VIRGINIA BEACH — Cindy McWaters said she had been dreaming about this home for 20 years, and she has the dog-eared architecture and interior design magazines to prove it.
Compass Pointe, located on a 3-and-a-half-acre wooded lot off Linkhorn Bay, is the realization of all those years of planning and poring over pages filled with light fixtures and window treatments.
The old world-style home is 10,000 square feet and is constructed with brick and stone. After buying the lot a few years prior, Jeff and Cindy McWaters began designing the house with architect Gerrie West of Folck West Architects in 2003.
They met every Friday for three years in the process of designing the home. The care taken with each detail is evident, from the hand cut stone mantlepieces to the custom ornate wooden crown molding, nothing about this home was left to chance.
“There’s nothing here that’s not custom” Cindy said.
When asked what inspired the aesthetic of her home, Cindy said “We have lived all over the southeast. We’ve had houses in Texas and Florida and Nashville, so we really kind of combined a lot of the things we loved about the other regions we’ve lived in. Jeff has built a lot of commercial buildings, so he has a real sense for space and scale, and I have a real sense for texture and color and design, so we combined our talents and skills.”
The most visibly striking feature from the front view of the home is the curved face of the stunning oculus room to the right of the front door.
McWaters said that was the room that started it all. The couple “loves curves,” and made sure to include them all throughout the construction of the house.
Standing two-stories high, the circular room is a work of art. It features custom cut tile around the perimeter, hand-made curved wooden doors and windows that sit flush with the wall, and a walk-in wine cooler. It serves as the family’s dining room and has a beautiful dining table that seats 12.
The upper level of the circular is just as unique. In the center of the room, the ceiling piece from the dining room below serves as a beautiful round table. The dome shaped ceiling is painted to resemble a night sky, and the room is lined with built-in shelves and a second wine cooler.
While the home possesses many unique features, one stand-out room is the master bath. Iron garden gates scavenged by Cindy frame the front window, and natural light spills in and beautifully illuminates a large soaking bathtub.
Dozens of other thoughtfully selected details are scattered throughout the home. The pantry door boasts a pane of glass from the 1800s, and a rosary blessed by the Pope is buried under the floor of the entryway. A custom mural of the Chesapeake Bay by local artist Cathy Cox covers the ceiling of the sitting room in the master suite. Prominently placed on the wall of the living room is an ornate corbel that once adorned the Boston Opera House.
The home is complete with a guest suite, a painting studio, and a luxurious pool and outdoor entertaining space.
