Indonesian elite build their own palaces

Indonesian elite build their own palaces

JAKARTA (JP): The lucky inheritors of Indonesia's post-
independence development riches are fitting nicely into the trend
to "import everything". The insatiable craving for Western status
symbols adds yet another feather to the cap of luxury goods
importers. Houses now top the assortment of clothing, jewelry and
cars imported for Indonesia's affluent.

Despite nervous tremors remaining from Jakarta's earthquake
earlier this year, the Indonesian home is no replica of the
simple wooden Japanese earthquake-proof models. Forget about
safety concerns as imported construction materials and sumptuous
interior decoration are what sell.

The list is long. Ceramics, granite floors, fashioned faucets
and locks, paintings, rugs, carpeting, furniture, even cutlery
indubitably bear the prestigious import stamp. The arty architect
and contemporary interior designer sometimes come with foreign
accents.

Ambitious yuppies clambering up the ladder of success have
their own code of the "5Cs" of having made it -- cash, credit
card, car, cellular and condo. Add a single "H" for home for the
even more established.

This has replaced the old days of brandname good domination,
when any Indonesian money monger worth his or her Gucci would
never stray from Orchard Road, Singapore.

"Nowadays, the allure of brand names are lost on people,
especially since we can get almost everything in our own
country," noted interior designer and architect Aditya
Indradjaya. He added that today's stand symbols of the rich are
the car, diamonds and, most importantly, the home.

Companies are vying to fulfill every wish and whim of these
status seekers in creating their miniature Versailles.

No longer cowering under the apprehension of "affordable"
imports, the wealthy are going for exclusive tastes, trend-
setting material and quality brands. No expense is spared. From
small intricacies to basic commodities, almost every house
prepared, furnished and finished by Aditya is a wall-to-wall
import extravaganza. Foreign human resources are hunted down, as
only special touches and quality count.

Local products have not always delivered as promised, and
after-sales service is virtually unknown. Indonesia is witnessing
the quantum leap in demand for imported goods. Jakarta Design
Center president Eddy W. Utoyo agrees that the center is no
longer the showplace for promoting new interior designs, but more
a one-stop shopping location for the leisure class.

"Time changes, and local products are replaced by imports," he
said.

Purchasing imported products is more about the sales-oriented
marketing concept, literally buying an image, than anything else.
Aditya noted that priority is given to quality. "Imported goods
have their own stamp of recognition sought after by anybody who
is somebody, its like the added bonus," he said.

Social activist Conny Arya and entrepreneurs Adrie Subono and
Rachmat Mochtan share a penchant for exclusive tastes
distinguished by their individual whimsy. Conny Arya has
monogrammed living room carpets, front door and the walls of her
pool.

Adrie Subono insisted that every bit of work on his house be
done by imported hands, and Rachmat Mochtan's home in Lebak
Bulus, South Jakarta, would not be out of place in a rustic
English or French setting.

The craftsman builds the dream, but paying the steep price
could be a nightmare for the financially strapped. Aditya knows
people who have forked out as much as Rp 10 billion for their
homes.

The expensive mix usually comes with the usual thousand
square meters, two storys, ceramic bathrooms, polished with the
touches of Pierre Cardin or the like, the colossal kitchen set,
faucets by Grohe, Hans Grohe or Germany's Klude, even Kohler from
America. The gold-plaited faucets alone could cost between Rp 2
and Rp 5 million a set. "When the shopping is done for bathroom
selections, approximately Rp 30 million goes into it," says
Suhandi from Grohe.

Some even ask foreign architects to design their house, but
Aditya warned that homes erected in foreign architectural styles
were sometimes incongruous in Indonesia. "This is because the
architects seem to have their own cultural background in mind.
They have little knowledge of our culture. Nevertheless, it is
still something to be proud of."

Years of experience have allowed the designer to see the other
side of the coin as well. "Curtains and installing facilities for
electricity are best imported. However, ceramics, bolts, door
handles and keys are done very well locally. Since production was
discontinued, finding the material is not only hard, it is non-
existent for export purposes."

Crystal, that shimmering sign of aristocracy, is part of the
ballroom chandeliers. Radio host Ida Arimurti has crystal lamps
in almost every room of her home.

Some people have custom made their homes for their concerns.
Farid Abidin and his spouse, for example, have a special room on
the ground floor for entertaining. Three times a month, their
relatives come to dinner, and they eat accompanied by live music
on the piano or other high-tech entertainment. Guests are allowed
to wander freely through the vast grounds and rooms except the
bedroom.

A home is the ultimate status symbol, and owners of the house
grab every opportunity to invite and exhibit. "It is no wonder
that they have open houses. Houses are made to be seen by
people," Aditya says.

The house tour is a performance in itself. The owner rattles
off the names of the exterior and interior designers, the history
behind the pink, green and blue rooms, and their paintings,
sculptures and other items in the domain.

"The house could be a showroom of crystal, and the owners are
always on edge if anyone so much as brushes against it," Aditya
says.

An overflowing bank account does not necessarily come with
sophistication. Horror stories abound, from a painting worth
millions of rupiah ending up as a carpet display (the owners
thought it looked better that way), to a sumptuous bathroom
remaining forlorn as the traditional Indonesian bath of scooping
water with a small pail was preferred.

Just as a palace needs its guards, the sprawling mansions of
Jakarta would not be complete without security retinues. The
homes and their occupants are protected by a posse of security
guards and, occasionally, several vicious German Shepherds.
Imported, of course.

The above is an excerpt from Tiara. The complete article with
sidebars will appear in the lifestyle biweekly when it goes on
sale Tuesday. It is printed here courtesy of the publication.