spatial planning stage: the back wall needed weight without becoming a hard architectural surface, and a vertical garden bridges the rooftop’s lush planting strategy with the bar’s intimate scale.
03
Family zones
Two dedicated indoor spaces designed for residents at very different ages, and very different volume levels.
The Small Kid Zone is designed for the youngest residents: a curved reading nook upholstered in deep green velvet, age-appropriate furniture, a chalk-wall surface, sensory storage, and a soft tonal rug to absorb the inevitable noise.
Most developments treat children’s amenities as an afterthought. We treated this as one of the most important common rooms in the building, because for families considering the development, this is often the deciding factor.
For older residents, the Big Kid Zone is a fully dedicated gaming and entertainment room, three large screens, multiple consoles, headphone stations, beanbag seating, and acoustically considered surfaces to keep the noise contained.
The atmosphere shifts entirely from the Small Kid Zone: deeper colours, ambient LED lighting, and a printed ceiling treatment that signals to teenagers that this space was designed for them, not their parents.
What we delivered on this project.
Design Development
Review of typical unit drawings, layouts, RCPs, elevations, and millwork developed by the prior design firm. Refinement of the three-bedroom unit layout within structural constraints. Lead design for all rooftop common areas, including spatial planning that incorporates the envisioned resort-grade amenities.
Materials & finish specification
Specification of all finishes throughout residences and common areas, wall and floor tiles, accent tiles, countertops, wall treatments, and paint colours. All plumbing fixtures, doors and trim, cabinetry, lighting, and window treatments specified to a unified palette.
Detailed design & FF&E
Full furniture, fixture, and equipment scope across residences and common areas. Sourcing, specification, and procurement coordination with the developer’s vendor list, with KEMPA-led elevations and finish schedules to reflect every selection.
Construction documentation
Dimensioned floor plans, finish plans, reflected ceiling plans, MEP coordination drawings, custom millwork elevations, tile layouts, and architectural details. MEP changes coordinated with the engineer to preserve design intent.
Common-area focal points
Lead design for the rooftop pool deck, lounges, bar, kid zones, and ground-floor public bathrooms, including one ADA-compliant. A distinctive design was proposed for the elevator cab interiors as a high-priority finishing item.
Construction administration & installation
Available to oversee construction, site visits, progress meetings, and contractor submittals. Installation and styling scope provided as requested by the developer through to building completion.
Let's talk about the design.
KEMPA Design works with developers across the Cayman Islands, the Caribbean, and beyond, leading interiors, common-area design, and FF&E for residential, mixed-use, and hospitality developments. If you’re at any stage of a project, we’d be happy to discuss it.