No Concrete Required! Khayangan Estate…

Jasmine Hasan, the owner of Khayangan Estate next to the Bulgari Hotel, had a vision for the type of property she wanted to create even before she found the land. As the founder of the uber-chic Old Java furniture company, which specializes in colonial-style furniture made from re-claimed timbers, she was determined that her home in Bali would not contribute to the further depletion of Indonesia’s dwindling rain forests.

‘There are thousands and thousands of cubic meters of re-claimed wood available in Indonesia’ says Jasmine. ‘You just have to know where to look for it. There are old houses, old boats, railroad sleepers, telegraph poles, jetties and docks rotting away all over the country, all made from beautiful iron wood, teak and mahogany. By using these resources, you not only reduce the demand for rainforest timber, but you also end up with something much more beautiful, and can help save our heritage in the process.’When you visit Khayangan Estate you understand what she means. The property, which consists of twelve ancient Joglos on a breathtaking four-acre cliff top site adjacent to the Bulgari, is proof that you can create a truly luxurious hotel property without compromising your principles. A Joglo is an old Javanese structure with a very high roof in the centre, built around a square wooden frame, often beautifully carved and decorated. You can see them all over Java, and many people have bought, moved them to Bali and restored them, using them as an eco-friendly and beautiful alternative to the soul-less concrete rabbit warrens that have destroyed most of our island already.

But Khayangan is not a nostalgic pastiche; it has a truly ancient / modern feel to it, due to Jasmine’s very clever idea of replacing front-facing wood panels with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, letting in light and giving spectacular views of the gardens and ocean around you. The interiors, also designed by Jasmine, is best described as lush and embracing; antique statues from Sumba, Jim Thompson silk cushions, wrought iron lamps, soft pastel coloured drapes and curtains, all softly lit, will appeal to everyone except possibly Philippe Starck. Obviously, you also have over-sized in-and-out bathrooms, ornamental ponds everywhere, two huge swimming pools and a chilled plunge pool, a private office, a gym and tennis court, and a full-size commercial spa, bang on the cliff edge. All of this is set in very grand tropical gardens with tended rice paddies and sprawling lawns.

The property has six suites in all, and is designed so that it can be rented out in full or in parts without loss of privacy. For details, please visit www.khayanganestate.com