The art of surprise is something Desa Potato Head in Bali has mastered. The designer chair you’re sitting on? Crafted from recycled plastic waste collected from Bali’s shores. Why yes, that is Erykah Badu teaching a meditation class. Thirsty? Open up the modular coffee table in your room to find a secret, fully-equipped cocktail bar.
Dubbed a “creative village” by founder Ronald Akili, Desa Potato Head is a unique, living, breathing ecosystem that’s been cultivated by an eclectic band of creative talent. One such talent is Daniel Mitchell, who has worked as Desa Potato Head’s creative director since 2014. “When I joined, we knew we wanted to elevate the cultural aspect of music, art, design,” he says.
In the last decade, his unique approach to cultural programming has brought the likes of Erykah Badu—who did, indeed, host a week-long wellness retreat at Desa Potato Head—to the island; introduced sustainable yet stylish designer furniture by the likes of Max Lamb and Faye Toogood; to Headstream, a live streaming platform that champions local DJs and musicians, delivering Potato Head’s sunshine-soaked sounds to listeners across the globe.
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But Desa Potato Head has always maintained a quiet cool—here, it’s show, not tell. Which is probably why most people haven’t heard (yet) about one of its latest additions—Klymax, a nightclub conceptualised, designed and built by some of the most respected names in the music industry.
“Of course it’s beautiful dancing under the stars here in Bali, but we wanted to create a box where you could escape from paradise and come into, essentially, a place of transcendence where you can lose yourself to music,” says Daniel Mitchell, who has worked as Potato Head’s creative director since 2014.
