Slowly it's happening

Renovation renovation renovation. The four rooms are slowly coming together, but there is still more than plenty to be done before I can share the ready spaces. Here are some photos of what we have done so far. Thinking back it seems so little but it's Bali time, so everything happens so slow!

Tiling the bathroom of room 9. The "California" tiles we got from India.

The shower is lowered down, and the mood is rustic.

Creating the wall shapes for bathroom of room 8.

Room 8, quite unfinished.

With my workers we communicate with pictures and smiles.

To make the window of room 9 bigger, we had to expand the renovation outside the 3rd floor.

I wanted to make the window 3 times bigger than what it was to make sure wont waist the view.

Waterproofing the room 7

I also decided to enlarge the bathroom windows.

Room 8 with new bathroom doors and the bathroom of room 6.

Room 9's bathroom slowly coming together.

Marble floor for room 8.

Bed head bench and bathroom of room 8

Installing the big mirrors.

Bed head for room 9.

View from room 9 and fabrics for the curtains.

The rooms are getting to the point where it will be a lot more interesting to share some photos since it wont be just concrete and dust. Can't wait to see them done!

Time flies

I can't believe it has already been three weeks since I came here! I moved from the hotel to my friend's house for a while since the hotel is fully booked. We are planning to continue making this house like a proper home but so far the hotel has taken all our time.

I've been making plans for the next rooms to be renovated and with Bagus we have already decided the characters and the atmospheres we are looking for. Now we just have to get the new parking and laundry area ready as soon as possible so we can start renovating the rooms.

When I haven't been working I have been going to the gym and looking for models and locations for my photoserie. Yesterday I had the first photoshoot and I can't wait to get the photos done! I'm still inspired by the shell jewellery from Papua New Guinea so I'm continuing the serie I already started here last time with Cinta and brothers Dijay and Ary. I'll show more about that later.

Here are again some phone pictures from the past days.

My friend's house surrounded by rice fields.

Slow morning with the cat.

The reality of how it really went.

Already looking for things to the new rooms.

Laundry area slowly coming together.

My friend Liia from Finland came to visit Ubud so we went to see some rice fields.

Installing some new spot lights to higligh the garden

The colour of the light is quite cold, but lets see how we will fix that.

Putra found over two meters long snake from a palm tree next to the pool.

From this display we already bought the new bathroom floors. But which ones? You will see later :)

After finding this small river for the photoshoots, I like to go there for a quick swim.

After my photoshoots I usually take a polaroid picture with the model. Me and Danu by the river.

Today the workers started to cut the bedek, the bamboo ceiling for the parking area.

First week in Bali

It has already been a week since I landed to Bali. My friend took me from the airport to Ubud and it felt nice to arrive to a place I already know so well. Seeing old friends were also such a joy.

For the first two nights I stayed in one of the rooms I already designed here and it was great to be able to try how it feels to stay in "Draupadi". There is still some small things to be fixed but in general the space has the wanted atmosphere and feeling! The other room, "Graeme" is also ready and naturally I'm happy to see that they are actually selling out very well. The fish pond infront of the rooms is almost done but there is no water yet.

I started working already by updating the menu and by making a handout map of Ubud showing all nice places around here. The workers are now making a new parking lot for the motorbikes and that will keep them busy for few more weeks. Meanwhile I started already making the blue prints of the next rooms to be renovated.

Other than that I have just slowly started to check out the new shops, restaurants and places I haven't yet visited. I'm also lookign for new models and new locations for future photoshoots.

Here are some phone pictures from the last days

Very fresh magazine I bought from Hong Kong's airport. Not sure how to get the following issues but by this one, im a fan!

"Draupadi"

"Graeme"

and the tiles that still makes me happy.

Tropical view to the pool.

My two animal friends from my friends' house.

I really enjoy my current room on the rooftop.

The fish pond is almost ready to be filled with water and those fire red carps.

Can't wait to see it done.

Making new ceiling to the parking lot.

Discovering new nature spots for future photoshoots

And having a swim where the stream is not too strong.

Graduation work

salatekstiä :)
Click to enlarge or browse the preview pages from the righ side. 

It's finally done! Last Thursday I had my final presentation and basically I'm done with my school. On above there is a virtual replica of the book I made about my final project in Bali. Unfortunately it is only in Finnish, but there is an abstract in English and many many pictures.

My original plan was to share the process here on real time, but since the actual doing took so much time and energy, in the end I only made few posts from Bali. Now after the presentation there is again time to breath and share the work - better late than never :)

SINGAPORE

Five great days.

Before heading here to Bali I was able to have a short stop at Singapore. I was so lucky to be able to stay two nights at my local friend's home and meet his family and brother and see a glimpse of the singaporeans life. I also met my Finnish friend after last time meeting her in Japan.

So after arriving on Tuesday evening we had a nice dinner at one hawker centre and called it for the day.

View from my friends home. So many apartments!

First night's dinner at a hawker centre.

On Wednsday my friend's brother was kind enought to show me around the city. It was such a joy to get to know him and get a general idea of the structure of the city and it's vibe. In the evening my friend Noora from Finland also joined us. The night view of the bay was very nice and relaxed.

"Sota" school for arts and a nice looking street.

Bugis and an open air garden on the 7th floor of the national library.

Marina Bay

Hexil bridge and the art science museum.

Such a cool facade material! when the wind moves the metal plates it creates the illusion of water and waves or this kind of organic flexible material.

Garden bt the Bay, just opened new sight with huge tree-kind-of buildings.

The trees and a canal inside the mall.

Hotel that looks like it has been rendered.

 The colourful facade of the Clarke Quay.

City view

Marina Bay again.

On Thursday morning I moved to a hostel in Little India to share the room with Noora. After dropping my luggage there my friend Daniel showed us around the Chinatown. He is such a food lover so he knew nice places and things we had to try. The highlight was the Kantonese dim sum place hidden in 7th floor of a normal looking apatmenthouse. In there the food was served from metal vagons that wondered among the tables.

Our hostel, Bunck, was actually very great!

With nice interiors...

...and breakfast...

... filled with Koreans.

The kitchen/laundry space on the second floor.

Downstairs eating area.

Reception and the buncks.

Chinatown with new year's decorations.

Hindu temple

Chinese temple

Me, Noora and Daniel at the Red Star Restaurant.

It was such a cool Kantonese dim sum place with vagons serving different kind of plates.

Chinatowns colourfull facades. As you might have noticed, I really like these :)

Ann Siang Hill, the hip district.

Haw Par Villa, a wierd theme park showing what will happend to people in Chinese version of hell.

And other stories too.

On Friday morning and afternoon we had a look around Little India and the Arab street with Noora. It is so facinating how the different cultures and styles walks hand in hand in this small country! But you can really get the indian Vibe from the smell of the spices or the Arabic atmosphere from the carpet and fabric shops. The midday we spent runing around the malls and I got totally lost when trying to find my way back to our hostel. But for the evening we headed to the Marina Bay Sands for a fancy cheese and chocolate buffet that is located on the rooftop right next to the infinity pool. The clubbing after that sweet overdose was a bit hard but still naturally worth it :)  

Arab street.

The playfull Haji Lane.

ION shopping mall.

Marina Bay Sands and the biggest infinity pool with prety great view.

Cheese and chocolate buffet.

with more than 57 types of chocolate things.

Great combination.

The view from our outdoor table.

But after a while you start to feel a bit sick :)

Of all that sugar and sugar.

But still it was pretty cool :)

Clarke Quay again at night, this time for clubbing.

On Saturday we just took it easy and visited some more shops and cafés. Nooras flight back to Bangkok was earlier than mine to Bali, so after seeing her off I still wonered a bit around, had lunch and headed to the airport too.

Over all it was such a pleasant visit and it was great to see my friends again! It was almost the time for Chinese new year so every place was filled with red and golden decorations and I really enjoyed that.

But thats about Singapore. I'll start posting about Bali soon, so stay tuned (or something lame like that :))