House's interior is designed for the ages

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.