German Nobilia offers one-stop shopping for kitchen needs

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Nobilia, a German one-stop shopping kitchen outlet, has arrived in Southeast Asia to serve the growing trend in custom- built kitchens.

Nobilia has opened an outlet in Jakarta's Plaza Semanggi in Central Jakarta, to cater to potential customers from Jakarta as well as other cities in Indonesia and other countries in Southeast Asia.

"We are enthusiastic about opening the first Nobilia outlet in Southeast Asia, which is the second in the Asia Pacific, after China," said Zebrina Rompis, the director of Nobilia Indonesia.

"We observed that Indonesians are becoming more conscious (of the needs of) a modern lifestyle, whereas the kitchen has increasingly become an integral part of today's homes," she added.

Nobilia's brand manager for Southeast Asia, Dirk Lohmann, added that Nobilia decided to open the first outlet in Indonesia, instead of Singapore, after researching the market for about six months.

"We are confident enough to open the business here," he said.

Nobilia claimed that its distinguishing features were that it offered an individually planned fitted kitchen concept and durable materials.

Zebrina said that Nobilia could make customized kitchen cabinet designs for each customer's particular needs; all from high quality materials.

"We have more than 280,000 kitchen variations," she said.

Apart from that service, Nobilia also provides a one-stop shopping concept.

"Don't want to go through the hassle of selecting and buying stuff for your kitchen? Tell us. We will try to find what you want," Zebrina said proudly.

In Nobilia's Jakarta outlet, it displays six variations of the designs.

Each variation has its own characteristics for different market groups.

For example, the Linea line is "considered perfect for young, fashion-conscious singles leading a modern dynamic lifestyle. Meanwhile, the Pia line is suitable for "dynamic young city couples who are stylish and trendy"

"The prices for the cabinets start from Rp 10 million for every meter of the cabinet's length," Zebrina said.

"Give your home layout to us and we will design your kitchen," she said.

The German manufacturer provides a 3D graphic animation service for the customers to preview their kitchen's appearance.

Besides Nobilia, those who want to make their kitchen cozy could choose from several other kitchen cabinet manufacturers.

On the third floor and the fourth floor of Jakarta Design Center in Central Jakarta there are stores selling kitchen cabinets and appliances.

For customized cabinets, one can also hire an interior designer or a local kitchen cabinet maker.