ubud – The Interiors Addict

Interiors Addict’s 2017 guide to homewares shopping in Bali

By Laura Downie

It’s that time of year where we start reflecting on the year almost gone and contemplating the year almost upon us. And quite frankly, if you’re anything like me, high on the agenda for the new year is wondering where in the world (literally) 2017 will take you. Well, interiors addicts, may I suggest you add Bali to the top of your 2017 travel list, and pronto. For the culture, sunshine, scenery and the adorable people, absolutely. But also for the plentiful homewares shopping that you simply must feast your eyes on.

Need some convincing? Ok, sit back and allow me to tempt your inner shopaholic, who admittedly may be a tad weary from those pre-Christmas sales. I write this on location in Bali. Well, where better to collate a Bali buyer’s guide for you than Bali?

I’m almost three weeks into a month long trip. Think Eat, Pray, Love meets Interior Design Diaries. Being your own boss certainly has its benefits when you ask for a month off. I asked. She said yes! And, before she could change her mind, the plane ticket was booked.

With the exception of a backpacker stint in Kuta many many years ago, this is my first ‘real’ visit to Bali. And very quickly I had an appreciation for the magic of this island. A place where endless beauty and ritual can’t help but awaken your senses to a another way of life. Bali and the balinese seem to just ooze creativity. My camera has never been out of hands as I constantly capture a beautiful carved door here, or a colourful explosion there. It’s just so pretty, and lush! Instagram addicts will love it (guilty as charged!).

So, where better than amongst so much beauty, for an interior decorator stylist to travel solo for a big dose of inspiration…and shopping?

UBUD

When I could could drag myself away from the magic that was Trinity Gardens where I was staying, I managed to do quite a bit of shopping in Ubud.

OH (no website yet) – I spotted ‘OH’ while scooting up Money Forest Road one day and knew I had to visit. The store itself is beautiful; pristine white walls and concrete floors and I can only imagine OH must be short for “Oh, I’ll have one of everything please,” such is the selection of beautiful homewares on display. In keeping with the brand, there is lots of black and white and so if monochromatic is your thing, then so too is OH.

Jl RAYA ANDONG is the road leading in and out of Ubud and both sides of the street are lined with stores selling furniture, crafts and homewares. Think shells, pendants, wall hangings and more. It feels like it goes on forever and may also feel a little overwhelming. It can also, I’m told, be a bit hit or miss. Luckily for me, Susanna, the creative genius and interior designer responsible for my beautiful accommodation, led me there on scooter one day and we did a quick recce of the ‘go to’ stores she’d discovered after years of research! This involved me taking a photo of the store and then retracing our steps to stop at those recommended stores and a few others which took my fancy! It was fun.

Feel free to bargain although the prices are already so reasonable and if you’re buying in volume, of course there are always deals to be had. I eventually had to accept defeat when my scooter handles could carry no more!

Another way to to do it though is to hire a driver for the afternoon and ask them to stop at the places that take your fancy from the road. Go forth and explore! Remember to take cash, oh and a bottle of water. A good shopper always hydrates!

CLOTH Owned and run by Australia designer Carina Yulianto, Cloth is also a must visit when your Bali travels take you to Ubud. And the good news is it’s on the same street (Jl. Ray Andong). An abundance of beautiful cushions, tie-dye floor mats and hand woven cotton throws, to name but a few products you can expect to enjoy. Cloth’s philosophy is to support the time honoured traditional production of the skilled craftspeople of Indonesia, supporting their trade and giving back to the community. It was here that I bought some beautiful carved out coconut tealight holders but to be honest, had I not been restricted by my scooter, I could have bought much much more.

CANGGU

Next, my travels took me to Canggu, a destination popular with surfers but, of course, it was not the surf I was chasing…

BUNGALOW LIVING Cushions, homewares, bags, Bungalow Living has it all. A beautifully curated homewares selection displayed rather perfectly in a store that you might get lost in for some time. I managed to spend over a million in here. Indonesian Rupiah I may add, not dollars, but very easily done nonetheless! Purchases included some great little brass pineapple hooks (IDR 80,000/AUD $8).

BILLIE’S Another cute little lifestyle shop on the same street (Jln Pantai Berawa) that you might like to swing past is Billie’s. They had a rather lovely display of wooden homewares, including a pineapple-shaped chopping board if pineapples are you thing (clearly they’re mine!) and a range of their own body product which looked and smelled divine.

CANGGU MARKET On the last Saturday of every month, Old Man’s (worth a visit for a sunset Bintang) hosts a market where island creatives come to sell their handicrafts as well as vintage clothing, jewellery and more. I was rather chuffed to find it fell on the first Saturday of my Canggu stay and I must say, I really loved it. It was here that I bought one of my favourite purchases of my trip (so far!) – a handcrafted macrame wall hanging for a steal at $15. Sold direct by the lovely Balinese man who makes them, who also spent some time with me, explaining his craft as I eagerly asked questions and delighted in his skills.

CAFE CULTURE In between shopping, I can often be found playing the role of digital nomad in one of Bali’s many impressive eateries, chomping on some organic fare and sipping on a kombucha. The interior of some of these cafes and restaurants is worth the trip alone. It’s easy to see why creatives from across the globe head here for just that. Hmm, I wonder if I could make this a yearly trip…

What are you waiting for? Pack your bags. Oh and pack an empty bag too, something tells me you might need it!

–Laura Downie is owner and creator at Studio 1 Interiors. For more inspiration from her current Bali adventure, follow her on Instagram

An Interiors Addict’s guide to homewares shopping in Bali

People have always spoken highly of Bali for homewares shopping and I thought it would be worth a look. But to be honest, it was never too high on my radar due to all the speculation about Bali in the media. But let me tell you, it’s a lot safer than we’re made to believe and it’s well worth more than just a look. I’m considering making it an annual expedition!

I’m not sure if my level of excitement was due to fact I was finally going on a holiday or the sheer fact that I was an instant millionaire once I exchanged some money. But the range of homewares on offer far exceeded what I ever expected and the prices were just the icing on the cake!

I only had five days to relax by the pool drinking cocktails. Let’s be honest, I was there to shop and boy was I on a mission to fit everything in from my 10-page long itinerary! Instead of running around like a crazy person (like I did) trying to see every single décor piece Bali has to offer, I’ve compiled a ‘best of’ homewares shopping guide to Bali for you. But first, you will need somewhere to stay.

hotel — Bali Dyana Villas, Two Bedroom Villa

The place to be is Seminyak and we stayed at the Bali Dyana Villas which was in a great location. We could walk to loads of shops and restaurants and were only a 10-minute walk to the beach. Ok, now onto the important stuff, HOMEWARES! Most of the homewares stores in Seminyak are sort of grouped together which makes navigating between them a whole lot easier.

If you want to stay out of the hussle and bustle and a gated community is more your thing, then Nusa Dua is a good choice. It’s around half an hour’s drive from Seminyak. There’s not much shopping out there but you will certainly get the opportunity to relax. Totally off topic from homewares, but if you’re a foodie like me, you need to check out the buffet at the Mulia Hotel at Nusa Dua (it’s lifechanging).

Feather & Find has loads of homewares and fashion, they have a great selection of colourful cushion covers to liven up your space. Think neon painted buddha heads, modern art, painted bulls and colourful beanbags at Kody & Ko. I found out their gorgeous paintings aren’t in fact originals, but if you’re into replicas you can pick one up for a steal! Hobo is the brainchild of Anna Pretty who arrived in Bali in 2009. She has loads of interior design experience with bigwigs like Philippe Starck, Wedgewood, Tom Dixon, Zara Home and Habitat and decided to strike out on her own by opening her own homewares and furniture brand. It is well worth the visit and is reasonably priced with a great range. White Peacock stocks a range of fashion and homewares. Think pineapples, pillows, peacock chairs, boho and beach vibes.

Seminyak Markets, Feather and Find, Kody & Co, Hobo and White Peacock are all within walking distance of each other. While you’re here, I found the best markets to be the ones at Seminyak Square in the car park where you will be able to pick up an assortment of homewares and clothes on the cheap. There are also loads of cool clothing boutiques along the street like Natasha Gann.

Carga was hands down one of my favourite stores of the whole trip. You can’t bargain but the prices are very reasonable and still way cheaper than Australia for what’s on offer. Bathe delivers a lively collection of homewares and stylish accessories to complement their line of handmade paraffin and paraben-free soaps and daily bath/grooming products for men, women and children. Carga and Bathe are right near the W Hotel which has a gorgeous interior and also has some shops in it (it seems very overpriced though compared to everything else in Bali) but having a cocktail there by the beach is well worth it!!

There is a strong French feel at Mercredi, where you can pick up some gorgeous cushions and throws. Their brightly coloured bedspreads are to die for! If you are after souvenirs, Balinese knickknacks or multiple floors of other random goodies, visit Geneva, which is just down the road from Mercredi.

Ubud

If you’re into artsy crafty homemade wares, it’s well worth the day trip to Ubud. It is about an hour away from Seminyak. I found loads of cool stores on the way to Ubud on the side of the road. We hired a driver to take us for the day in a nice air conditioned van and whenever we saw something that caught our eye, he would pull over and yes, this was by far a super lazy way to shop but hey, it was effective I found so many of my favourite items this way! The street stalls have the biggest range of shells, wood, lights, lanterns and statues.

Once you get to Ubud, if shopping is your thing, you’re in for a real treat. The sheer volume of arts and crafts, clothing, unique housewares and antiques available here is truly mind-boggling (don’t forget to bargain)! You can find pretty much anything you can dream of along the streets and at the Sukawati markets. There is even a Sacred Monkey Forest and you can even see the good doctor Ketut Liyer from Eat Pray Love!

Kuta

To be perfectly honest, Kuta didn’t impress me at all. I found it wasn’t as nice and didn’t feel as safe as Seminyak or the other places we went to. But they do have a fabric warehouse which is well worth the look called Alta Moda. They have a huge range of materials over three floors, which are sourced from around the world. The decision is yours to make whether you just buy their material or to have their tailor whip something up for you.

Don’t take much with you, especially if you’re at a villa with a maid as they do your washing daily (this will also leave you more room in your case for homewares). I sort of set myself a limit and said you can bring back whatever you like, just no shipping containers! Well, not for my first visit anyway…

If you do happen to buy big ticket items that are too bulky for your luggage, Sourcing Bali will take care of all of your shipping needs and they have personal shopping helpers who will assist with negotiations, product selections, order placement, and payment.

Anyone know of any Interiors Addict Anonymous groups I can sign up at? Have you been to Bali before? What were your favourite homewares stores?

Kathryn is our girl on the ground in Melbourne, you can follow her design adventures on Instagram @thedesignrookie