Inside Rumah Rubah, The Stunning Bali Home Of Maison Kitsuné's Gildas Loaëc

There’s something striking about Rumah Rubah. It doesn’t rely on grand gestures or over-the-top luxury. Instead, every detail feels considered. Located in Pererenan, one of Bali’s most popular coastal neighbourhoods, the three-bedroom villa is the private holiday home of Maison Kitsuné co-founder Gildas Loaëc. Designed by architectural firm Studio Jencquel alongside sustainability consultancy Eco Mantra, the house opens its doors to guests when Loaëc is travelling between Paris and Tokyo, ensuring the property remains active and lived in.

Inspired By Balinese Tradition

The villa reinterprets traditional Balinese temple geometry and the Bale Kulkul, a watchtower or drum tower once used to communicate with villages. Rather than recreating these structures, the design borrows their forms and adapts them into a contemporary home.

Built entirely from teak wood, the villa combines reclaimed timber with linen textiles and weathered bluestone. At the entrance, ochre clay fox statues welcome visitors, a nod to Maison Kitsuné, whose name translates to "fox" in Japanese.

A Layout Built Around Nature

Spread across 4,000 sq m, Rumah Rubah follows a single-storey rectangular plan. Instead of conventional corridors, every space revolves around a central open-air courtyard.

At its heart is a custom-built pond with large hand-selected boulders rising from the water. A mature frangipani tree grows from the centre, creating a quiet focal point that anchors the entire home.

Large sliding panels connect the indoors with the outdoors, allowing light, breeze and greenery to become part of the living spaces. The three bedrooms are arranged to maximise privacy while maintaining a strong connection with the surrounding landscape.

Designed For Bali's Climate

The villa doesn't depend heavily on mechanical cooling. It has been carefully positioned to work with the natural wind currents of Tumbak Bayuh in Pererenan.

Its orientation allows cross-ventilation throughout the house. Each bedroom features intricately carved Balinese pivot doors that block the harsh afternoon sun while allowing coastal breezes to flow freely. This helps reduce humidity inside the home and protects the exposed teak structure.

The passive cooling system extends to the courtyard. Air passes over the central pond before moving upwards through specially designed brise-soleil panel doors, creating what is known as the stack effect. The process naturally removes warm air and draws cooler air into the living spaces without relying on air conditioning.

Every Material Has A Story

The materials used throughout Rumah Rubah are as carefully chosen as the architecture itself. The villa's bluestone pathways and structural accents are made from volcanic basalt salvaged from historic spice-trading ships that once travelled maritime trade routes. The weathered stone adds character while connecting the home to Indonesia's trading history.

Every piece of furniture inside has been custom designed by Studio Jencquel to complement the reclaimed teak structure. The living room also features Senja Di Ladang (Twilight in the Field), a textile installation created by conscious design studio Plastik Kembali using recycled materials.

A Garden That Functions Like A Sanctuary

The landscape is just as important as the architecture. Rather than clearing the land, the estate was designed around existing centennial Pulai and Bodhi trees, which provide natural shade and support the local birdlife.

The gardens have also been curated as a botanical sanctuary. Interlocking banyan trees form a dense natural canopy that shields the property from the tropical sun. The grounds are dotted with regional fruit trees including Polynesian chestnut, bignay, breadfruit and bael.

Sacred fig trees with their distinctive heart-shaped leaves sit alongside Madagascar almond trees and striking lipstick palms, creating layers of colour and texture across the estate.

Together, the landscape creates its own microclimate, helping regulate temperature while making the property feel deeply connected to its natural surroundings.

The Pool Becomes Part Of The Landscape

The swimming pool serves a larger architectural purpose than simply offering a place to relax.

Designed as a threshold between the villa and the surrounding jungle, it acts as both a visual and physical boundary. Instead of walls or fences, the infinity edge leads directly towards the untamed landscape, allowing the architecture to blend seamlessly into nature.

A Home Designed For Living

Although Rumah Rubah is available to rent, it was first designed as a family home. One example of this is its dedicated professional eat-in kitchen, built specifically for the family's private chef.

This separate culinary space allows guests to enjoy private dining experiences without interrupting the villa's main living and social areas.

Within the grounds is also a fully consecrated Balinese temple where daily rituals and offerings continue to take place. Guests can observe or participate, allowing the property to remain connected to the traditions of the local community.

Sustainability At Its Core

Sustainability is integrated into the estate rather than added as an afterthought.

The property operates using solar energy and features a dual-stage rainwater harvesting system. Rainwater is collected, filtered through underground tanks and reused for landscape irrigation, reducing the estate's environmental footprint.

More Than Just A Holiday Home

While Rumah Rubah is closely associated with Gildas Loaëc, the property is actually a shared creative project between Maison Kitsuné co-founders Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki.

The pair have described opening the villa to guests as a side experiment. Guest feedback and day-to-day operations are helping them understand how people experience the space, with the long-term goal of developing a standalone Maison Kitsuné boutique hotel in Bali.

Guests staying at Rumah Rubah are also just a short distance from Desa Kitsuné, the brand's lifestyle destination in Bali, which includes a restaurant, café, boutique and beach club.

Rumah Rubah is ultimately a home shaped by thoughtful architecture, careful craftsmanship and a strong connection to its surroundings. Every design decision, from the courtyard pond to the carefully preserved trees, reflects an approach that values simplicity, sustainability and local culture without compromising on comfort.

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