Villa The Layar, Seminyak

For a faultless fusion of inspired architecture and easy tropical living, The Layar is in a class of its own. This iconic enclave in the heart of Seminyak comprises 23 villas, each set in its own very private garden sanctuary fanning out from a central colonnade of mature flowering trees. An elevated setting means the villas’ front boundary walls all but disappear, creating a sense of openness and space that’s rare in this most popular of Bali’s resort areas.

Design enthusiasts are sure to love The Layar – meaning ‘sail’ in the Indonesian language and named in tribute to the villas’ distinctive roofs that taper dramatically to the ground like the rigging of a traditional sail boat. These iconic roofs, which are the signature of The Layar’s architects, create exciting split-level open living spaces with curved and angled walls and contrasting natural finishes that include tropical hardwoods, marble and stone sourced from the Indonesian archipelago.

Light, spacious and open-plan for easy entertaining, living areas flow smoothly out to the swimming pool and jacuzzi deck and on into the garden. Many of the villas have mezzanine-level media rooms, and all have plenty of comfortable seating areas. The bedroom suites are large and designed for privacy – every room, even the bathrooms, enjoys garden views.

The Layar offers a choice of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom villas, each with its own distinctive design and all with an uncurbed feeling of space and openness. The one-bedroom villas are so romantic, yet even the largest four-bedroom villa has intimate, away-from-it-all corners.

Pleasing to those who treasure their privacy, staff only appear when you need them; The Layar is run along the lines of a boutique resort – complete with central kitchen and room service – so staff are on hand to tidy or serve up a sumptuous breakfast or poolside barbecue, otherwise you’ll have the villa entirely to yourself. And if you can tear yourself away, Bali’s best restaurants, bars and boutiques are only moments away,including the resorts own stylish Settimo Cielo for some fine Italian cuisine.

One bedroom villas

VILLA LAYOUT

At each of The Layar’s four one-bedroom villas, steps to the elevated garden follow the curve of the swimming pool to the open living and dining area spread out below the wing of the dramatically sloping ironwood-shingle roof. To one side of the living area lies the triangular galley kitchen, while to the other, angled under the second roof wing, is the spacious bedroom and its ensuite garden bathroom.

LIVING AREAS

Careful thought has been given to the villa’s romantic living area, resulting in a wonderful sense of space, openness and flow that couples will appreciate. With such a splendid selection of settings to chose from, relaxation comes easy, day or night. Drift between the custom-designed teakwood sofa facing the entertainment centre, the sun-loungers reclining on the pool deck, the tiered shallow section of the pool just beyond the living area, or even the stone bathtub gracing the courtyard garden.

BEDROOM

Honeymooners and couples will love the design of this large, light-filled king-sized bedroom with its stylish seating area, window onto the courtyard and sliding doors to the pool deck. There’s no scrimping on space in the garden bathroom either – an elegant expanse of Palimanan stone with foliage-fringed shower, elongated counter with twin basis, and – in the adjacent white-pebbled courtyard – a decadently statuesque stone bathtub.

Two bedroom villas

VILLA LAYOUT

Accommodation is spread across multiple levels under angled, overlapping roofs in each of the seven spacious two-bedroom villas at The Layar. The open living and dining space sweeps from the edge of the pool across to the large, partly recessed kitchen and, via open-tread stairs, up to the mezzanine media room. Oriented for quiet seclusion, the master and guest bedroom suites are on separate sides of this vast living area, their ensuite bathrooms facing small private gardens.

Each villa occupies up to 600sqm of well-screened grounds featuring a Bengkirai-wood sun deck with jacuzzi fronting a large curved pool.

LIVING AREAS

At the heart of The Layar’s two-bedroom villas is the two-tiered, light-flooded living area, individually defined by angled roofs and curved walls. Handsome sofas, chairs and dining tables cluster on the acid-washed marble floors that flow unrestricted from the pool edge to a verdant courtyard overlooked by the open-plan and very well-equipped kitchen with a bar counter. The mezzanine media room appears to float above the living area, its curved bank of built-in seating gazing towards the pool.

The garden provides further space for relaxation and socialising. Sun loungers stretch out on the deck, while a jacuzzi and tiered shallow steps in the pool offer tempting spots for cooling-off.

BEDROOMS

Behind a curved wall of India stone is the spacious king-sized master bedroom with sliding doors onto either a small deck or private corner of the garden. The glamorous bathroom is fitted with a large bathtub, shower and double basins, and features a private garden. The guest bedroom, also king-sized, is just as enticing and secluded, with garden view and an equally gorgeous ensuite bathroom.

Three bedroom villas

VILLA LAYOUT

The 11 three-bedroom Layar villas all feature striking changes of floor level to create interest and define spaces. The huge open living and dining room fans out from a raised platform alongside the kitchen, widening to the garden and pool area at the front. Secluded on separate sides of this vast living area, the three bedroom suites each enjoy complete privacy and outdoor space in the form of a deck, terrace or bathroom garden. Between villa and garden is a large swimming pool with sun deck and, in most villas, a jacuzzi.

LIVING AREAS

A light-flooded living and dining area, defined by dramatic overlapping roofs and a mix of angled and curved walls forms the heart of the villa. Handsome furniture rests on the acid-washed marble floors that flow unrestricted from the edge of the pool to a raised area of polished Merbau-wood opening onto a very well equipped kitchen. Four of the villas have a mezzanine level media room; in the others the free-flowing living space is so large, it’s not missed.

Edging right into the living area for toe-dipping convenience is the jacuzzi (available in all but one of the three bedroom villas) and shallow section of the swimming pool. Another social space is created by the pool deck and garden with sun-loungers and sunset views.

BEDROOMS

The design intelligence so noticeable in The Layar creates an unprecedented sense of privacy for all three king-sized bedrooms, which lie off the main living area behind statement walls of stone or via well-screened entrances set at an angle or on different levels. The spacious master bedroom enjoys a glamorous bathroom with large bathtub, shower, double basins and a private garden. The guest bedrooms are just as enticing and secluded, with equally gorgeous indoor/outdoor bathrooms, many also featuring their own private garden areas.

Four bedroom villas

VILLA LAYOUT

At The Layar’s four-bedroom villa, stone slabs across a lily pond lead into an open-plan living room that flows around contoured and angled walls towards the garden. A few steps up is a mezzanine media room where a glazed wall looks down over the living area; tucked below is a guest bedroom. At one end of the living space is a raised dining area, beyond which is a breakfast bar and the fitted kitchen. At the opposite end is a sitting area open to the garden. A corridor leads to a guest cloakroom and second guest bedroom, while, discreetly tucked behind another feature wall is a third guestroom with doors to the garden.

Across the lawn is a large swimming pool with a separate jacuzzi at one end and a spa with massage room and shower at the other. Beyond the Bengkirai-wood pool deck, and very privately screened behind another curved wall, is the master bedroom suite.

LIVING AREAS

The large split-level living room provides a perfect balance of sociable open-plan entertainment space and quiet get-away-from-it-all corners. On a raised platform of polished Merbau wood, a dining table for eight is separated from the well-equipped kitchen by a bar counter. On the lower level, sofas are arranged around a coffee table overlooking the garden and pool. Above is a mezzanine media room where sensually curved seating runs the full length of one wall.

There’s more luscious lounging space in the garden, with oversized sunbeds languishing on the lawn and sun loungers and a circular love seat set on the pool deck. Submerged seating in the jacuzzi and shallow wings flanking the pool provide the perfect spots to stretch out and cool down. For sunset cocktails and alfresco meals there’s a dining table for six set before a barbecue cooking station.

BEDROOMS

A curved display wall creates an imposing backdrop to the master suite’s king-sized leather-and-wood bed which faces a bank of wardrobes and a desk set below a wall-mounted TV. A corner banquette looks onto a small garden open to the bathroom, where there’s a terrazzo bathtub, vanity with twin basins, shower enclosure and second alfresco shower.

Discreetly tucked off the living room in the main villa are the three large, air-conditioned, guest bedrooms, each with a unique charm. One is multi-level, with the king-sized bed on a raised Merbau-wood platform facing the pool, and a dressing area and large garden bathroom (with twin basins, indoor and outdoor showers and a bathtub) on the lower level. The two other bedrooms – one with a king, the other with twin beds – look onto their own corner gardens and also have indoor/outdoor bathrooms with bathtub, shower enclosure, and twin basins.