Paradise by Design: Tropical Residences and Resorts by Bensley Design Studios

2014 | Architecture & Design

Featuring hundreds of stunning color photographs and insightful commentary, this Asian design book showcases the art, architecture and design of the East. In a design world increasingly concerned with minimalism, designer Bill Bensley stands out for his playful, flamboyant style and his passionate belief in ornamentation. Paradise by Design presents twenty-four of the maximalist maestro's most show-stopping projects, highlighting his signature architectural style as well as his landscape design, interior design, horticulture, and fine arts and crafts. The Bensley trademark is his focus on the unconventional and the sensual, with a special reverence for tropical climes and plants, and the Bensley-designed houses and hotels featured here are spread across Asia--including China, India, Indonesia, Mauritius, Thailand, Cambodia, and Bali. Set amidst resplendent tropical gardens, these unapologetically extravagant residences and resorts are enlivened by Bensley's playful, exuberant style, and the multifaceted talents of the Bensley Design Studios teams in Bangkok and Bali. Recently, Bensley began designing buildings as well as gardens, and the move has won him high-profile commissions such as the Art Deco-inspired Hotel de la Paix in Siem Reap, Cambodia. In addition to the resorts, Bensley has designed several private home projects, including his own, which teem with lush foliage and elaborate special effects. No stranger to controversy, Bensley's motto is: "The odder the better," and he fills his grounds with exotic jungle walkways, ruinscapes and statuary, and designs the buildings and their interiors with a blend of historic and modern influences. Including conceptual and descriptive drawings, Paradise by Design is a fascinating look at one of Architectural Digest's "Top 100 Architects" in 2007 and contemporary design's most baroque imagination.

Bill Bensley (Author)