Colonial Splendour

2010
VOL.6 NO.3 Bali’s home living & decor magazine
Inspiration for your home...
“fashions fade, but style is eternal.”
yves saint-laurent
Island Hop
Candi Dasa
The Gili Islands:
return to paradise
Escape to the East Coast
Serene Dreams
the Art of Living
Top
Tempo Doeloe
Villa Aman Jiwa:
nostalgia from the
Dutch East Indies
10
Colonial
Splendour
Indonesia
IDR
Singapore
SGD
Malaysia
MYR
Thailand
THB
Hongkong
HKD
Australia
AUD
New Zealand NZD
Europe
EURO
Other Countries USD
45.000
5.90
11.9
160
31.00
6.95
8.00
3.00
4.20
Villa Indische:
Indies style goes to SriLanka
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Colonial Splendour
A new villa in Sri Lanka celebrates the art and
architecture of the Dutch Colonies with panache.
Text by Justin Eeles Photography by Justin Eeles and James Fennell
this page: striking
exterior and pool of
villa indische one of sri
lanka’s premier vacation
villas furnished and
designed in colonial
dutch east indies style
I
n Bali the opening of a new villa rarely
frightened away many investors. The result
Indisch. Located 20kms south of Galle, near the
land and develop the ideal property to house
causes any ripples of excitement these
is an island that’s largely escaped the negative
fishing village of Ahangama, Indisch has set
their passion. “We hadn’t considered Sri Lanka
days, due to the sheer abundance and
aspects
development
new standards in villa design and construction
before and were looking for land in Bali and
quality of homes available to rent – no island in
suffered in other popular destinations like
in Sri Lanka. This beachside property, which
Java but hadn’t yet found the ideal coastal plot.
the world has such a choice of luxury holiday
Thailand and areas of Bali. There are no high-
sits on a small promontory with fantastic
While in Sri Lanka the stars must have aligned
rental properties. Across the Indian ocean
rise condominiums, the beaches are clean and
180 views of the ocean, is the dream home
because we found suitable land and were able
in Sri Lanka, however, newly opened villas
the roads aren’t clogged with tourist buses.
of Australian couple, David and Elizabeth
to buy it and set our plans in motion.”
of
rushed
tourist
are causing excitement in an optimistic new
With the end of the war between the
industry that’s almost starting from scratch,
security forces and the Tamil Tigers, the
after years of civil unrest prevented the island
country is now poised to attract a larger influx
have
and modern Asian style. Determined not
from enjoying the sustained tourist boom
of visitors. Recognizing this opportunity, the
developed a keen interest in the history of
to cut corners, Dawborn set out to use the
experienced by her Asian neighbours.
local villa market has started to grow and there
the region, which in turn sparked a growing
best contractors on the island and employed
are now over 30 villas available to rent around
collection of colonial Dutch art pieces and
Colombo-based architect Richard Emory, who
the island.
furniture. On a chance visit to Sri Lanka
had worked on the island’s two Aman resorts,
to create his ode to a Dutch colonial House.
Sri Lanka has been a popular tourist
destination for many years but the frequent
Dawborn, who have spent the past 18 years
living in Indonesia’s frenetic capital, Jakarta.
Over
this
18-year
period
both
clashes between the army and the Tamil Tigers
The most recent to open its doors along
they discovered not only a common Dutch
over the past decades caused an instability that
the popular south west coast is the very stylish
historical legacy but the opportunity to buy
Five years later the result is a stunning
blend of colonial architecture and heritage
“We had seen the poor quality of finishing
in many properties around Sri Lanka and
decided that it didn’t have to be like that with
us. The key was finding a good architect and
this page: dining room of
villa indische with rattan
furniture and carved bird
statue and red paintings all
sourced from indonesia.
Facing page: living room in
cool relaxed tropical style;
exterior of the villa at night.
decent contractor and working patiently to
achieve our goal without cutting costs. If the
quality of the local materials wasn’t good
enough, we brought them in from Indonesia,
like the sandstone on the pool terrace which is
from Java.”
Walking through Indisch, it’s immediately
apparent that no expense has been spared in
creating a functional modern house, founded
on the architectural designs popular in Holland
in the 18th and 19th centuries. On entry, the
“This beachside
property, which sits on
a small promontory
with fantastic 180
views of the ocean,
is the dream home of
Australian couple,
David and Elizabeth
Dawborn, who have
spent the past 18 years
living in Indonesia’s
frenetic capital,
Jakarta...”
“While in Sri Lanka the stars must
have aligned because we found
suitable land and were able to buy
it and set our plans in motion...”
“At the edge of the lawn, a gate leads
down to a small private beach with
views of the headland and a series of
rocky outcrops – the perfect place
for a sundowner...”
This page: spectacular sunset at
the beach nearby Villa Indische;
exterior and pool, a great place
for a relaxing holiday. Facing page:
bedroom with classic teak four
poster bed.
hallway is a recreation of the Indonesian
The interior design of Indisch is a successful blend of
Archive Museum in Jakarta, built in 1760 as a
Dutch antiques and artifacts and modern art. The Dawborns’
residence for the Director of the Dutch East
impressive collection of period ceramics adds a colourful
India Company. With high ceilings and large
touch and authenticity to the décor, with the attention to
palatial rooms, Indisch is immediately grand
detail setting the property apart from its peers. Sourced from
and sophisticated without going overboard
markets and dealers in both Indonesia and Sri Lanka, the
and slipping into pretention. Upstairs, five
collection celebrates the grandeur of the period and combines
large bedrooms feature four-poster beds,
wonderfully with the antique doors and windows that have
draped in mosquito netting, with whirring
been incorporated into the design.
wooden fans adding a stylish touch to the
The majority of the house’s furnishings originate from
air-conditioned cool. All feature ensuite
Indonesia, the result, Dawborn states, of the high levels of
bathrooms with stand-alone tubs sourced
workmanship available in the country. The paintings are
from Bali, high-pressure rain showers -
chiefly the work of Indonesian artists, but there are some
a rarity on the island - and period-style
local works, one good example being the painting depicting
furnishings. At the front of the house, the
fishermen on sticks in the study/TV room - fishing while
two master bedrooms look out over the
perched precariously on sticks rammed into the ocean bed
ocean and feature a large connecting terrace,
is a traditional Sri Lankan method of snaring the evening
punctuated by Javanese teak loungers.
meal. “We are very lucky because we didn’t realise when we
On the ground floor the open-plan
bought the land that Indisch is situated in a bay renowned for
design is built around a central courtyard. A
its fish. So guests can enjoy this unique sight right in front of
shady space to retreat to with a book, this is
the villa.”
one of many private spaces dotted around
Guests can also enjoy hotel-like service as Indisch comes
the property which are achieved by its sheer
fully staffed with a chef on hand to whip up casual meals or a
size. The living and dining areas open out
formal banquet. Due to its size, the villa is perfect for hosting
onto a large terrace, which overlooks the
weddings or other celebrations and there’s no doubt that it will
pool and the ocean beyond. At the edge of
become a popular venue for gatherings and special occasions
the lawn, a gate leads down to a small private
over the coming months and years to come. M
a
g
a
z
i
n
e
beach with views of the headland and a
series of rocky outcrops – the perfect place
for a sundowner.
For more information visit www.privatehomesandvillas.com