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The villa is perched on the headland of Laem Sing and faces south
overlooking Kamala Bay. From the wrap-around balcony, the view to
the left is of the bright white sands of Kamala
beach, ahead is the headland of Laem Son and to the right lies
the glorious Andaman Sea, glittering and glinting under the light
of sun and moon. The site is dramatic and the panorama of natural
life and energy was an integral feature in the house design. Paula
commented, "I wanted maximum light and airflow and to take advantage
of the natural highlight, the sea view. I love this view because
it has life. Sea views are great but I prefer to see life in a view.
"Boats adrift in the ocean bob on the same currents that send swimmers
gliding on waves to the beach, lovers stroll along the white sand
whispering to each other and children giggle and twitter with the
delight of being on holiday. This wondrous scene is apparent from
all rooms of the house. Life abounds in this scenic bay and it is
true, sitting on the high balcony of Hathai Villa, one feels revived
and energized.
This writer was fortunate enough to have been invited for sunset
cocktails at Hathai Villa and a second look around. I was both surprised
and impressed with the change of vibe; carefully placed lighting
resonates a more relaxed and mellow ambience at night.
Besides being her personal residence, Paula sees great potential
in Hathai as an exclusive holiday villa for families, couples, groups
of friends and business executives. Having lived the high-flying
executive life for many years, Paula has a first-hand appreciation
of what these busy people require of an escape destination. In fact,
she has already received a number of prestigious guests to her villa.
In order to provide a comprehensive 5-star experience, Paula's staff
will act as a personal concierge / chef to take the stress of food
preparation and activity organization away from would be relaxers.
Paula acts as a personal "When I have guests staying here I
offer a full food and beverage service, among other things, which
my staff will prepare. All guests need to do is give us some details
of what they like and do not like and we can arrange all the meals
and activities throughout their stay. "
Cut into the steep hillside, Hathai Villa comprises a series of
Central Thai-style pavillions, which are connected by walkways and
a labyrinth of stairways twisting around the property. Entry is
gained via the garage on the uppermost level. Central to the top
floor is a formal lounge room housed in one of the traditional pavillions.
The high roof pitch of this architectural style naturally increases
airflow and light into this room. Surrounded almost completely by
floor to ceiling length glass windows and doors this rooms takes
full advantage of the sea breeze which consistently dances through.
This room, like all others in the house, is furnished with contemporary
pieces. The blend of modern furniture and traditional architecture
is subtle and tasteful, culminating into very attractive and harmonious
interiors. Ornate Asian artifacts from Paula's personal collection
sit among modern pieces including an imported Italian lounge suite
and a unique custom-made coffee table by Architectural Products
Co. Ltd based in Bangkok.
The lounge room also features a top-of-the-line Bose entertainment
system to accompany guests while they relax on the adjoining balcony
and take in the sights. Paula sees this lounge room as having strong
potential for business conferences. "The design of this room is
well suited to business meetings and this is one of the client groups
I am hoping to contact. "
The lounge is located between the master bedroom and what Paula
refers to as "the heart of the house", the kitchen. Completely surfaced
with commercial standard stainless steel by Kitchen Consult and
Supply based in Bangkok,
this kitchen has almost everything anyone could possibly need for
food preparation. "I love cooking and I spend a lot of time in the
kitchen so I have all the gadgets. I hope to use the great design
of this kitchen to hold special cooking classes or even to invite
guest chefs to prepare food for special dinner parties. "In front
of the kitchen is a formal dining room able to seat up to twelve
people for gracious dinner parties by the sea. In addition to holiday
rentals, Paula hopes to establish Hathai Villa as something of a
"health hub"where "like-minded guests can learn the art of Thai
cooking, herbal medicine or massage. The spacious open plan areas
lend themselves well to art exhibitions, wedding receptions and
formal parties.
Heading down one level, we arrived at the pool. Central to the
property, the pool is flanked by a large, open plan dining area
and this is where Paula's guests have spent most of their time.
Situated right beside the infinity-edged plunge pool by Island Pools,
this area is breezy and calming. The soft sound of trickling water
emitting from small waterspouts into the pool add to the shh of
the trees and the lap of the waves below to heighten the energy
with which this house pulses. Adjacent to the pool and connected
by a narrow wooden walkway is a large sundeck, perched almost right
over the sea. Four reclining sun-beds dose under umbrellas and provide
an idyllic spot for sunbathing. Stationed off this poolside area
is a fully equipped home theatre with a 51" Toshiba rear projection
TV, Cable TV, DVD player, a Bose Home Theatre Sound System and a
dedicated internet station for the guests. Internet connections
are also wired throughout the house.
Heading down another level toward the sea, we came to one of the
guestrooms, which is housed in another pavillion. Lavishly furnished,
all rooms are equipped with refrigerators, safes, Bose entertainment
systems with an assortment of CDs and more custom-built furniture.
A seaside balcony also features outdoor tables and chairs for relaxing.
Ensuite bathrooms are clad in white and stainless steel with innovative
rainshower showerheads. Another essential feature of the bathrooms
is the deep bath, which looks out over the bay. Paula also provides
aromatherapy shower and bath products for guests. Hmm, a hot bubble-bath,
a glass of wine and that view… heaven.
Located under one of the guestrooms is the air-conditioned gym.
The room is framed on the seaward side by floor to ceiling glass
windows and features a step machine, weights and a bench. "I
designed the house primarily for me, I have no children so I didn't
need a lot of bedrooms. I also opted to include a big gym and home
theatre because I think that people like to work out on their holidays
and here with this view, working out is a very pleasurable experience. "
Although Paula has spent considerable time and creative energy
on the interior design and decoration of the house, she is happy
to move out each time the villa becomes occupied. "I have invested
a lot of money into the furnishings and into making sure that visitors
will be really comfortable and of course I get the benefits when
the house is unoccupied. "The incomparable location, modern
attractiveness and positive circumambience of this villa may see
Hathai Villa more often occupied than not.
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