This Hidden $10M Jungle Villa Feels Like a Luxury Cave

Castilla Taura is a timeless home located here on the island of Lombok, Indonesia, resting on the ridgeline here in Tampa Hills. We're going to go on multiple adventures with Jacob Palm, the founder of Tampa Hills, and his team during this tour, while also giving you guys a detailed look at the design with Niko and Kiko, the architects of this beautiful biophilic home. Their architectural firm, Casa Reis Tufs, is located in Bali. All their links will be in the description. We're now beginning the tour here on the motor court. You'll notice the ficus tree set up in the middle of all these rough stone, just really blending into the environment here. All the retaining walls were all quarried here with that limestone, the lush greenery everywhere. The whole intention behind this home was just to blend in to the topography and not disrupt the ridgeline. I think that's something so special and unique about this area you're going to build. The intention is to blend in like the home was always here. We're now stepping into this carport that's all shielding you from the sun. We have the vertical slotted wood everywhere diffusing that natural light as we have the golf cart, three mopeds, and of course the motorcycle that was all provided by Tampa Hills. And beneath me is a bedroom as well. So this technically is an eight-bedroom villa. We have two separate villas with two separate wings. The east villa has three bedrooms and then we have four on the other side. So we'll show you where we're staying, where we're sleeping, and where we're having breakfast, lunch, and dinner all here in Castle Utara. We're now stepping down. We're going to go on these natural limestone steps going down to this home. Everything on the roof that you see here is just under 18,000 square feet. Interior space is just around 9,000 square feet. But it's so biodiverse as you look around out into the Indian Ocean, the rice fields, the palms. You can even see the beach down below where Tampa Hills has their service if you want to dine on the beach as well, which we're going to do in this tour as we're going to go spearfishing at some point, which is going to be insane. I think they can hold their breath for like three to four minutes, which is just I can't even imagine. I think I can hold my breath for like maybe 90 seconds. They can do it for minutes on end. As you can see around me, we have an incredibly lush, biodiverse, green rooftop. The agave plants in these raised plant beds, all the natural stone around me with these mixed minerals, even also adding into the textural, colorful qualities that we have blending into this hillside. It's beautiful and just incredibly intentional. Now coming back across this platform and the landing, I'll show you guys this natural stone pathway, which actually guides and leads you up to an elevated platform where we have another bedroom with all those same qualities and details as the villa down below, which we're about to tour. There's an espresso machine built into the wall I especially love in the wet entry shower. You can open up this little door and just release steam or let a cool breeze come in while you're showering. And this is also kind of a fun little fact about this area. These are drought resistant plants here in these beds. These are called beach morning glory plants and they actually have a medicinal quality to them. They use that to treat jellyfish stings here. So I thought that was really cool and it also just adds more vibrancy here on this rooftop. But now down these steps, you'll notice more plants, the ocean slowly disappearing and reappearing as we go down to the main floor. We also have these paper flower plants, very vibrant. Once again, just so much plant life here. And then here we go. The ocean reveals itself once again. And the temperature drop, it gets so cool. This is how the architects described it. This is an ultra luxury cave. This mimics that very innate quality that I think humans have about these dark ceilings, almost making it feel like a cave, which is safe and cool, which this home replicates. So I thought that was cool that they shared that with us. This is very typical of biophilic homes, right? So we have this circular skylight with this tree that just shoots all the way through it. It's almost like the tree was planted here first, and then they built this entire villa around it. And then on the ceiling, you'll notice these vertical cuts of ironwood as it takes on this dramatic slope upward, revealing the sky, the ocean, the waves, the beach down below. This is such a luxury nature fused home. You feel so connected out of every window. It's incredible. I just want to take a second to obviously take in these incredible views watching the ocean waves crash. It's honestly surreal standing here. I want to take you guys in to the first villa on the east wing, opening up this nine foot tall frameless glass door. It also is going to pocket, just letting for more airflow. And here beneath your feet, you'll notice this terrazzo tile that's in this entire villa and also continued in the other villa. And just from standing here, I can look straight out, catch a glimpse of that lap pool in the main villa, and also the waves crashing on some of the exposed jagged rocks that you can see out into the ocean. The interior design was also done by the same architectural firm, Nikko and Kikko. So everything from the exterior and interior is super cohesive. Although there's many simple lines and neutral tones in this space, there are so many details to get through. Like, check out the lighting in here. You can't see it from an angle, but it has this gallery-like effect, that direct lighting. So at night, when that sun drops behind the hills, we have all these little moments that are illuminated so strategically. And it just makes this room feel moody and dark and just cool. We have all this dry stack limestone just to make us feel like we're, again, in the earth, underground in this cave. The neutral tones are continued here on this deep couch. I mean, look how deep these cushions are. These are just perfect for sitting, chilling as they're super deep. You can just have great conversation, watch a movie, or just look out the window and take in these incredible views. Even the rug has these neutral tones, which is all contrasted nicely by this warm teakwood that we see on this custom couch. The white stucco on the backdrop, and then that really dark ironwood on the ceiling. We also have ironwood out here on the pool deck, which is perfect because it's one of the most durable, hard woods in the entire world. And it's so cool that we used this here because it's traditionally used in commercial applications like boats. But now, you can see it being used here at Castilla Utara. I wanted to point out these doors here. Not only are they on this accordion-style pattern, but they're also louvered. So you can manipulate how much light, sound, and wind is pushed into this space. And this canopy overhang just has this steep angle elevating these views once again. Now here on the pool deck, have this glass railing to not obstruct your views. Everything is just so calming here. And a lot of the building guidelines are not strict here in Indonesia or in the Lombok area, but they have a certain code. So each home that is built has to on a certain amount of land. So as this place grows, you're not going to see homes built on top of each other. Just again, maintaining the land here in Tampa Hills, which I thought was really cool. As we travel over into the kitchen, you'll notice this built-in side table on the couch. That foam marble is actually brought back in to this oversized kitchen island. You have seating for eight here, as this villa also sleeps eight. Because we do have a bunk room here, which we'll get to here in just a minute. But starting here, you have this matte black rectangular fixture has this nice warm ambient glow. And notice all the lighting just really plays into each other with all these floor lamps and different fixtures. Nothing is blown out. Everything is soft, warm, and just brings you back to nature. All the appliances are also super sleek and seamless. Like here on the stovetop, the integrated espresso, microwave, and oven into these tea cabinets. Even the refrigerator and freezer are all paneled. And the handles are all integrated as well. Everything is so smooth. All the lines are so thoughtfully done. You have this open shelving with the stoneware above, the Breville espresso machine on the countertop, and on the backsplash, more of that foam marble with those warm tones really being brought out by this rich teakwood we see here. I just love all the different contrasts between the ironwood, the stucco, the black paintings that you see behind me. It's so well done. And transitioning to the accent chair, you'll notice the circular side table, the circular textured rug, the backdrop, and everything is transitioning you from the dining, the living, down into these bedrooms, which we're about to check out. The Sonos surround system is also integrated into the ceiling throughout this home, the gardens, the pool, which is all controlled by the iPads you're going to see throughout this tour on the walls. All the lighting in this home as well is non-disruptive. Everything is pushing you to these views. That's one detail amongst many that I really, really appreciated. Everything is detailed but understated. So as you open up this monolithic pivot door, we're going to just step into our powder room. You'll notice the terrazzo on this cylindric vessel of a sink and even the design of the hardware coming out of this glass wall. And you even have that niche built into the actual wall here. Everything is dark and moody and you're about to see that as we go into our bunk room. But now at the end of the hall, just that biophilic nature that Castile Uttara leans into and the architects. This is all open, so you're letting all that natural air and greenery come back into this home. It's so well done. You just feel so connected to nature when you're here. Sleeps four people here in this bunk room. Notice the integrated lighting. It's illuminating that stucco. Just all the textures just feel so organic here as you have this sliding door, which opens up. Once again, letting more of that natural air into the space and the lighting as well. It's just so moody in here. You'll notice that lighting, like I mentioned throughout this tour, illuminating that corrugation of these custom teak cabinets. And look at this. The hardware, even on here, says Castile Uttara. And that's done throughout this entire home. Just the details, details throughout the space. Open shelving for more stoneware. And again, that lighting is carried up above. Every bedroom is going to have its own pivot door and ensuite. The water closet is just off to my right. I did want to point out the two tones that we've seen again and again. And that black tone where this handle is brings out a lot of the grain from this wood, which I thought was really, really cool. But when we were on top of this home, when we began this tour, you may have noticed this glass piece, which was a skylight, which actually is cut out and brings it down into this wet entry shower, which I thought was so cool. That terrazzo tile is in here as well. Just enormous slabs of it that we see in this space with that ironwood on here as well. Just connecting you. Almost feels like you're showering outside, but you're in the bunk room. And then more of that terrazzo here as well in this floating vanity and the smoky glass that we're going to see throughout this tour. Everything has its own mood and every bathroom and room is going to have its own completely curated setup. Now going straight across the hallway, another monolithic pivot door, custom cabinets immediately on my right and open shelving to my left with more of that integrated lighting. Now the bathroom you step into has that terrazzo tile once again and then that smoky glass as you go into the shower. This has another one of those drop downs and it almost looks like it's floating with that integrated lighting. It was done so well and the views are captured everywhere in this home. So as you step all the way in, not only do you have the rainfall and the handle onto my right, but you can look straight out through this piece of smoky glass. So you get those incredible views everywhere in this home. Everything was so captured. The water closet is just behind this door and we're going to push into this room. King-size bed, incredible views. This all opens up to that pool we just saw. Those neutral organic tones on the rug, that accent chair, and here on the throws and pillows. Everything in this home just has so much warmth and texture and the thoughtful and foresight of design maximizing the space. I mean look at the bedside table, the niche cutouts, and even the open shelving. You saw from the showers to maximize your views. So well done. But now I'm coming out to the end of the hallway. We're going to enter into what I'm going to call the junior suite because Lydia and I are actually staying in the big one on the other opposite side of the villa. But now coming in through another pivot door, you can drop your personal belongings here. Corrugated wood once again. The powder room and water closet off to my right. But first I want to tell you guys kind of a little bit of a story that I learned from Kiko and Nico, the architects. This boulder was actually a part of the original design. Initially they were going to build on top of it a little jumping platform into a pool, but once they found that was going to disrupt the structural integrity of this boulder as it's not actually part of the mountain, they went away from that concept and now the pool is the way it is with that infinity edge which is just stunning. Just maximizing these incredible views. But just kind of a behind the scenes look at what could have been, but obviously the design is super timeless here. Sunrise views as we face east here on this corner of the villa. And on the ceiling you'll also notice that ironwood continuing contrasting nicely with these white walls and that rich warm teakwood once again. And you have these pendant lights on each respective side of this king-size bed. Those trapped air bubbles just diffusing that warm light adding into the ocean water like qualities that this home also has. We're gonna rotate here and step into the bathroom. We have another accent chair, more of those black neutral tones. So into the water closet. I'm going to open this up and show you guys another pivot. White stuck on the wall so this door slides open and this is all outside. I mean look at this reveal with that dry stack limestone, the floating vanity completely made of marble all book matched, and even this mirror just looks like it's suspended and floating. But you step up and you can shower or take a bath outside and just be a part of nature. They did this so incredibly well and you're all guarded here with this boulder. Again this was originally found here so it's so cool to kind of interact and play with nature and then you have of course these elephant ear plants which are only going to get bigger. Just such a cool moment. I think Lydia is going to demand that she takes a bath in here. It's just so cool. But stepping out we're gonna go check out the main villa and I'm pretty sure lunch is here because again this is all through Tampa Hills. So we're gonna step across. Again here's where that circular formation is and we're gonna open up these frameless doors. Look at the panels of glass that we have here and all pockets once again mimicking the other side. But I'm gonna open this up just a bit and I think Lydia is already digging in on this super long dining table. But Lydia what did you get here? What is this? I got nasi goreng. Nasi goreng? Okay. Yeah it's stir-fried rice with vegetables and chicken and shrimp crackers. Oh and a coconut. You have your own. I have my own but I wanted to try yours to make sure it's okay. It is okay. It tastes good. But I think we're going to take a break here. After lunch I got bolognese and a chicken sandwich. I think Sage got the, did you get the same thing as me? I got the same thing. Okay. But obviously you can tell what an incredible setting and this all overlooks the ocean and that pool is unreal. Just looks like it's disappearing and canceling over into the ocean. It's incredible. She's been loving this and are you gonna try out that tub? Yes. Okay cool. Of course. All right so let's go have lunch and we'll pick up this tour here in a minute. When you go to design at home are you thinking of the interaction of the person coming in or do you think of the design first? Yes always as the how it's going Human experience first. Yeah. Every project needs to tell a story. It needs to have a concept behind a story, a way that it needs to make you feel in a way. Functionality for us it's very important. Functionality is one of the key parts of our work and the shape is not secondary but it comes through the process. We don't start with the shape. We start always with this process that derives in a shape. How do you balance the interaction of like someone, someone's personal taste as a custom home and then also like okay this has to be very user-friendly for someone who's maybe checking in for a day or two or a week and then they're leaving. There's one thing that we try to do in these houses that they are homes but it's kind of investment and rental. We try to play with the layouts to make them a bit different of regular houses so the bathroom is open and then you have connection from when you are using the sink to the views. The showers they have the three regular bedrooms there. They have a small window so you are when you are showering you can see the views but there are things that we are taking chances to make them a bit different from a regular house. We think we're proud of our work because there is interior design also incorporated into the architecture and so we have handled the project since the architectural concept until the beginning the end of it so it's the the quality of the spaces the quality of materials it's something that we really take care of and and also the the way that the building sets itself into the land and how it it's looked from from underneath from the road from from everywhere. I think it's it's pretty different from every project here in Tampa. It was amazing being able to sit down with Kiko and Nico and talk about the design process of Castile Uttara here in person. It's always amazing talking to two artists and how they work together so well but now here at the dining table where we just finished lunch we have this custom matte black beam chandelier hanging above this space with that warm ambient glow. Everything is looking out over the pool the pool deck and of course the ocean. We also have custom leather chairs set up to this table. Everything is just so ultra curated to the space. Picture frame window also shooting straight out to the ocean but back behind me just to talk about the design of this home and the layout the functionality at the end of the hallway again here in Tampa Hills 24 7 butler service so you have to find a way and how to make that work and just the functionality to it so there's an exit and entrance in the back of that butler's kitchen that sinks up to the stairwell on top of that green roof and then out to the motor court full kitchen in there though so it's a great idea on how to eliminate foot traffic onto the main level where your guests and friends are so this has a very dark moody feel just like the other villa smoky finish here on this glass wall super clean every look here and again on a pivot which is really nice and of course it's slow shuts waterfall edged island more of those warm tones being pulled out from the different neutral organic tones here in this space of course you have the sink just off the seamless countertop and then above more of that warm glow coming from these custom chandeliers the integration of appliances can be seen everywhere from the refrigerator the freezers the built-in espresso microwave and oven you've got it all built in to those tea cabinets and the integrated lighting through those open shelvings just really backlit everything just creating for more depth and space here in this home you also have some seating arranged here on this waterfall edged island and back behind me you'll notice all of these louvers again on this pivot it's such a unique feature and this is the first time we're seeing this obviously in this tropical environment you have this open airy feel letting that air come in and down the hill you can actually step out here and you'll notice the retaining walls step up along this hill just for more light to be let inside this home and obviously during the evening the team comes out and they close all of these for us so we're going to step into the living room now where we did the interview so you have this circular table next to all these low-profile pieces of furniture just really leaning into that minimalist design that we have here in this space and this is the big moment you're this circular skylight like the one we saw at the beginning in the entrance where that tree was and the light just moves and dances across the floor almost like a sun clock so throughout the day you can almost tell what time it is which is super unique to obviously this property this custom couch i mean check out the scale of this you could easily fit 20 people on this all directing out towards this incredible view which is the pool which just vanishes into the indian ocean it's beautiful ceiling fans are going to be kind of everywhere just pushing that air throughout these spaces the teak contrasting nicely once again i don't know if you guys can see this but above this painting there's there's a gecko poking his head out on the top i mean can you see that oh he just snuck back down he's like oh crap i've been found he's getting uh the best day uh you know obviously he's living in castle atara for free so but that's part of the open airiness of this now stepping from the interiors the exterior such a seamless transition from that tile to this ironwood and then above you'll notice that slope line once again dramatically increases to maximize your views here just the sight lines wherever you look is so picturesque i mean down this site like you'll notice the the sculptural quality of this curvature going all the way down to the primary suite and all those beams slowly going towards a vanishing point it's beautiful all the furniture out here is oversized it's lush it's plush textured in those neutral tones as i step down you get a more eye level view of this infinity edge pool just the landscapes that reflect on this pool change as we have panoramic views all day long here from sunrise to sunset it's incredible you'll notice we have this shallow area for your kids or if you're just hanging out here catching some sun cooling off in the pool and then this all steps down on this andesite tile that we have in the pool for 20 meters i mean this is incredible you can literally get a workout here as this is a 20 meter long lap pool just vanishing into the indian ocean it's beautiful you can see the tide receding here as well it's incredible all of your views here up on this ridge line are just uninterrupted you truly feel like you're alone but standing here i can actually get a really good angle at those green dividers and those hangout areas just off of the guest beds separating themselves from the primary suite you're actually walking out and there's nothing beneath you supporting you you're hanging out literally over this mountain i mean just the challenges that went into building this home were just i can't imagine what it took but it's incredible to see the outcome obviously but walking around up this steps once again i want to show you guys the lounge area because this is another cool moment so there's deep cushions once again and these lights all kick on in the evening just creating for more ambience and even here on the coffee table those bow ties connecting the planks which is playing off the dining table we have these wide lounge chairs all facing the view an abnormality here flat ground with grass so you can hang out here throw a ball around in between all the boulders and hitting in the grass we have the outdoor sound system so you can elevate your vibe out here as you're hanging out in tampa hills and if you look down far enough past the beach into the ocean you notice the jagged rock the other day we went spearfishing they caught a few fish as they're diving like 20 30 40 feet down i couldn't make it all the way down so i got some cool shots of us interacting with them catching some fish and even though these videos are all about the design the architecture and the way a home makes you feel i think it's just as important to experience the culture in these places we're lucky enough to visit so after spearfishing earlier that day we brought the fish down to the beach grilled up and there was live music entertainment it was one of those nights that really sticks with you okay we just came down to the beach here in top hills we're cooking well we have a chef preparing the fish we caught earlier yes the fish that we caught with the it's so cool i mean the experience i mean the rainbow fish is i'm excited to eat the rainbow fish but it was so beautiful that i kind of feel bad yeah i know he was he was beautiful but i'm sure it tastes really good as well the fire going even have a movie over here i mean experiences from day and night here in tampa hills and jacob palm and his entire team and staff has been incredible the ocean behind us the fire crackling i mean this is amazing yeah this is vibes are yeah definitely on point here but we're gonna go eat some rainbow fish yes let's do it and then we'll pick this tour up in the morning i've never had food that you've caught and eaten in the same day it was so fresh that's just what they do here everything is so fresh but now going back inside through another louvre door again on a pivot everything's on a pivot here so you can just have that traffic very freely come and go as this airy open home is meant for that i love all these pivot doors and the louvres just interacts and plays with light so differently throughout the day and like i've mentioned you can change the way the louvre sits so if you want light to play one way or the other you can do that it's just so dramatic like with these all set up in sequence it's so cool just that lush greenery and that light pushed into this home and this moment right here just look at this hallway and the way that light pushes straight down again the lights in this home don't push out they go straight down which is really unique to this property and it plays so well you'll also notice in this corridor all the rooms are pushed back so it's like you're entering your own little private cove so this is sage's room we're gonna see we're gonna see how clean it is we definitely don't have 24 7 housekeeping he uh you did this just for the video right sage you made your bed i did actually totally not the housekeeping yeah definitely not but we have floor-to-ceiling glass these all open up and if you do that actually you can see that all these guest bedrooms have incredible views just like the primary at the end this one arguably has the best views just because you can step out a little bit further towards this triangular angle and you can see the pool and sunrise and sunset from this area but you notice the lush greenery as it ages and grows will become even more dense like a jungle out here and become even more private but this is a good setup this room i'm gonna close this back up real quick king-sized bed and thoughtful bedside tables with these really cool pennant lights and i saw this earlier pointing out again the glass so from inside that shower you can look straight out and just see the hills and a corner of the ocean i just love how the focus was on these views this is why you're here right the day bed set up next to this desk area more of that bronze that dark glass mirror in here as well you'll notice the stonework in here is pink which is also in that niche behind the bed really cool pop of color just keeping a little bit different and then the water closet right behind this door as we step back out down the hall we're gonna enter into our second bedroom here again deep into this wall and then this stone work here is white with more of those granite pebbles inside of it just making it for more texture and then this one has incredible views once again the day bed the desk this one follows the same trend as the other one but we have some different colors from the stone and of course these pennants but the glass continues again the views everything is directed towards the indian ocean last bedroom before we enter the primary suite again tucked into the wall down this corridor this one takes on a whole new look we have the blue terrazzo that you see everywhere it's super smooth to the touch which is perfect for a bathtub but before we touch in that those built-ins once again all corrugated there's also blue in here everywhere just love the playful colors from the pink now to the blues and it's all the different tones that pop out of that contrast so nicely with it just fun and playful here on this circular sink with the hardware that's coming out everything is super minimal but thoughtful design everywhere as you notice the teak wrapping around this bed frame and the niche as well once again with that pop of blue i i gotta just step in this because the scale and volume of this is hard to grasp until i step in i'm a rather large human i don't take baths they don't work for me but this one i can actually almost lay down completely which is insane but this is normally where a day bed would be so they've replaced it now with the tub next to it we've got a little bit of a bench seating here just off your king size bed the pendants are also sleek and minimalistic with this black circular stone everything of course is facing these incredible views another one of those windows from that shower facing the views i just love how everything's orientated around nature here now this is what i've been waiting to show you guys because this is where lydia and i have been staying so you open up this massive pivot door again it stops off to my right we have our walk-in closet and then off to my right this is the water closet you'll notice all the custom built-ins everywhere there's a mirror facing this way so when you're looking and getting ready for the morning or the evening you go out to dinner here you can just see behind you all this dry stack limestone the lush greenery and the natural light pouring into this space it's so cool it feels like you're a part of nature and again the details on the hardware castile vittara really really cool before i enter the bedroom i want to show you guys in my opinion the big moment in here look at this you open up these doors and you're just invited back into nature this space is all on the air conditioned because we have this louver set up once again so you unlock these accordion style once again you slide open these doors and then you can literally shower outside this is incredible you see the entire room just completely shifted from that moody dark vibe to now being outside connected once again and beneath me we have more of that ironwood flooring that we've seen throughout this tour with the concealed drain it really does make you feel like you're out there by the ocean on the beach taking a shower but really you're up here on the ridge line concealed by this lush green wall it's beautiful if you step onto this platform looking down to this deep soaking marble encased tub you can look out into the rice field the valley down below and during the golden hour it's amazing to sit here and just watch the light rays pour into that field it's honestly surreal on my right we have a wall of glass and it just interacts and plays with this smoky glass wall on my left so you have two different types of mirrors here and during sunrise and sunset the vibe just completely moves and shifts there's just so much depth texture character in this home we have two matte black faucets another concealed drain here on this marble and that depth again with this floating mirror with that integrated lighting it's beautiful all the fixtures and lights are all diffused very very soft and welcoming but now into the bedroom this is where lydie and i have been spending all of our time here in the evenings here on this little bed i've been getting some work done transferring some footage from the tours and obviously traveling around indonesia it's been incredible the floor lamp again diffused in that matte black finish and another thoughtful touch just the foresight of design here was so important to them so you can open up the sliding glass door which is frameless once again just to accentuate and maximize your views over here is the closet space and then up above obviously we have that natural light that pours down it's just so beautiful having these natural landscapes spear backdrop versus let's say like a tv or video wall or something electronic it's just so immersive here and wrapping around this marble coffee table and accent chair you can pull up this chair get some last minute work done before you hop in bed or obviously you could use this as a vanity setup and as i walk around a thoughtful touch if you guys are getting to bed at different times someone's reading a book someone's working on something you can actually dim this light down to your choosing again just a personal touch here or just completely have it off if you're going to bed and the other is staying up so you'll notice on the back wall we have the painting and then backdropping it is just a wall of vertical teak slats warming the space back up the accent chair is placed just next to this sculptural floor lamp and my favorite part about this room is that you can see sunsets so you can open up these doors and on a windy day all these sheer curtains just move and play with the lighting as you open up these doors and the square footage just completely transforms and transcends to the outdoor area from that greenery area past the couch just adding more square footage into this space to now this partially covered terrace so this is all covered out here right you've got the two base chairs set up overlooking the ocean incredible sunset views as this entire space goes to a point and as the sun sets i think it's time that we see how this home completely transforms from day to night