House's interior is designed for the ages

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

When appointed to design the interior of a three-story townhouse, Iwan Satrawiguna came up with a modern American-Mediterranean concept, aimed at meeting the different lifestyle needs and preferences of a family with young children.

Subtle shifts in the interior concept are obvious in private areas, like the modern children's bedrooms and the more American classic master bedroom, as well as in the classic family room and the modern media room.

"Different generations have different preference. Parents usually prefer a classic, Mediterranean ambience, which may be too heavy for the children, so I made modern functional interior designs for their (children's) bedrooms," said the interior designer.

The American-Mediterranean concept of the house, which is located in a housing complex in Central Jakarta, is perceptible with the use of columns, carvings made of cement plaster and the use of domes and coves, mostly in public areas like the foyer, dining room, living room and kitchen.

The foyer and the living room are dominated by earthy colors. Iwan used three main colors that he playfully applied in different elements, like wallpaper, cushions and a sofa, located in different corners of the area.

Chocolate, for example, is used for cushion casings in the living room and a similar color is found on the wallpaper in the foyer.

Apart from classic furniture, a Renaissance feel comes through in the dining and family rooms, with the dome and cove decorated with spray painting.

These particular areas receive plenty of sunlight and are airy since they are separated by huge windows and double-fold doors opening out into the rear garden.

Although the dining room and the kitchen are located on the first floor, Iwan ensures easy but discreet accessibility to refreshments on every floor by concealing a dispenser and/or a food storage cabinet in one of the walls.

A wall in the staircase area is awash in a soft brownish color and the parquet-treaded staircase leads to the sitting room on the second story.

Using a cement plaster material, Iwan made a mural accent, resembling slabs of limestone, to cover a wall in the room. The coarse textured wall, embellished with a lovely tapestry, gives a light, rustic feel to the modern room.

"Many Indonesians are not aware that using natural stones for the interior creates a pleasant effect on the ambience," Iwan said.

Iwan chose moss green for the cushions, a color he picked from the rich colored tapestry. "This trick helps ensure a subtle blend of colors in one room."

Two bedrooms on the second story are modern designed. One of them was created so that its interior does not compete with the view of the townhouses outside. "This way, we avoid bewilderment for those staying in the bedroom."

The third floor is specially allocated for the master bedroom. There is a door that opens to a terrace with an outdoor Jacuzzi flanked by a bathtub and shower. It also has a walk-in wardrobe, an audio/video room and a study.

"It (the latter) was added because I found that without an additional function, the bedroom area was unproportionately extensive," Iwan explained.

The lighting arrangement is designed to create a desirable ambience and properly highlight ornaments around the house.

The designer said most parts of the house were equipped with huge windows to enable the rooms to be drenched in sunlight and feel the breeze, along with giving a view to the outside.