A custom-built house that dreams are made of

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The house has a modern appearance. Natural stones that accentuate the front wall and the wooden materials for the garage door tone down the rigidity brought about by the geometric shapes.

A clean, modern atmosphere fills the interior which receives plenty of sunlight from the large windows throughout the house. The windows also allow the house owners, Lily Joenoes and Bernard van Bunnik, to get a soothing view of the swimming pool behind the house, the tall trees in the garden and the street view.

The natural light gives the interior of this newly built, 3- story house in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, unique natural effects as the day progresses from sunrise to sunset.

"Plenty of natural light is just one thing we wished to have in the interior in order to experience the changing sunlight from morning to late afternoon creates a pleasant effect on the interior," said Lily, while adding that the use of electric lights is reduced during daylight.

Apart from natural light, the couple also wished to have a home befitting their needs and lifestyle. They appointed architect Noerzaman and Wido Soebagjo from Z&W Architects who translated their wishes into a functional, modern minimalist concept of interior design.

"We love to entertain friends and colleagues and so we also need an informal interior style, and the rooms that flow continuously for easy access," she said.

Such functionality and lack of formality result in the absence of strictly defined areas, especially for the house's "less private" areas, making each suitable to accommodate different functions as well. Its living room, for example, can also serve as the family room, the library also houses the den, the media room and the guest rooms.

The library is a cozy corner in the center of the house and the entire room is strongly dominated with wooden elements because of the use of a parquet floor, wooden blinds and built-in book shelves.

"I put a newly upholstered, old sofa in the library. It's a sofa bed actually and can be used by guests who want to spend the night here," she said with a smile.

It is this optimal use of the furniture that further strengthens the minimalist feeling. The high ceiling on the center of the house also intensifies the spaciousness of the ground floor.

For decorative elements, the couple put indoor plants in several parts of the house as well as natural accents and paintings mostly by local artists, like Jeihan, Hanafi and other painters.

"We bought some of the paintings at auctions," Lily explained.

The calm family/living room is furnished with an irregular- shaped glass table, deep velvety brown and gray sofas with an abstract painting, embellished with a light moss green-colored wall.

The modern kitchen reflects urban sophistication and is quite spacious for an informal gathering. In this area, the architect used stainless steel and wood for the kitchen cabinet and granite for the worktop.

Next to the kitchen is the dining room, furnished with a huge wooden table made from one solid piece of teakwood and eight chairs, each wrapped in bright colored casings. This room has a strong contemporary feel, which is also emphasized by a striking colored painting on the wall.

Several tall windows on the side and the rear part of the house expose the kitchen and the dining room to the plants in the rear garden and the living room to the swimming pool on the side garden.

The pool side area is equipped with a sitting area, an outside shower, a terrace and a huge bale-bale (a traditional multipurpose chair). While the existing tall trees in the garden were preserved, Lily added some other decorative plants.

Near the entrance door is a neat staircase, made of wood for the treads and steel for the railing. The staircase area is also exposed to the vista from the streets thanks to the large windows that are as high as the front wall.

The second story houses a gym and spa, which can also be used as a recreational area with a billiard table, a guest bedroom, a small office, a small guest bathroom and the master bedroom.

The couple's master bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe, his and hers vanities, a bathroom and a sauna in the corner. Several black and white photos of the couple adorn the walls of this private area.

On the third floor, there is only a small room with a slanted ceiling that functions as a small studio which is flanked by a nice, compact garden with different kinds of potted plants, like cycas and lotus among others, arranged along the fence.

"I like plants and I check them out occasionally but it's my gardener who takes care of them. Most of the plants in this house were bought from Rawa Belong," she said, referring to an area in West Jakarta where hundreds of small nurseries sell various plants along the street.

"...as you can see, we can see treetops in this part of neighborhood and a glimpse of the capital scenery from this very terrace. It's nice," Lily said.