Dear Developers: Stop Pretending You Care

Let’s take a swing at the people behind the scenes. The developers. The ones approving these messes. The ones who care more about fast returns than building something worth a damn. Let’s talk about how they keep signing off on projects that look nice on the outside but are absolute disasters once you start living in them.

A slick render and a pretty Instagram post do not equal quality. You can paint a box gold and still be selling a box. And that’s exactly what’s happening here. We’re seeing places that have a cool roofline, a stylish pool, some mood lighting and then everything inside is garbage. Cheap hinges. Cheap screws. Cheap particleboard furniture that bloats and peels in six months. Nails sticking out where they shouldn’t be. Nothing aligned. Nothing thought through.

And the worst part? They sell it under the buzzwords. “Sustainable.” “Eco-living.” “Green.” As if saying the word “sustainable” means anything when your entire build falls apart during Bali’s first serious rainy season. You can’t claim to be green when your furniture is off-the-shelf MDF trash and your contractors don’t even seal the concrete properly. It’s a joke. Most of these designers don’t even live here long enough to understand what works in this climate. They design for photos. Not for people. Not for humidity. Not for rain. Not for life.

Form Follows Function?

You know what happens when you design like that? You get kitchens where the fridge opens the wrong damn way. AC units that are too small to cool the room. Massive glass walls that trap heat, have zero insulation, and can’t be cleaned unless you rent a scaffold and get a mountain climbing harness. You get spaces that look “cool” but are a nightmare to actually use.

Function gets thrown out the window in favor of someone’s creative ego. And when that ego has no clue about airflow, maintenance, plumbing, or basic livability, you’re left with a house that breaks under pressure. A place that looks good for one photo shoot and then becomes a money pit for anyone who moves in.

Form should follow function. That’s design 101. But it seems like a lot of these “creative” designers missed that class. Or maybe they just didn’t care. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about building something good. It’s about building something fast. Something cheap. Something that sells.

Profit over people. Again and again.

They’ll cut every corner just to squeeze more out of the sale. Forget thoughtful layouts. Forget long-term quality. Forget appliances that actually make sense. It’s all surface-level. It’s a visual trick. Everything underneath is shoddy workmanship and budget materials masked with warm lighting and white paint. And the worst part? They’ll still charge a premium. They’ll pitch it like it’s a luxury villa, knowing full well that most of the budget went into marketing, not construction. Then they’ll walk away with the money while the new owner is left dealing with sewage smells, cracked tiles, and broken fittings before they’ve even unpacked.

So here’s a thought: if you’re going to build in Bali, at least give a shit. Build something that works. Build something that lasts. Build something where form and function actually talk to each other.

Because what we’re seeing now is embarrassing. And people are catching on.