Design Going Back to Bali

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD, A CANADIAN FAMILY THAT’S ALWAYS ON THE MOVE BUILDS A PLACE THAT FEELS LIKE HOME.

A Canadian family’s serene vacation home in Bali.

Large woven pendants, handmade by a local weaver, bring texture and warmth to the kitchen’s washed-concrete walls and counters, and cool stone floors. “In such a big area, we could afford to go for a dark feature wall; it didn’t shrink the space at all,” says designer Virginia Perez-Orive. OPPOSITE, TOP RIGHT: Owners Karen and Simon Page embrace Bali’s laid-back style. “We’ve lived in hot climates for so long, we’re now a barefoot family,” says Karen.

IF A LUXE AIRBNB OPENED IN EDEN, it might look like Karen and Simon Page’s villa in Canggu, Bali. Just browsing photos of their 4,800-square-foot, light-drenched home — designed as a place to unwind amid frangipani-sweetened breezes — has a restorative effect. The freshness, says Karen, comes by the grace of the windows. “A lot of villas in Bali have all dark woods,” she says. Karen and Spanish architect Felipe González Jiménez de la Espada (who was recommended by friends and was already working on the island) wanted, instead, to reflect the lightness of Bali. “The windows modernize the space,” says Karen. “Light, sunshine and breeze can flow freely from all directions.”

The Pages were living in Singapore when they decided to build their four-ensuitebedroom holiday home in Canggu. Simon was born in Zambia and moved to Canada when he was 13; he and Karen met through mutual friends in Vancouver. After a year of dating, Simon landed a job in Hong Kong and the new couple moved there, had two daughters, Chloe, now 12, and Madeleine, now 9, then moved again, this time to Singapore. Bali, now just a two-and-a-half-hour flight away, turned into their tropical backyard — the family’s vacation playground, where Simon surfed and Karen enjoyed the country’s artistic culture.

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I WANTED EVERYONE TO THINK OF THIS HOUSE AS A SANCTUARY — Karen

As dreamy as having a home in Bali seems, Karen insists this isn’t a fantasy-fulfillment story. “This was not a life plan for us,” she says. “When Simon said, ‘Let’s build a villa!’ I thought, Oh my God, no. That’s way too much of an undertaking. And it was — it was a big deal.” Still, she concedes there was a dream-come-true element for Simon, who’s now the CFO of an L.A. start-up. “He’s always talked about owning and designing boutique hotels, but we just didn’t have time to go down that road.” Building their holiday home, which they named The Starling Villa and rent out when they’re not there, quenched that desire.

For Karen, it was most important that the place feel inviting. “I wanted things modern but not cold,” she says. “I wanted my kids to walk in the door and relax; I wanted everybody to think of this house as a sanctuary.” She also wanted the villa, which took about 18 months to complete, to feel personal. “We worked hard to make it feel like our home. Striking that balance while making it work like a hotel was tricky.”

To help get the mix right, Karen brought in Madrid-based interior designer Virginia Perez-Orive, who she met through Felipe. Virginia’s design credo aligned tidily with Karen’s. “I do livable houses, not minimalistic white homes with no toys or dogs,” says Virginia. “I design homey homes.”

Rejecting the typical order of things, Virginia takes art into consideration from the start, instead of leaving it until the end. “Once the art is on the wall, it’s so much easier to make a space work,” she says.

“It should be the furniture subordinating to the art, not the other way around.”

Four watercolours by American artist Christopher Stern were chosen for the living room. “They set the tone,” says Virginia. Their vibrant shades took Karen away from her neutral-coloured comfort zone. “Simon’s into colour,” she says.

“I’m more of a chromophobe.”

The villa also plays with thoughtful contrasts. Cool, washed-concrete walls in the kitchen, for example, are offset by tactile Balinese baskets turned light fixtures, each as big as a church bell.

Light stone floors on the ground level are balanced by black wood flooring in the upstairs bedrooms. “I think of black as the eyeliner,” says Virginia. “With spring-like colours, you need that tougher touch.” In addition, the designer advocated for the handwoven rugs that decorate the home. “They’re very earthy. They give the place warmth and a handmade feel.”

These design touches give the peripatetic family a sense of home when they’re in Bali. “We all have Canadian passports, but we’re not sure where home is,” says Karen from their latest abode in Venice Beach, Calif., where the family has just relocated. Their Bali home offers a familiar place where they can comfortably relax — never mind that it’s postcard-perfect, with rice paddies on either side, a surfeit of clear blue sky and gardens lush with palms. “Talking about it is making me want to go!” says Karen. She’s not alone.

A pair of steel-framed French doors swing open while three-paned sliding doors pull back to connect the living room to the patio and pool area.

OPPOSITE, TOP LEFT: The pool is lined with green tile, which gives the water a soft emerald hue. The jewel tone is enhanced by reflections of the property’s many plants and palms. OPPOSITE, TOP RIGHT: Sliding glass doors in the living room invite air to flow freely through the home’s main lounging zone. OPPOSITE, BOTTOM LEFT: A love seat at the end of the pool near the house offers a shady spot to lounge outdoors. Coffee table, Selected Living; throw pillows, Mercredi; seat cushion fabric, Sunbrella.

TOP RIGHT: “Madeleine is an early riser,” says Karen. In the mornings, she takes this path to the kitchen to get her cereal. BOTTOM: The living room’s wood coffee tables, as well as the home’s dining table, kitchen stools, beds and other key pieces were made by a local woodworker. “Whenever I need Alvin to do a touchup, he just comes over,” says Karen.

Madeleine (left) and Chloe lounge on a chaise in the living room. A potted Asian fan palm completes the nook. “The green flowing throughout is the most wonderful part of the house,” says Karen. Throw pillow, Crown Carpets. OPPOSITE, TOP: The black floors on the villa’s upper level help deliver the modern look Karen was after. The principal bedroom pairs natural wood furniture with a striped rug that energizes the space. Rug, Ikea; bed linens, Mercredi. OPPOSITE, BOTTOM LEFT: Chloe and Madeleine’s shared bedroom reflects their mom’s preference for minimalism and their dad’s love of surfing. Virginia sourced tea towels at a local roadside stall and framed them as art. Bed linens, throw pillows, Mercredi. OPPOSITE, BOTTOM RIGHT: The girls’ bathroom makes the most of its tropical location with an outdoor shower. Rug, Farah’s Carpet.