Cover Embodying Desa Potato Head’s Good Times, Do Good philosophy, the Good Times General Store transforms retail from a passive transaction into a shared creative experience
Embodying Desa Potato Head’s Good Times, Do Good philosophy, the Good Times General Store transforms retail from a passive transaction into a shared creative experience
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Created in collaboration with the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), the Good Times General Store is Desa Potato Head’s first permanent retail and craft centre, turning material provenance, Indonesian artisans, and live production into a tactile, participatory experience.
Step inside the Good Times General Store at Desa Potato Head, and the architecture immediately signals its provenance. Developed in collaboration with the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), creative director Dan Mitchell, and group head of architecture and development Ade Herkarisma, the building grounds its architecture in regional materials.
A breathable façade of locally sourced alang-alang thatch meets rammed earth walls of local clay, reclaimed timber, and terrazzo floors inlaid with recycled bamboo offcuts. Punctured earthen blocks separate the space into five interconnected bays, drawing visitors from quiet observation directly into the act of making.
Rather than functioning as a conventional boutique, the store operates like an open kitchen for circular design—where raw materials, makers, and finished objects remain in full view. Every item is produced by Indonesian artisans from natural or recovered matter, tracing a clear lineage from source to shelf.
Above The facade of Good Times General Store, Bali
The facade of Good Times General Store, Bali
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The journey unfolds across five distinct chapters. The opening bay introduces the Desa’s lifestyle perspective through artisan souvenirs spanning food, music, wellness, and design.
Next sits the Bali-inspired Potato Head Collection, an apparel line built around traceability and longevity. Taking centre stage is Potato Head Collection #005, created in partnership with Bali’s renowned natural dye and weaving studio, Tarum. Drawing on Indonesia’s centuries-old textile heritage, the line translates ikat weaving, tie-dye, hand embroidery, and plant pigments derived from native botanicals into contemporary silhouettes stamped with Desa Potato Head’s graphic language.
In the third bay of the Good Times General Store, British designer Max Lamb’s Wasted collection transforms discarded Balinese plastics and waste streams into sculptural furniture and functional homeware.
Above Visitors are invited to join various workshops, from weaving to sewing
Above The Potato Head Collection #005 display
Visitors are invited to join various workshops, from weaving to sewing
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Further inside, retail gives way to live production. The fourth bay houses a working natural dye studio, extracting pigments from food and plant waste collected across Desa Potato Head Bali for public workshops in dyeing, painting, and patterning.
Anchoring the fifth bay is a dramatic wall of shredded HDPE plastic recovered from waste collectors and upcyclers across Bali and Java—set to host live plastic injection and moulding sessions from December 2026, followed by weaving, sewing, and upcycling ateliers in 2027.
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Above Good Times General Store proudly showcases the heritage of Indonesia's craftsmanship
Good Times General Store proudly showcases the heritage of Indonesia's craftsmanship
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Integrated with the Desa’s existing Waste Lab and Follow the Waste Tour, the store bridges hospitality and environmental accountability. "At the Good Times General Store, we want people to understand what they bring home, who made it, what it’s made from, and what its next life could be," says Desa Potato Head founder Ronald Akili. Here, shopping becomes an exercise in provenance—leaving guests with objects whose stories are as tangible as their form.
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Since embarking on her career as a food journalist in 2012, she has penned hundreds of articles delving into culinary trends, chef profiles, and gastronomic destinations across Asia. Born and raised in Bali, Eve is dividing her time between Bali and Jakarta.
