Travel bloggers share the reality of building an Instagram-friendly mansion

Travel bloggers who earn a six-figure salary from sharing their jet-setting lifestyle online have revealed the ‘Instagram-friendly’ additions they made to their new mansion in Bali, including seats that don’t get used and air conditioners in the walk-in wardrobes for constant outfit changes.

Jack Morris, 29, from Manchester in the UK, and his Australian girlfriend Lauren Bullen, 26, who have almost five million Instagram followers between them, purchased the plot of land in 2018 and spent a year perfecting the three-bedroom, five-bathroom estate.

In a YouTube video released on January 20 the lovebirds opened their house up to fans and showcased exactly how much thought and ‘custom made’ furniture was bought for the house.  

After renting villas in Bali for two years the couple took the plunge and bought a plot of land themselves, wanting it to be ‘photogenic’ and double as a backdrop for their Instagram pictures.

Manchester-born Jack Morris, who has 2.7 million followers on @doyoutravel, and his Australian girlfriend Lauren Bullen, who has 2.1 million fans on @gypsea_lust, purchased the plot of land in 2018

BEFORE: After renting villas in Bali for two years the couple took the plunge and bought a plot of land themselves, wanting it to be 'photogenic' and double as a backdrop for their Instagram pictures

BEFORE: After renting villas in Bali for two years the couple took the plunge and bought a plot of land themselves, wanting it to be ‘photogenic’ and double as a backdrop for their Instagram pictures

AFTER: In a YouTube video released on January 20 the lovebirds opened their house up to fans and showcased exactly how much thought and 'custom made' furniture was bought for the house

AFTER: In a YouTube video released on January 20 the lovebirds opened their house up to fans and showcased exactly how much thought and ‘custom made’ furniture was bought for the house

It features an electric gate entrance for security and a heavy timber door to make the entrance of the house ‘look really grand’, Jack comments at the start of the footage. 

Beyond the front door you can see straight through their living space – which incorporates an exclusively designed sunken lounge ‘which is too big for two people’, concrete benchtops in the kitchen (which Lauren was warned by developers would ‘crack’), and a 10-person table that only gets used when they have guests over.

‘In the right-hand corner there is a seating nook that no one ever sits in,’ Jack said, pointing to some plush velvet armchairs and a rug from Morocco.  

Windows surround the expansive area to let in natural light and showcase the light blue swimming pool, stretching up to a ceiling that ‘they didn’t have enough money to finish’.

'We're keeping the cost of the house private because eventually we want to rent it out. But it's comparable to the prices of the nicer houses in Canggu,' Jack said

'I was very specific about making sure our house photographed well,' Lauren added. 'If I'm doing an Instagram Story job in the bathroom, talking about teeth whitening or something, I want the background to look good'

Much of their wooden furniture was custom-made and imported with plenty of their ideas coming from villas and resorts they have stayed at while working abroad

Lauren explained that they wanted the ceiling to look ‘industrial’ so left it purposefully unfinished looking.

Universal plugs are installed ‘everywhere’ so the pair can charge their thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment, laptops and phones wherever they are sitting, including directly on the couch.   

Beyond the kitchen that only houses filtered water and tapware they imported from Australia – because ‘Indonesia doesn’t have any good tapware’ – lies Lauren’s pink ‘powder room’ for ‘epic mirror selfies’. 

Her other favourite place for a mirror picture is the master bedroom, which has a custom made mirror surrounded by a ‘floating’ bed and bedside table.

BEFORE: Lauren explained that they wanted the ceiling to look 'industrial' so left it purposefully unfinished looking

BEFORE: Lauren explained that they wanted the ceiling to look ‘industrial’ so left it purposefully unfinished looking

AFTER: Beyond the front door you can see straight through their living space - which incorporates an exclusively designed sunken lounge 'which is too big for two people'

AFTER: Beyond the front door you can see straight through their living space – which incorporates an exclusively designed sunken lounge ‘which is too big for two people’

BEFORE: The kitchen area can be seen from the very front of the house so they wanted to make it luxe looking

BEFORE: The kitchen area can be seen from the very front of the house so they wanted to make it luxe looking

AFTER: Lauren spends a lot of time coming up with new recipes in the kitchen to share with her followers

AFTER: Lauren spends a lot of time coming up with new recipes in the kitchen to share with her followers

‘There is an air conditioner in the wardrobe to stop Lauren from getting too sweaty when she tries on clothes,’ Jack said of their main suite. 

They keep the remainder of their ‘winter’ clothing in a separate walk-in wardrobe, showing just how many materials they own from brands excited to work with the hard working duo. 

In the garden there is a cabana, outdoor shower and pool decked in white marble, to make it look more ‘Mediterranean’ over Balinese. 

‘The contractor said the marble was a waste of money but I think it makes the area look super luxe,’ Lauren said. 

Two other bedrooms that exist on the second floor – alongside an office – aren’t used unless they have guests over, but the majority of Lauren and Jack’s loved ones live in Australia and England.

The 29-year-old confirmed to FEMAIL that the entire property was purchased doing sponsorship deals and creating branded content on Instagram (the master bedroom pictured right)

The 29-year-old confirmed to FEMAIL that the entire property was purchased doing sponsorship deals and creating branded content on Instagram (the master bedroom pictured right)

He took a leap of faith seven years ago and quit his job as a carpet cleaner after deciding he needed some adventure in his life

'It was literally waking up one morning and I wanted to try something different. I flew out on my own with no plan and just wanted to see what came at me,' he said at the time

Jack credited Lauren for designing much of the interior, which features the signature bohemian style she and her sister Ellie Bullen have become known for on social media

They all have the same expensive linen duvets and sheets on them, in various colours to match the varied green, blue and pink tiles in the bathrooms and make for a decadent backdrop.   

‘It took about a year to build the house and it was a lot of work. We wanted it to be photogenic so that we could shoot content there,’ Jack previously told The Cut.  

‘I was very specific about making sure our house photographed well,’ Lauren added.

‘If I’m doing an Instagram Story job in the bathroom, talking about teeth whitening or something, I want the background to look good.’  

‘We’re keeping the cost of the house private because eventually we want to rent it out. But it’s comparable to the prices of the nicer houses in Canggu,’ Jack said.

Prime real estate in Canggu, Bali, can range between AUD$350,000 and AUD$1million.  

After two years of constant travel Jack began to struggle with his finances, so decided to purchase a camera and document his travels under the brand name 'Do You Travel'

After two years of constant travel Jack began to struggle with his finances, so decided to purchase a camera and document his travels under the brand name ‘Do You Travel’

The 29-year-old confirmed to FEMAIL that the entire property was purchased doing sponsorship deals and creating branded content on Instagram. 

The lovebirds previously said they won’t do a sponsored post for less than $3,000 USD ($3,948 AUD). 

The most Jack has been paid for one post is $9,000 USD ($11,846 AUD) while the most Lauren has ever got from one snap is $7,500 USD ($9,872 AUD).

‘I did a job for a phone company where I flew out for three days; there were two days filming and then I had to do five photos on Instagram, and that was $35,000,’ he said.

‘We’ve even turned up to jobs before that which we’ve charged thousands for, and we’ve got there and they’ve been like, “your rates are so low”.’  

Lauren runs her own blogs on the side - called Gypsea Lust - and the pair sell Lightroom presets for fans and fellow photographers to edit their photos with

Lauren runs her own blogs on the side – called Gypsea Lust – and the pair sell Lightroom presets for fans and fellow photographers to edit their photos with

Jack credited Lauren for designing much of the interior, which features the signature bohemian style she and her sister Ellie Bullen have become known for on social media.

He took a leap of faith seven years ago and quit his job as a carpet cleaner after deciding he needed some adventure in his life.

‘It was literally waking up one morning and I wanted to try something different. I flew out on my own with no plan and just wanted to see what came at me,’ he said at the time.

After two years of constant travel Jack decided to purchase a camera and document his travels under the brand name ‘Do You Travel’.

‘I basically created it to share my experiences, it wasn’t about making lots of money. I didn’t expect to make money or for it to blow up. But that created my new career,’ he said.

Jack did admit that the job can get overwhelming at times and that they do sometimes travel to places 'for the sole purpose of a "gram worthy" shot'

But you won't find either of them complaining about the life Instagram has been able to afford them

But Jack insists the pair only do sponsored posts if they support the brand, company or tourism board (pictured is their outdoor pool)

Lauren runs her own blog on the side – called Gypsea Lust – and the pair sell Lightroom presets to fans and fellow photographers to edit their photos with.

Global brands such as Royal Caribbean Cruises, Disney, Air NZ, AirBnB, Tiffany & Co have all approached the duo with work.  

But Jack insists the pair only do sponsored posts if they support the brand, company or tourism board.

‘I was contacted by brands way before I started accepting offers. I didn’t care about making money, it was always just a project I did for fun. Eventually as I grew bigger some of the offers were too good to turn down,’ he said.

‘I only promote or post about the things I truly like or believe in, which is very important to me and why my posts resonate with so many.’

Jack did admit that the job can get overwhelming at times and that they do sometimes travel to places ‘for the sole purpose of a “gram worthy” shot’. 

But you won’t find either of them complaining about the life Instagram has been able to afford them. 

‘It is almost a dream. Being able to do what I want every day is nice,’ he said.

‘It is ideal, I never really expected to find someone I could share this with, so it worked out really well.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk