How this Aussie designer turned his love of Bali into a burgeoning holiday rental business

For decades the holiday hotspot of Bali has been on the bucket list of every traveller dreaming of a tropical getaway, with more than a million of us travelling to its shores each year. A few lucky Aussies have taken their passion for the Indonesian Archipelago to the next step and leased their very own piece of Balinese bliss — lucky Australians such as celebrated designer, Stuart Membery. “Bali holds a special place for me, not just for its beauty, but also for the tranquil ambiance,” Mr Membery told realcommercial.com.au. “Having lived here intermittently for almost two decades, I’ve come to cherish the tropical allure and the warm hospitality of its people. Despite calling Bali home for part of the year for over 20 years, the designer — whose work spans architecture, interiors, fashion, and furniture design — took his time when deciding to take the plunge and buy here. But this was no ordinary house hunt. Mr Membery was looking for a multi-purpose villa that would act as both a home, and high-end holiday rental property to showcase his prestigious architecture and interior business. “As an architecture and interior design firm, we saw this as an opportunity to create something aspirational, a luxury villa to showcase our furniture and home collection products,” he explained. “We looked at several properties over a long period. There was a lot of buzz about the development of the Canggu area, but at that time there was not a lot of infrastructure out there, so we decided to stay close to Seminyak, with its exclusive boutiques and restaurants.” After years of searching, Mr Membery finally hit the jackpot in 2013 when he came across an un-renovated villa in the perfect area. “It didn’t have much of a garden,” recalled the designer. “But what caught my eye was the layout of the long swimming pool situated close to the living and dining area. “I envisioned it as a stylish pavilion where guests could relax indoors, while still interacting with those in the pool. The generous sized bedrooms were also positioned around the pool, offering wide views to a potentially beautiful tropical garden.” With a vision and design skills garnered from decades working on some of the most prestigious homes across the world, he commenced a full renovation of the villa and gardens. “It was quite an involved renovation process!” he said. “Despite costs surpassing the market value for properties in the area, I decided to push on and create a beautiful space filled with everything I loved”. “We started the renovation a few months before the onset of Covid in March 2020. As time went on, flights out of Bali gradually stopped, which I interpreted as a signal to relocate back to Australia and remotely manage our studio and furniture production from there. “Consequently, the renovation was put on hold for the 2.5 years of restricted travel from Australia to Indonesia.”

 

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Completed in May last year, Pineapple Hill boasts four luxury bedrooms, each with indoor-outdoor bathrooms. Located at Batu Belig Beach, a short distance away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Seminyak, the villa is both a retreat and a feast for design aficionados. The large open-air living-dining pavilion is a marvel of unstudied chic. Coastal style is mixed with a dash of chinoiserie and guests can relax under the breeze of overhead fans on sumptuous rattan sofas covered in fabrics by Ralph Lauren. The rooms and gardens are simple and spacious – “there’s nothing to do here but chill, listen to music, read, eat and enjoy the tropical atmosphere.” “The bedrooms are a favourite — particularly the oversized indoor-outdoor bathrooms, each one has its own unique offerings and details. I tend to experience a different room each time I stay in the villa, just to make sure they’re all in good working order, and to ensure that high standards are maintained for our guests &#8211; no detail for barefoot comfort is overlooked!” <div id="attachment_910231" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910231" class="wp-image-910231" src="https://dam-assets.au.reastatic.net/images/w_2560,h_1631/v1713505527/news-lifestyle-content-assets/wp-content/production/Pineapple_Hill_Villa_D2_709/Pineapple_Hill_Villa_D2_709.jpg?_i=AA" alt="" width="2560" height="1631" /><p id="caption-attachment-910231" class="wp-caption-text">An entrance decades in the making. Picture: Supplied</p></div> Although he may have only just completed work on Pineapple Hill, Mr Membery is already considering another luxury Villa Balinese real estate venture. “I will create another vacation villa in Bali for our brand,” he said. “Perhaps in another decorative style, maybe something primitive to reflect the style of the outer islands of Indonesia. “Creating Pineapple Hill has been tremendous fun and engaging with guests is wonderful — their enthusiastic response to the villa has made all our efforts worthwhile. <div id="attachment_910232" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910232" class="wp-image-910232" src="https://dam-assets.au.reastatic.net/images/w_2560,h_1707/v1713505542/news-lifestyle-content-assets/wp-content/production/Pineapple_Hill_Villa_D2_141/Pineapple_Hill_Villa_D2_141.jpg?_i=AA" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" /><p id="caption-attachment-910232" class="wp-caption-text">The villas showcase Mr Membery&#8217;s interior design business. Picture: Supplied</p></div> “I&#8217;ve been a dedicated designer, constantly on the move, living and working in various countries since my early 20s. My personal taste in architecture and decorating continues to evolve, so I can’t envision having a &#8216;forever&#8217; home. “The villa has a permanent crew of housekeepers, cooks, and groundsmen, so when I’m living in Bali, I enjoy it just like a pampered guest.&#8221;