A directly overhead drone view frames the masonry entry gate emerging from dense jungle canopy to meet a pale stone forecourt. A lone figure in white crosses the paving, the sharp meeting of wild greenery and ordered geometry distilling the villa's relationship to its landscape.

Rumah Rubah by Maximilian Jencquel: Where Japanese Restraint Meets Balinese Craft

Words by Eric David

Bali, Indonesia

Bali has long attracted architects seeking inspiration in the island's architectural traditions. Few, however, have engaged with them as thoughtfully as Maximilian Jencquel of Studio Jencquel. Throughout his work, the Bali-based Venezuelan architect has consistently sought to reconcile contemporary living with local craftsmanship, climatic responsiveness and a profound sense of place. Commissioned by French entrepreneur Gildas Loaëc, co-founder of fashion and lifestyle brand Maison Kitsuné, Rumah Rubah, a three-bedroom villa nestled within a lush 4,000-square-metre garden in Pererenan, takes that approach to a new dimension through a dialogue between Balinese and Japanese design traditions. The result in a tropical hideaway defined by quiet immersion, now welcoming guests seeking the same.

Arrival is marked by a traditional entrance gate flanked by a pair of handmade clay fox guardians, introducing the wordplay behind the villa’s name: Rumah Rubah means “fox house” in Indonesian, mirroring Maison Kitsuné—maison denoting house in French and kitsuné fox in Japanese. Stepping inside the grounds, you are enveloped by the dense tropical planting and tall trees amid which the low-slung villa is harmoniously ensconced, eschewing any sense of grandiosity or theatricality in favour of discretion and introspection. Constructed entirely from teak and crowned by expansive shingled roofs set purposefully below the treetops, the house unfolds gradually through a carefully choreographed sequence of thresholds and framed views.

Warm evening light gilds the brick garden temple, its stepped terracotta gateway crowned by an elaborate sculpted crest and flanked by carved guardian creatures on plinths. A narrow arched doorway frames tropical greenery, frangipani leaning in at left, the weathered masonry glowing against a soft grey sky.

Photography by Jack Johns.

A detail of the brick entrance gate catches golden light on its finely laid terracotta courses and stepped, sculpted forms. A pair of carved guardian creatures sits sentinel beside a richly ornamented timber door, tropical foliage and red heliconia framing the warm, weathered masonry.

Photography by Jack Johns.

Half-swallowed by dense foliage, a carved sandstone gateway crowned with traditional Balinese finials rises from the garden, where a woman in white pauses at its threshold. The warm ochre masonry glows against deep green, marking the property's ceremonial passage between cultivated and wild.

Photography by Jack Johns.

  • Seen from above, the low-slung villa nestles almost entirely within its 4,000-square-metre garden, twin shingled roof-planes parting around the central courtyard tree. Lawn, clipped shrubs and a stone shrine give way to dense tropical canopy, confirming the architecture's deliberate submission to the treeline.

    Photography by Jack Johns.

  • A directly overhead view reveals the villa's cruciform plan: a shingled pyramidal roof enclosing the frangipani courtyard, with a lap pool set into timber decking alongside clipped shrubs and lawn. Dense jungle presses in on every side, the geometry a calm clearing within the tropical tangle.

    Photography by Jack Johns.

  • An aerial view sets the turquoise lap pool against the pyramidal shingled roof, whose rectangular void frames the flowering frangipani, dark pond and a pale boulder below. Encircling canopy softens the composition, the crisp geometry of pool, roof and courtyard reading as a calm order carved into the green.

    Photography by Jack Johns.

  • Nestled among breadfruit and frangipani, the teak pavilion rises from its black lava-stone base beneath sweeping grey shingled roofs. Slatted screens and a balustraded terrace catch the soft light, palms breaking the skyline beyond, the house reading as a quiet clearing settled deep within its garden.

    Photography by Jack Johns.

  • Seen from the lawn, the turquoise lap pool runs alongside the teak pavilion beneath its deep grey shingled roof, timber loungers and a carved stone urn on the deck. Lush bamboo, frangipani and a flowering shrub frame the scene under a broad Balinese sky, poised between cultivation and jungle.

    Photography by Jack Johns.

A high oblique aerial view captures the meeting of shingled roof-planes and the timber pool deck, where two loungers and a weathered urn sit beside the turquoise lap pool. The courtyard light-well and its frangipani appear top-frame, tree shadows falling across the deck to soften the crisp geometry.

Photography by Jack Johns.

A symmetrical aerial view centres the villa's pyramidal shingled roof, its frangipani courtyard visible as a dark recess, with the turquoise lap pool and timber sun-loungers laid out below. A lone figure crosses the upper terrace, the whole composition held tightly within a frame of dense green canopy.

Photography by Jack Johns.

A close view of the pavilion's threshold, where an intricately carved stone urn stands against folding timber-slatted screen doors. Low sun rakes across the teak boards and dappled shadow plays over the grain, the composition distilling the villa's material palette of weathered wood, shingle and hand-worked stone.

Photography by Jack Johns.

In golden evening light, the teak pavilion stretches along the lap pool beneath its broad grey shingled roof. Timber loungers and a carved stone urn rest on the deck before folding slatted doors, bamboo and rain trees rising behind, the low horizontal volume settling quietly into its garden.

Photography by Jack Johns.

Sunlight falls the length of the open pavilion, twin paper lanterns hanging above a long teak table and cushioned chairs. Rendered columns march towards a carved antique door, a slender vase of anthurium on a plinth, the reflective courtyard pond glimpsed at right beyond clipped greenery.

Photography by Jack Johns.

At the heart of the residence lies a tranquil internal courtyard where a century-old frangipani tree rises from a reflective pond. More than a visual focal point, this serene enclave acts as the organisational anchor of the residence, around which the three bedrooms, living room, study, kitchen and outdoor dining area are arranged. The composition recalls the contemplative courtyards of traditional Japanese houses while remaining firmly rooted in its Balinese setting through the presence of water, carved timber elements and the pervasive connection to the surrounding garden.

This duality is evident throughout the project. Japanese notions of simplicity and spatial clarity inform the villa's overall composition, while Balinese craftsmanship lends it texture, warmth and cultural depth. Hand-carved doors, timber screens and finely detailed joinery sit alongside woven ceilings, stone surfaces and bespoke furnishings, creating interiors that feel both refined and deeply tactile. As in much of Jencquel's work, materiality serves as a means of grounding architecture within its environment: the weathered tones of the timber echo the trunks of the surrounding trees.

The villa's atmosphere is further enriched by a thoughtfully curated collection of Indonesian artworks and artefacts spanning centuries. Antique ceremonial masks dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries and traditional terracotta sculptures from different islands are mixed with contemporary photography and upcycled works by local makers, offering subtle reminders of the archipelago's diverse cultural heritage. Rather than functioning as decorative accessories, these pieces contribute to a broader narrative of cultural continuity and exchange.

The teak-lined living room opens through folding slatted screens onto the dining hall, its long table and cushioned chairs receding beneath paper lanterns. A pale timber armchair, a dark stone table and a pair of antique ceremonial masks on stands compose a serene, art-filled interior beneath the lofty pitched roof.

Photography by Jack Johns.

  • A close study of an antique Balinese door, its pale teak carved in dense scrollwork, florals and a mythological beast around a wrought-iron ring handle. Beyond, soft focus reveals a frangipani and the dark reflective pond, the composition savouring the salvaged craftsmanship that anchors the villa's material story.

    Photography by Jack Johns.

  • Through a narrow gap between carved timber doors, a framed monochrome photograph hangs on a teak wall beside an antique panel of dense Balinese relief. Beyond, warm light spills across the floor towards the garden, the layered thresholds framing the villa's interplay of ornament and restraint.

    Photography by Jack Johns.

  • A close view of hands, ringed and tattooed, drawing open a pair of antique Balinese doors carved in dense floral and mythological relief. The pale weathered timber and wrought-iron ring handle fill the frame, distilling the villa's reverence for craftsmanship and the tactile pleasure of its salvaged fixtures.

    Photography by Jack Johns.

  • From within, folding teak screen doors open onto a covered walkway where a bamboo-propped tree and clipped greenery edge the courtyard pond, a pale boulder resting in the dark water. A polished metallic stool sits in the foreground, the layered timber thresholds dissolving the boundary between interior and garden.

    Photography by Jack Johns.

  • Glimpsed between teak doors, a live-edge timber bench holds a dark ceramic dish, books and a Sonos speaker beneath a framed seascape photograph. Grey drapery softens the panelled wall, herringbone floors catch warm light, and folding screens open to green beyond, distilling the villa's blend of craft and comfort.

    Photography by Jack Johns.

Through folding teak screen doors with sculptural cut-out handles, a woman in white drifts across a sunlit threshold beyond. A carved figure and a dark textile artwork sit in shadow at left, the layered timber apertures composing a study in depth, filtered light and quiet domestic movement.

Photography by Jack Johns.

Seen through slatted timber screens, the kitchen reveals a concrete-topped island of curved teak staves, a ceramic bell-shaped pendant and a handmade jug and cups. A window frames bamboo and dark lava-stone beyond, the pared-back palette of wood, stone and stoneware embodying the villa's restrained materiality.

Photography by Jack Johns.

Framed by a bedroom's layered timber thresholds, a woman in a batik sarong opens a slatted screen door onto the garden, sunlight striping the woven-fibre floor. Two dark pendant lamps and a trailing swathe of white bedding anchor a composition steeped in shadow and quiet domestic ritual.

Photography by Jack Johns.

A bathroom corner pairs a black stone basin on a slender teak stand with a tall framed mirror and a pair of dark woven-rattan pendants. Sheer bed netting drifts in at right, a brass cross-handle tap catches the light, and warm timber panelling holds the room's restrained, tactile calm.

Photography by Jack Johns.

Glimpsed through a gap in carved timber doors, a bedroom corner reveals a batik hanging, a rustic bench bearing a dark ribbed vessel and books, and a woven rug beside white bedding. Warm teak tones and layered textures compose an intimate still life of the villa's curated interior.

Photography by Jack Johns.

Glimpsed through a doorway, a bedroom glows in low lamplight. A woman in batik smooths gauzy white mosquito netting draped over the bed, while a carved timber figure and woven-fibre flooring anchor the scene. Deep shadow and a sliver of warm light lend the space an intimate, nocturnal calm.

Photography by Jack Johns.

A dim, atmospheric view through a wooden doorway into the master bedroom, where sheer netting drapes a low bed dressed in white linen. Woven matting softens the teak floor and warm shadow envelops the scene, distilling the villa's nocturnal register of quiet, enveloping retreat.

Photography by Jack Johns.

From within a darkened bedroom, folding timber-and-glass doors open onto a wall of tropical green, a pale frangipani trunk rising just beyond. Sheer netting billows at the threshold and a woven jute rug meets the teak floor, the composition framing the villa's intended dissolve between interior and jungle.

Photography by Jack Johns.

Morning light falls across a teak-lined bathroom, striping the grain of the timber panelling. A pale stone bathtub sits in the foreground, its angular form echoed in a tall framed mirror where a slender tap catches the glow. Shadow and warm wood carry the room's contemplative, near-monastic calm.

Photography by Jack Johns.

A stone bathtub fills beneath a wall of sliding timber-slatted screens, one panel swung open to a wall of tropical foliage. A brass tap runs, a folded white towel rests on the rim, and a small carved dish sits at the edge. Steam and dappled light lend the teak-lined bathroom a serene, sensory calm.

Photography by Jack Johns.

Between twin paper lanterns, the courtyard opens from the dining table: the century-old frangipani leaning over clipped podocarpus islands and a reflective pond, a woman bearing incense before the antique carved door. Woven rattan ceilings and teak walls hold the villa's meditative Japanese-Balinese composition.

Photography by Jack Johns.

Along a sheltered teak walkway, a woman in a lace kebaya and batik sarong carries an offering basket, the sweep of exposed rafters overhead and a run of panelled doors to her left. Clipped podocarpus and the courtyard pond edge the path at right, the corridor framing the villa's daily devotional rhythm.

Photography by Jack Johns.

A close view captures a woman in a lace kebaya holding a woven offering basket of blossoms, incense sticks and a bound smudge bundle, smoke curling into the air above a dark reflective pond. Backlight catches the drifting smoke, distilling the daily Balinese ritual at the villa's heart.

Photography by Jack Johns.

Seen from behind, a woman in a white lace kebaya and batik sarong holds a woven offering basket of incense and blossoms, smoke curling into the shadowed air. Deep teak walls and a sliver of shingled eave frame the quiet ritual, distilling the villa's grounding in everyday Balinese devotion.

Photography by Jack Johns.

Framed by a tall slot between black lava-stone walls, a woman in a lace kebaya and batik sarong stands with an offering basket before a mature bodhi tree, its trunk propped on bamboo supports. Teak lintels crown the aperture, the composition drawing the eye from cool masonry to sunlit garden.

Photography by Jack Johns.

A narrow teak-lined passage draws the eye to a slot of garden where a bamboo-propped tree rises, the pitched rafters and woven ceiling overhead catching warm light. Shadow and grain animate the timber walls, the aperture framing jungle as though it were a living artwork at the corridor's end.

Photography by Jack Johns.

A wider frame of the brick garden temple reveals its tiered terracotta shrines and finialled gateways beneath a canopy of frangipani and bamboo. A carved guardian relief sits at the base, a woman in traditional dress tends an offering, and incense smoke threads the scene with quiet devotional presence.

Photography by Jack Johns.

Outside, the garden plays an equally important role in shaping the experience of the property. Meandering pathways weave through an abundance of native and tropical species, while a traditional river temple and a bale kulkul (a watch tower traditionally used in Balinese villages as a means of communication) reinforce the project's connection to Balinese culture. Complementing this sense of place is an in-house chef who prepares meals inspired by Indonesia's rich culinary traditions, drawing on locally sourced ingredients and seasonal produce. Sustainability, too, has been integrated discreetly into the design through solar panels, rainwater harvesting systems and passive cooling strategies developed in collaboration with local engineering firm Eco Mantra.

A directly overhead drone view frames the masonry entry gate emerging from dense jungle canopy to meet a pale stone forecourt. A lone figure in white crosses the paving, the sharp meeting of wild greenery and ordered geometry distilling the villa's relationship to its landscape.

Photography by Jack Johns.

  • A dessert of black-rice pudding and coconut cream is served in a fresh young coconut on a banana leaf and pale timber board, garnished with purple orchids, a small vessel of palm syrup alongside. Set against rough volcanic stone, the composition captures the villa's produce-led Indonesian culinary sensibility.

    Photography by Maison Kitsune.

  • Late light catches the teak pavilion where slatted timber screens meet a rugged black lava-stone base, the volume cantilevered gently above the garden. A glass balustrade edges the upper level and a monstera unfurls below, breadfruit foliage framing the interplay of warm wood and dark volcanic stone.

    Photography by Jack Johns.

  • An overhead still life on dark speckled marble: an artisanal cookie studded with chocolate and seeds broken on a stoneware plate, a glazed cup of coffee, a small milk jug and a slender brass spoon. A pale timber coaster and woven mat complete a composition of quiet, tactile morning ritual.

    Photography by Jack Johns.

Low sun falls across a living-room vignette: a hand lifts a glass of white wine from a dark marble table set with red grapes, an open book and a carved primitive figure, a linen sofa piled with cushions beyond. The still life distils the villa's mood of unhurried, cultured repose.

Photography by Jack Johns.

Aftrenoon sunlight floods a living pavilion beneath its woven-and-timber pitched ceiling. Folding slatted doors fold back to the garden, a linen sofa sits against a layered textile artwork, and the marble table bears grapes, a glass of white wine, the Pierrot book and a small carved figure. Cultured repose distilled.

Photography by Jack Johns.

More than a luxurious holiday home, Rumah Rubah embodies a recurring theme in Jencquel's practice: architecture as an act of cultural translation. By bringing together Japanese restraint, Balinese craftsmanship and a deep attentiveness to landscape, the villa offers a soulful interpretation of tropical living that privileges atmosphere over spectacle.

Folding teak screens concertina open on both sides of the living pavilion, framing the courtyard pond, ceremonial masks on stands and the long dining table beyond. Pale armchairs, a round stone table with books and a polished metallic stool sit on woven matting, the enfilade dissolving walls into a sequence of thresholds.

Photography by Josh Robenstone.

A teak bathroom opens through a panelled doorway towards the netting-draped bedroom beyond. A dark stone trough basin with brass tap sits below a mirror and Aesop amenities, a woven ceiling overhead, the layered timber thresholds framing an intimate passage between bathing and sleeping quarters.

Photography by Josh Robenstone.

Morning sun filters through slatted timber shutters and a woven ceiling into a teak bathroom, striping the walls with light. A pale stone bathtub sits in the foreground, a tall mirror doubling the basin beyond, the pared-back palette of wood, cane and stone lending the room a contemplative, near-monastic serenity.

Photography by Josh Robenstone.

An antique carved timber door punctuates the teak wall across the reflective courtyard pond, a century-old frangipani leaning into frame above the dark water. Warm light bathes the shingled roof and panelling, the composition savouring the dialogue between salvaged Balinese ornament and the villa's serene material restraint.

Photography by Josh Robenstone.

The lofty living pavilion opens onto the terrace through slatted screen doors, its pitched woven-and-timber ceiling rising to a ceiling fan. Linen sofas, a layered textile artwork and a bold figurative canvas frame a low table, offerings and books at the foreground, the room glowing with deep amber evening warmth.

Photography by Josh Robenstone.

Bathed in warm evening light, a carved sandstone gateway crowned with traditional Balinese finials rises from dense planting, a woman in white pausing within its arched threshold. Flanking guardian figures and a paved path frame the passage, the ochre masonry glowing against the surrounding frangipani and green.

Photography by Jack Johns.