SLEEP

The master bedroom

Living in Bali means that you seldom get to have a ‘noiseless’ sleep. You are never far from the whirring of motorbike engines, noises from construction sites, sounds of crickets, dogs barking or roosters, and if you keep your windows closed, then you have to contend with air-conditioning units buzzing. Here in Sumbawa we are living on a quiet stretch of beach with the occasional motorbike during the day and a herd of cows that strolls by early morning. I have been looking forward to a peaceful night’s sleep in my new bedroom.

view from the bedroom

a blank canvas

making use of all spaces

the bed

For years I have had a bedroom design in mind but I have never had the opportunity to actualize it. Until now. Due to the layout of the structure I had to amend the design but overall the result is pretty good. The bed has unobstructed views with the closet area and ensuite bathroom situated behind it. Feng Shui principles dictate that a doorway should not be located behind the bed, however, with three doorways in the room this is pretty challenging.

If you have ever lived in tropical countries, you probably know that wooden furniture has a habit of attracting termites. Bamboo furniture, which is the most eco-friendly material, is an attractive home for a wide range of insects as well as snakes. Therefore the best option for me is concrete. While it is more labour intensive and the angles are not necessarily level, the results are worth the while.

Basically it all starts with bricks, which are cemented together before being plastered with grey cement. Once this dries, it is sanded down and covered with a few layers of white cement. Onto this, paint is applied. We discovered epoxy paint, which provides a nice finish and is easy to clean. For certain load-bearing structures, steel is laid across the base before cement is poured in. It is of utmost importance that the cement is totally dry before paint is applied, as we found out! Moreover, from our experience, we strongly recommend not using white cement on floors as it is very cumbersome to work with, particularly if it has to be load bearing.

the built-in wardrobe

the bedroom doors...work in progress 

another layer of flooring is laid

in the beginning...

after the make-over!

So the bedroom is made entirely out of concrete….the bed, the headboard, the closet, the floors, as well as the en-suite bathroom shelving.

Tip: When taking measurements for doorways/ apertures and furniture always allow for any potential changes such as an increased floor height.