Villa Mumu

Villa Mumu is a newly built 6 bedroom private villa in Layan, on Phuket’s peaceful north west coast. It sits on a quiet lane where, for now, it is the only house, and is set in a lush walled garden of palms. It was created by Laurent and Pidichanan Macaluso, an international art advisor and a hospitality professional of more than twenty years, as the house they would want to stay in themselves. The name is a tribute to Laurent’s late mother.

Pale stepping stones lead from the lane, between banks of tropical planting, to a carved timber door. Beyond it are a planted courtyard and a gong, and then the house opens up onto the hall, the pool and the garden. The villa is built as a two storey central pavilion with lower wings under pitched roofs, all arranged around the pool. Wide glass doors slide away so the living room, sala and pool deck flow together as one space.

The double height living room has deep sofas, a long low table and a floating timber staircase. The kitchen is centred on a 3.6 metre dark stone island under nine glass pendants, with a long dining table sitting between the kitchen and a feature wall that rises the full height of the hall. A second fully equipped kitchen in the BBQ pavilion means a private chef can cook outdoors while the house stays peaceful.

The 12m x 6m pool is the heart of the villa, with a sunken lounge at water level, an in water sunbed and a separate jacuzzi. Both are open around the clock, and the pool is lit at night. The covered sala is a shady spot for a midday book, while the 1,300 sqm walled garden of palms, lawn and tropical planting keeps everything private. There’s also a gym for those who like to keep up their routine.

Villa Mumu has five bedroom suites, plus a cinema and playroom that can be made up as a sixth bedroom, sleeping up to 12 guests. The principal suite, on the ground floor, is the largest room in the house. It has a separate lounge, its own television, a dressing room in fine wood, and a black marble bathroom with a freestanding bathtub beneath a garden window. Two further suites share the upper floor, each with its own bathroom in beige terrazzo and green tile, one with a freestanding tub and the other with a walk in shower. On the garden level, two more bedrooms each have a dressing area, and one opens straight onto the lawn through full height sliding glass. Bed linen comes from the Thai workshops that supply Four Seasons Hotels, and a baby cot or extra bed is provided free of charge on request.

The interiors are hung with original works from Laurent’s own collection, including pieces by Invader, Hom Nguyen, Chloe Kelly Miller, JM Robert, Louis Nicolas Darbon, Jisbar, Kostar and Nicolas Panayotou. Guests are welcome to ask about any piece.

The villa has air conditioning, high speed WiFi in every room, seven latest generation Samsung TVs, separate sound systems indoors, outdoors and in the cinema, a laundry and private parking for two cars. A housekeeper is on site Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm, with night security. A private chef, driver, massage and wellness treatments, babysitting, excursions, grocery pre stocking and celebrations can all be arranged at extra cost.

Layan sits beside the protected shoreline of Sirinat National Park, and the park’s beach is about 900m from the villa. Banana Beach, small and sheltered with clear water for snorkelling, is 4 minutes away by car and is the owners’ favourite on the island. Layan Beach is 5 minutes away, and a farm café is just a 3 minute walk. Bang Tao, Laguna, Boat Avenue and Porto de Phuket are a short drive, and Phuket International Airport is around 17 minutes away.