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Phuket Magazine Vol. 13.1

Where Dreams Come True
For some people, Phuket is the ideal spot for their dream house and the interior of that house is where the dream comes true

Art on the Eighth Latitude
For others, Phuket works its magic, inspiring artists to create.

King’s Cup Review - A Great Regatta
Though breezes were lighter than perfect, the fifteenth regatta proved that the show goes on in any conditions.

Investing in Phuket: A Rock Foundation or Castles in the Sand?
Phuket is not only beautiful but it’s also a safe haven in these

Ice Cream: Thai Style
Ever have ice cream on a hot dog bun? Try it — you might like it, as well as other ice cream novelties as only the Thais can create them.

Soft Lighting, Softer Music and Spicy Thai Cuisine

A Lazy Lunch at Rydges Beach Resort

Expat Diary: Jai Yen. Jai Yen Yen

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Interior Spaces. Where Dreams Come True.
 

By Derek Davies
 

Opening their doors to our readers, two local residents, originally from The Netherlands, explain how they have combined traditional Asian art and artifact with contemporary western conveniences to create a stylish home on Phuket. And for anyone wanting inspiration for their own house on the island we offer a few tips to help create that designer touch for the interior.
 

It's hard to find Fred's place the first time. Up a mountainside almost as steep as a Thai temple roof, we get lost twice, phone Fred on his mobile and he comes scampering down to find us. Climbing steep steps to his cliff-side house, we find ourselves perched, it seems, on the edge of paradise, with a huge blue sky above, green forest tumbling below and the still, sapphire sea in the distance. The home itself is equally inspiring. First the swimming bath captures my eye, a black-tiled infinity pool, de rigueur among modern luxury villas, a slab of black liquid that calms the senses as it flows seamlessly and mysteriously over the edge. Cornelia, Fred's wife, serves us tall glasses of ice-cold water in a graceful Thai sala, or open pavilion, of dark wood and cotton cushions overlooking the stunning view.

Fred Majoor, a graphic designer, and Cornelia, both from the Netherlands, have been visiting Asia, in particular Phuket and Bali, for several years. They've stayed frequently at the Amanpuri resort, as well as other properties in the Aman group, all of which have inspired them in the design of their own island home. "Amanpuri set the standard for modern Thai design on Phuket," says Fred, "with its use of wood, stone and glass, its simplification of traditional Thai shapes and motifs, its attention to detail and superb finish. Just walking into the lobby of an Aman resort makes me feel good. At times I'm so thrilled by the experience that the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end."

Although Fred and Cornelia were influenced by the Aman style and touch, the design of much of their house and the complete interior is entirely their own. The spacious living salon, which faces the pool and the view, is decorated with exquisite taste. Pieces of Asian art from their own private collection stand on spotlit shelves. The floor is polished teak, the lofty sloping ceiling is also wood and is supported by wooden posts as in a traditional Thai-style house. Heavy sliding wooden doors on each side of the living room open to the two main bedrooms. Closed, the doors provide privacy; open, they make the two bedrooms a visual extension of the living area.

Behind the two bedrooms are bathrooms styled in teak and granite and furnished with modern fittings imported from Europe. "In general, I don't like to order from off-shore, and most things are locally made," says Fred. "But sometimes we couldn't get what we wanted here, like these taps and the espresso machine in the kitchen." Each bathroom looks out onto its own private patio garden so that, as you lie in your Jacuzzi bath, you're surrounded by green plants and flowers with lotus pond and Buddha statue. The design of the bathroom - indeed of the whole house - has a soothing effect on the senses.

Fred and Cornelia's house at the Ayara Baan Thai Cherng Lay development overlooking Surin Beach is a brilliant exception to a widely held perception that insufficient attention is paid to the design and decoration of interior spaces in many of the luxury villas being built on Phuket. Glass and cement or wood and bamboo merely constitute buildings; it takes art and artifact to construct a home. Indeed, Carlo Raineri of The Loft, in Phuket Town, supplier of art, antiques and design services to many of the island's best-decorated homes, believes that, as people become better educated, they take more pleasure in living inside their homes and hence spend more money on the interior. As a result, Carlo believes, as much as 20 to 25 per cent of the cost of the house should be spent on interior design, and that figure is even higher in Europe.

Fortunately for anyone setting up home in Thailand, there's a wealth of traditionally inspired and beautifully crafted objects to work with here, from homespun fabrics and furniture made from rattan, water hyacinth or teak to contemporary ceramics, earthenware and cutlery. The pliable and durable water hyacinth, brought in from Indonesia by King Chulalongkorn's consort Saowabha, may sometimes clog Thailand's rivers and canals, but it has found a new and useful role in designer houses as a material of choice for tables, chairs, sofas and beds. The ubiquitous bamboo, once considered a poor man's building material, is now a welcome guest in upmarket homes, while rattan has grown from its place on the terrace to the interior of the house. The elegant chairs in Fred's house, for example, are made from black-painted rattan. A few outlets in Phuket sell products made from these materials, though the best selections are found in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.

The Loft - which was the source of many of the fine pieces in Fred and Cornelia's house - is one of the first places on the island to head for if you want to furnish your home in a traditional Asian style with a contemporary touch. This renovated Chinese shophouse on Talang Road - one of the oldest roads in Phuket Town - is an emporium of genuine antiques, reproductions and decorative items from Thailand and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries. As you walk in, a magnificent Lanna-style temple gable carved in wood and decorated with coloured glass catches your attention. Thai scripture cabinets stand with Buddhas from Laos. Minimalist black-and-red lacquerware bowls from Vietnam decorated with gold and silver leaf attest to the successful fusion of traditional techniques and modern design. In a similar vein, large cloisonne tea caddies from China have an art deco feel in style and colour, but are crafted with ancient skills.

"I have my own taste," says Carlo, "and my sister Luisella [Carlo's business partner] has hers. Mine is extreme, modern, minimalist, and within that context I like to place a beautiful piece of art; two or three fine pieces can fill a large room if they are positioned well. Luisella's taste is softer, shall we say, more English. But we share the same taste in colour, and we both like to collect beautifully made things. If our customers appreciate them too, then it's double satisfaction."

Anyone new to Phuket looking for ideas for furnishing and decorating their house can find inspiration and information in Art and Culture Phuket, a compendium of studios, shops and special places published and written by Lori Ashton and distributed through most of the better outlets on the island. If you're looking for antique textiles from Laos, basketry from Indonesia or hand-made tiles from Thailand, this little bible of the beautiful will point you in the right direction. Most of the best-known shops are listed here, each with its own short description. For example, in the entry for Phuket Creative Furniture, 99/36 Moo 5 Ratchada Road, the reader learns not only that the studio features a large collection of quality furniture in contemporary and traditional styles, but also that items can be custom made in the on-site workshop.
The best boutiques are also included in the pages of this useful little guide. Mandalay in Canal Village, Cherng Talay, the reader learns, has an eclectic collection including traditional Thai tables, crafted pewter and silver flatware, large clay pots from Burma, hand-woven scarves, and fashionable clothing. Rasada Handmade at 29 Rasada Road, Phuket Town, specializes in old and new textiles from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia. There are some curious omissions, however. Ban Boran Antiques at 24 Takua Pa Road in Phuket Town, located in an old Sino-Portuguese house, has some fine antiques displayed in a tasteful manner, and is well worth a visit. For copies of the Art and Culture Phuket Guide, email info@artandcultureasia.com. You can also check out their website at www.artandcultureasia.com., though at the time of writing the site was still under construction.

For inspiration from another era, in total contrast to the contemporary Asian style of home decor, it's interesting to visit Khun Pracha's Sino-Portuguese mansion on Krabi Road in Phuket Town. This magnificent old building, built in 1904 when fortunes were being made from tin mining, is full of carved Chinese rosewood furniture inlaid with mother of pearl. Their oriental baroque styles might not be in vogue today, but in the right context - such as this old house, or even in a stark and modern environment - they are extraordinary.
In the centre of the ground floor, a small inner courtyard with a lotus pond lies open to the sky. "In the days before air-conditioning, this would keep the house cool, as it still does today," says 72-year-old Khun Pracha. Warm air rises into the sky as though through a chimney, drawing in air through doors and windows that cools as it passes over the tiled floor and gently circulates through the rooms. It is far more pleasant than air-conditioning, not to mention more effective, cost free and environmentally harmless than "modern" systems. Although not mentioned in the guidebooks, Khun Pracha's house is open to the public when he's at home. A donation of 100 baht is requested for cleaning and upkeep.

Back at Fred's house overlooking Surin Beach, I watch as our ArtAsia photographer sets up his lights. The main saloon is part living area, part art gallery. "This place evokes a lot of memories," says Fred. "It's not so much a question of whether these objects are beautiful or not - they're part of our lives." There's a heavy stone sculpture from India that Fred hauled from country to country on a luggage trolley. There's a huge sculpture of a human hand that he bought in Bangkok. All the lamps are made from old Thai tea containers filled with cement to give them stability. As for the lampshades, Cornelia couldn't find what she wanted in Thailand, so she imported them all from Europe.

Later, Fred and I drive farther up the hill to visit one of his neighbours at the Ayara Baan Thai Chern Lay development, or Ayara Surin Beach, as Fred prefers to call it. This grand house, which belongs to an Englishman from Hong Kong, is in the final stages of decoration and, with 10 rooms, is even bigger than Fred's. It affords a stunning view over forest, beach and sea. The two men discuss the relative merits or teak versus macca woods for flooring, and the best place to buy shower fittings. Workmen are busy at work polishing and sanding, and the man from Hong Kong with a DIY touch has just fixed a towel rail to the bathroom wall. I feel I'm watching another dream coming true on Paradise Island.