Ondy Sweeting checks in to villa bliss at Origin.
Origin Villas is not somewhere that jet set wanderers will want to stay – it’s somewhere they will want to live.
There is something special about waking in a swank villa to descend an airy staircase to a dining area where butlers are laying the table with piles of fresh tropical fruit and warm croissants.
Welcome to a tropical morning Balinese style at Origin Villas – Seminyak’s hip new boutique villa complex where the pushbikes are free to use every day and professional staff facilitate an epic lifestyle.
If ‘location’ is the magic word for a holiday, Origin Villas is in a spot that demands the attention of smart travellers. It’s in a quiet and well-lit gangway that connects the stylish Seminyak Village mall and the famous Oberoi Road – Eat Street. As a villa within easy walking distance of an exquisite coast with golden sand beach and an azure sea, great restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs and unique shopping, street markets plus a beautifully mysterious Balinese sea temple, Origin is a utopian holiday refuge.
The eight villas are a stylish blend of post-industrial design with metal shutters, white lines and black steel frame windows. Soaring ceilings and sharp angles are softened by tropical gardens with mature frangipani trees in constant bloom, palms and soft grasses.
The fashionable and soothing monochrome colour palette is brought to life with island tones of big rattan and canvas sofas – full of cushions with black and white geometric designs and dining table chairs with cushions printed with big banana leaves and palm fronds. The table is overhung with diaphanous rattan light shades. Five giant panels of hessian are the lone wall embellishments in the living space, which has a kitchenette that functions well for endless drinks and snacks.
The living area is closed on three sides and the front opens to the garden with timber decking that flanks a sparkling blue 20 metre long swimming pool. Water features are quirky stone Balinese frogs that shoot water into the pools.
Giant floating beanbags are poolside, along with sun lounges and the staff offer an enormous canopied inflatable double chill-out bed with built in drinks holders as a fun way to waste away an afternoon relaxing. What could go wrong? Absolutely nothing with this team looking after you.
A huge rectangular timber gate connects a three-bedroom villa to an adjoining four-bedroom abode to create a wonderfully sprawling estate with two pools, twin kitchens and seven bedrooms. Perfect for families holidaying together since one can be used as a teen retreat while the adults kick back and enjoy the solitude. Close the gate for privacy. Equally, it would be an awesome set up for a band of jet set friends.
Origin has eight villas across the spectrum from a studio, one, two, three and four bedrooms over two levels with few connecting walls. The layout of the three-bedroom villa is informed by the desire for privacy. The master suit takes up the entire top floor and is accessed via unique steps that start off as three modern rectangular stepping stones with black volcanic and white geometric tiles and they are set in a pond in the living area. The master bedroom keeps the minimalist theme going with more empty floor than furniture. Bedside tables are filled with tribal artifacts and a long and beautifully lit balcony with a private swing grabs the attention and reminds guests they are in Bali.
The sense of space that the design delivers is luxurious. Its only nod to technology is a Smart TV positioned high in a corner – perfect for bedtime viewing and a small bar fridge.
The bathroom is big and restrained in décor but the one-way picture window has a garden view across the grounds without endangering privacy. The bathroom products are bespoke and made fragrant with amber, honey and black tea and follow the drift to eco-friendly sustainability with recognizable ingredients rather then glycols and petrol chemical byproducts.
A second queen size bedroom adjoins the living space with glass-paneled walls and a view of the pool and garden. The shower is neatly tucked into the staircase overhead and is found via a dressing room that has a safe box and hanging space.
The third bedroom is across the garden and is a fitting piece to the black, grey and white spread with the occasional piece of indigenous tribal art. It is fully decked out with a dressing area and bathroom and soft fluffy towels are on hand.
Each room has powerful air conditioning, which is a non negotiable in Seminyak’s sultry habitat.
Origin Villas has a cool vibe of casual individualism free from overloaded consumerism and competitive opulence. The breezy space is simple without compromising luxury.
Origin Villas also has a sister estate in the cool hills of Ubud where Bali’s unique culture is easily accessible – just ask the staff and they will pass you local knowledge that will allow you to explore the rare and exotic ceremonies in close range to the property.
