A Natural Connection

Deeply rooted in Bali, the Hardy family shares their passion for the environment, explains why bamboo is the way forward and shows the world how living in harmony with nature can be done stylishly

- Stephanie Zubiri

"Our home is a very private and sacred space for us,” shares Cynthia Hardy, co-founder along with her husband, John, of Bali’s innovative and environmental educational institution, the Green School. She walks through the narrow pathways of the vegetable garden and pushes a large wooden door, surrounded by the roots and overgrown trees, which leads into their private property. “This is the kitchen joglo,” she says, referring to the traditional Javanese home that has been re-purposed as an open plan living area. “It is the space where we always hang out and entertain. It’s really the heart of it all.”

The structure is made from an old house that was dismantled, transported from the island of Java and rebuilt here in Ubud. The focal point of the building is the intricately carved ceiling, from which hangs two antique French gaslight chandeliers that John found in a gallery in New York. “I saw them and thought, I had to have them. Eventually, they found a home.” Decorated sparsely, but warmly, in different types of wooden furniture, the space is functional and cosy, with the true star being the lush greenery that surrounds the property.