Wednesday, August 21, 2013

A Three Bedroom Among Palms and Rice Paddies


This 2,300-square-foot house, completed in 2013, It was built in the traditional Balinese style, on a single level, with white stucco walls and a roof made of ironwood. Each room has access to the outdoors; flooring is mostly terra cotta tile; the woodwork on cabinets and windows is reclaimed old-growth teak. 

The entry is approached via a stone path that winds among frangipani trees. Orchids and staghorn ferns cling to the trunks of palms. The teak front doors open into a hallway flanked by the living room and the dining room. The kitchen, farther back, has a wood-topped breakfast bar and a sink handmade by a local steel worker; the countertops are Italian black granite. A covered outdoor walkway leads to the master bedroom, which has a timbered cathedral ceiling. Three walls enclose its en-suite bathroom; in place of the fourth is a private walled garden. The other two bedrooms, on the opposite side of the house, also have open-air bathrooms. 

The house is surrounded by countryside planted with rice paddies and coconut palms. Ubud is about 10 minutes away by car, although most people prefer to navigate the island’s narrow streets on scooters. Well known as a hub for the fashion industry, Ubud is home to many expatriate artists and spiritual seekers. The airport is an hour and a half away, in Denpasar. 

Published in New York Times

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