Colin and Jenny’s slice of Bali paradise

In the garden of Colin and Jenny’s home, peace and tranquility reigns. Fronted by a Balinese-style home, painted in Resene Coyote and fitted with bargeboards in Resene Coffee Bean, it’s almost as if a piece of the far-away tropical island has been transported to their North Auckland home.

The couple had travelled to Bali a few times and fell in love with its culture and people. When it came to designing their new home, they wanted to bring the same feeling of the island to their home, even naming the property Sasana santhi – Balinese for the idea of peace and tranquillity.

As owners of a holiday house in Northland’s Mangawhai Heads, Colin and Jenny understand seaside properties. And so, with their new home by the seaside, they were experienced in looking after subtropical plants that would thrive in that environment.

From there, they went back and forth to Bali to source materials, timber, stone and decorative elements for the home.

A chance meeting on one trip back from Bali connected Colin and Jenny to a design professional, Ade Ferry Wirata, who is known for creating interiors for luxury Balinese resorts. His input on finishes and decorating details was invaluable.

When it came to the spatial design and garden, they called on landscape designer Ron Dykman who they had worked with before. He ended up not only designing the garden but also the house.

The house needed to feel timeless and solid, so is built of solid masonry, which has then been plastered, and structural steel, which is now disguised as timber posts and beams, tinted in  Resene Woodsman Treehouse. The exterior has been painted in Resene Coyote tinted into Resene X-200 weathertight membrane. 

The entrance wall to the garden is also painted in Resene Coyote, while the side wall is made of hundreds of scallop shaped rocks, each one hand-cut to fit.

He designed two distinct areas for the garden. The main area is an intimate walled garden opening from the house via a breezeway. The other is a ‘secret garden’ which is found at the back of the house.

Adding to that, a seaward facing terrace overlooks the estuary and sand dunes below, while a sweeping drive is flanked by towering palms and massive cads.

Unsurprisingly, water is a big feature, with a swimming pool, fishpond with ‘floating’ stepping stones and three magnificent swans spouting water into the swimming pool.

The house and garden took four years to complete, with a couple of necessary changes to the original plans happening along the way – including repositioning the pool.

It’s been a labour of love… and Colin and Jenny wouldn’t change a thing about their beloved home. 

Published: 08 Feb 2018

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bali style, garden, exterior, bali house, bali home, tropical home, tropical style house

The couple went back and forth to Bali to create an authentic look for their tropical island-inspired home and garden. The walls are painted in Resene Coyote tinted into Resene X-200 weathertight membrane. The posts and beams are stained in Resene Woodsman Treehouse. The bargeboards and other decorative elements are in Resene Coffee Bean.

pictures

Sally Tagg.

Water is a big feature in the Balinese-style garden. The exterior is painted in Resene Coyote. The posts and beams are stained in Resene Woodsman Treehouse.

Swans from Bali guard the pool. The exterior is painted in Resene Coyote. The posts and beams are stained in Resene Woodsman Treehouse.

The ‘secret garden’ at the back of the house is Colin’s favourite. The exterior is painted in Resene Coyote. The bargeboards and other decorative elements are in Resene Coffee Bean.

The garden features a couple of free-standing, thatch-roofed cabanas. The poles are finished in Resene Woodsman Treehouse wood stain.

We asked Tania Barke of Through the Garden Gate for an alternative scheme for the garden. She suggested adding a bit of the magic of the Mediterranean, with mandarin potted trees guarding the main door, and a trellis holding geraniums in Resene Zinzan pots.

Resene Miso cladding and Resene Rivergum trims are offset by a deep red Resene Mighty front door and crisp Resene Black White paths.

Robert Luijten of Luijten Landscaping suggests doing double duty with the garden, by adding a second level – creating privacy for the cosy seating area at the bottom. He’s chosen Resene Clay Creek, an earthy warm colour, as a quiet backdrop for the plants and to complement both the planters in Resene Thistle and the colour of the kwila, finished with Resene Furniture and Decking Oil.

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