22/08/2026
BALI THROUGH A DESIGNER’S EYES 🤍
I can’t travel anywhere without looking at the interiors, the architecture, the finishes… and usually taking far too many photos. 😂
Bali has been particularly inspiring.
What strikes me most is how incredibly well they use what is naturally available to them. Stone, pebbles, timber, bamboo, rattan and woven fibres appear everywhere — from floors and walls to bar fronts, ceilings, furniture and lighting.
There’s a beautiful rawness to it. Materials don’t have to be perfectly uniform. Trees are allowed to grow through spaces. Pebbles become flooring. Bamboo becomes structure. Woven baskets become enormous light fittings. The imperfections are part of the design.
And then there is LIGHTING.
Possibly my biggest takeaway from Bali. Lighting is considered from the very beginning rather than added at the end. Steps are illuminated, walls are washed with light, plants are uplighted, pools glow, niches are softly backlit and woven fittings throw the most beautiful shadows across walls and ceilings.
Even during the day, they design with sunlight and shadow — pergolas, screens and bamboo roofs create constantly changing patterns as the sun moves.
Architecturally, I love the repetition of arches, oversized openings, built-in seating, sunken lounges and indoor/outdoor bathrooms. There’s often very little “stuff” in a room because the architecture itself is doing so much of the work.
And perhaps my favourite part — nature is treated as part of the interior. Gardens aren’t simply planted around buildings. The buildings seem to be designed around the gardens.
It’s such a good reminder that beautiful design doesn’t necessarily come from expensive finishes or filling a space.
Natural materials. Texture. Scale. Greenery. Shadow. And really, really good lighting.
Definitely bringing a little bit of Bali home with me. 🤍
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