Designer Denny finds harmony in simplicity

Designer Denny finds harmony in simplicity

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Less is more, said the architect Mies van der Rohe. Inspired,
perhaps, by Mies' international style, Indonesian fashion
designer Denny Wirawan displays minimal furnishings for his house
and emphasizes function and simple ethnic details instead.

A wooden fence on an iron and brick wall greet visitors to his
two-story house in Bintaro, South Jakarta. The sturdy wall
conceals a small garden -- which would appear to require little
maintenance -- a garage and a comfortable terrace behind.

A few steps up to the terrace, a set of rattan furniture and
several terra-cotta pots containing large leaved plants are
arranged in such a way as to give the area a natural ethnic look.

"I've just renovated this house. It took me six months to
finish the project," said Denny.

The salon is calm and peaceful, and is furnished with a Bali-
style rattan chair with two cushions, and a wooden table
decorated with a vase holding a white lotus, and three oil lamps
of clean minimalist design.

Denny was unable to stop himself experimenting with textiles
for the comfortable modern orange sofa in the salon. "I
upholstered the sofa myself with tri silk cloth, which is not
even a material for sofas," he laughed.

Four postcards, featuring sketches of the Virgin Mary and
Jesus by Michelangelo, are framed by different sized simple yet
modern wooden frames hanging on the wall.

A phoenix palm in a large pot sits in the corner of the salon
to screen it off from the family room. For the drape, Denny uses
soft-tone woven fabric from Pekalongan.

The center of the house is a wide space, divided into a family
room on the right and a modern kitchen on the left by an elegant
staircase that leads to his unfinished work area.

"I designed the staircase myself. I used a combination of wood
and thin rolled iron for the railing and parquetry for the treads
as well as the upper room. From the family room, they (the
stairs) give a modern but ethnic look," he said.

Denny has furnished his family room with a brown sofa and a
single chair, separated by a simple wooden trunk on top of which
he displays some of his photos. In the center of the room is a
large wooden table where he has placed two photo albums, twin oil
lamps and some fashion magazines. "These oil lamps are only used
for special occasions," he added.

The wall is decorated with a traditional Indian fabric and
below it is the television set sitting on a low table of the same
design as the wooden trunk, with a console table placed against
the back wall.

A banana tree is in one corner, and a white orchid elegantly
embellishes the console.

Right next to the room is a small koi fish pool, with a
Japanese-style garden lamp rising up from the center of the pool.
The lower wall is lined with dark gray candi (temple) stone,
stressing the natural Zen simplicity of the atmosphere.

Denny also adopts a similar clean and functional interior
design concept for his bedroom. A twin bed with two small tables,
one on each side. He uses parquetry to line the floor and has
placed a natural fiber mat near the bed, radiating a harmonious
simplicity.

The wall on the other side of the bedroom has been transformed
into a ceiling-high wooden armoire, where he keeps all his
clothes, shoes and a TV set. The functional armoire has a tall
door behind it hiding a beautiful small Mediterranean bathroom,
lined with soft-hue terracotta floor tiles.

"I've made major changes to the house structure. This bedroom
was originally a salon, but I like the way the sun shines through
that large window in the morning. That's why I moved the bedroom
to this area," Denny said.

The glass window allows not only a little sunshine in the
morning but also a pleasant and relaxing view of the garden
greenery.

Next, we headed to the dry kitchen. "The wet area is in the
room next to it. There is also a stairway heading to the maids
room on the second floor," he said.

Denny also plans special improvements in other parts of the
house.

"I'm planning to place a dining table near the (dry) kitchen
and make a few changes to the guest room and my work area," Denny
laughed.