Home tour: How an abandoned Bali house was transformed into a private paradise

Filmmakers Andras S Takacs and Eszter Cseke fell in love with this property in Sayan, a village west of Ubud, Bali—and revamped it into a beautiful villa

In Bali, the village of Sayan, nestled amid luxuriant jungles and picturesque rice paddies and located about 5km west of the town of Ubud, is home to some of the island’s most exclusive properties, including Amankila, Four Seasons Resort Bali and The Ritz-Carlton, Bali. It’s also where the award-winning Hungarian documentary filmmakers Andras S Takacs and Eszter Cseke, who are also a husband-and-wife duo behind Spot Productions, decided to put down roots.

“My wife and I had a sabbatical here ten years ago and we fell in love with the breathtakingly beautiful area,” says Takacs. “We never thought that one day we would live [here].”

In 2021, the couple came across a villa, which was then abandoned, on a property agent’s website. The 25-year-old structure was originally the work of Balinese architect Popo Danes. Overlooking the majestic Sayan Ridge, it has a 3,767 sq ft floor plan on a 8,073 sq ft plot of land that is surrounded by frangipani trees. Neglected for many years, with plants climbing in through its thatched roof, the home was in desperate need of love and care. But when the couple walked in, they felt that “this was it”.

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Above The living room features chequered tiled floors, glass and steel doors and an original alang alang grass thatched-style roof

Above The inviting swimming pool

In a renovation process of about a year, the duo worked together with Bali-based interior designer Zohra Boukhari to bring the villa back to life. Every part of the space was overhauled, with the exception of the marble floors in the bedrooms and bathrooms, which were retained and polished to reveal the natural state of the stone. The roof was also kept in its original thatching made with alang alang, a plant native to Bali; this style is used in the construction of Balinese huts throughout the island. The feature allows the house to breathe throughout the day and night.

Above Throughout the home, earthy tones and natural materials such as wood, marble and linen create a serene atmosphere

Above A cosy space for dining

“We renovated … with a great sense of respect for Bali and [its] nature,” says Cseke. “It has an eclectic, passionate ambiance, with warm earthy tones, chequered floors and interesting shapes.”

The once open-air living room was installed with glass and steel doors painted in marine grey; old Balinese carved beams, meanwhile, pay homage to the original architecture.

Two separate pavilion-style rooms were added; they connect to the main house through a glass-enclosed office and reading room, revisiting the original three-bedroom and three-bathroom layout. This was created with the couple’s young family in mind: “This way, you can run over in the middle of the night to check on your kids without passing through the garden,” says Cseke.

Above A view of the dining room

Above Takacs and Cseke pictured in their home

Custom-made polished concrete surfaces dot the space throughout, from bathroom sinks and bathtubs to walls and built-in shelves. They are complemented by rough marble, granite and old, carved Balinese doors. The master ensuite features a semi-outdoor shower paved with dark river stones and looking out onto a bathroom garden.

Above The master bedroom opens onto a terrace overlooking the jungle

Above In the dining room, the table and chairs were originally found in the house and redesigned and up-cycled by Cseke

Above A view of the master bedroom

Above In a space dubbed the museum room, an antique daybed found in an antique shop in Bali is paired with linens from Cloth by Medina

Antiques and new pieces, sourced from Bali-based Balquisse Living and DC Habitat Interiors, are combined with pillows and rugs from Cloth by Medina and items Cseke designed.

“We found a lot of original furniture in the house, and my passion as a designer is to up-cycle, so our house is full of re-designed pieces,” says Cseke. “For me, they are works of art.”

The renovation was completed in April 2022. “I love how the colours of the house complement the green hues of the Sayan Ridge,” she adds. “We love sitting on the master bedroom’s terrace early in the morning, bird-watching with the kids, or watching the sunset just before dinner time, playing around in the living room while we cook. We have created a real home here in Bali.”

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Credits

Photography

Tommaso Riva

Styling

Lisa Scappin

Topics

Bali Home Tour

Tatler Asia

Home tour: How an abandoned Bali house was transformed into a private paradise