Essay

Alex Bayusaputro

Principal of Genius Loci @geniusloci_asia

Luxury term for each individual is different. To me, luxury is defining not only aesthetic but also the comfort of utilising the space and having personalised items around you. It usually defines the individualities and personalities of the owner.

We have been featuring many luxurious projects in our annual “Defining Luxury” editions over the years. This year, we’ve selected some inspiring spaces designed by Indonesia-based designers, with pictures compiled from their portfolios and Instagrams. Some of the names below were nominees or winner of id Award 2017, in the Luxury Home Designer category. Find their advice on achieving luxury in design.

Enshi Sin Principal of Enshi Sin Designworks @enshisin

All houses that I have designed always feature these three things: a combination of tropical sunlight, well- circulated air that is also energy- efficient and a contributor of better health for the inhabitants, and artworks in the interior to add more value to life.

Budhi Harmunanto Principal of bha @budhiharmunanto

Locality should be viewed as a culture – a formed habit that has an impact on architecture and the built environment that it has created.

This is not only concerning genius, it involves local wisdom. Our ancestors have made patterns as an expression of their class and pride. They appreciate the design, materials and the making process because the more complicated the pattern is, the more luxurious it becomes. It also adds an aesthetic value to the rooms.

Erwin Hawawinata

Principal of Hawawinata & Associates @erwinhawawinata

Everyone has their own parameters for luxury design, but these are my criteria: (1) scale and proportion, (2) materials and details, and (3) fine workmanship. These three can be seen and felt directly from the first sight, be it a space or an object, so these are the elements to leave a great first impression.

Harold Hartanto

Principal of Harold Associate @haroldarchitect

In designing luxurious houses, we use our imagination as a fuel in order to achieve the same vision as our clients. Well-lit, cosy, spacious with good air circulation are our main concerns in doing the layout. We do all the specifications in details to put our clients at ease. Then we can call that as luxurious house.

Hidajat Endramukti

@hidajatw

For me luxury is about comfort that we feel in a space, driven by timelessness and harmonious arrangement of the space. Luxury is not necessarily expensive, but more about things being functional, comfortable and timeless.

Jasin Tedjasukmana

Principal of Kiat Architects @kiatarchitects

We attempt to design a space with limited sequence, good flow and subtle partitions, keeping the warmth and intimacy for its residents. As for technical aspects, it is important to keep well-adjusted lighting and airflow to accommodate the country’s tropical climate and create a comfortable living space for the residents. At the heart of Kiat’s signatures, there is a bold statement: a good design does not overstate. A good design is all about improving the life of the client.

Rudy Kelana

Principal of Wahana Architects @kelana.rudy, @wahanaarchitects

In luxury design, comfort can be brought with grandeur, right positioning and form. The spaces have to be dynamic rather than monotone. It has straight focus points and connections to outdoor spaces. Sophisticated materials and colours, especially dark tones, can also be impactful.

Kezia Karin

@keziakarin, @keziakarin.studio

In a world that is moving in the speed of light, where affordable mostly means cheap, and where meaning and quality are sacrificed the most, luxury now becomes a state of mind. Now more than ever, luxury is a sensory experience. Luxury extends beyond ownership of ‘luxury goods’, because there is appreciation, attention to details, and enjoyment in it.

Experience is harder to commodify: meaning they are more likely to be authentic. Being luxurious involves how we experience the things around us. What things do you do to make your everyday a little more luxurious?

Suwito Hadi

The challenge in designing residences is how to fulfil the client’s wish while at the same time making sure that the design is beautiful, comfortable to live in and aesthetically pleasing. We strive to accommodate the owners’ needs, their dreams and their ways of life.

Thomas Elliott

Director of Design and Production at PT Paramita Abirama Istasadhya (PAI) @pai_design

Spatial luxury for me is first, a place of comfort, second, full of details and visually exciting and third, inspiring to be in.