Holiday Garden

There are many reasons why this seasonal design by L. SHINTA GOUW of Elite Grahacipta suggests Christmas cheer, not least its serene garden setting, writes CHITRAANWAR

ONE ADVANTAGE of staying in town for the holidays is that celebrating the year-end festivities doesn’t have to take place indoors. The talented team at Elite Grahacipta took full advantage of this fact by creating this elegant, garden-inspired table setting for Prestige at the stylish Elite showhouse in Kemang, south Jakarta.

“We liked the idea of the green background, the fresh air and the openness,” says L. Shinta Gouw, co-founder of the company, whose interior design services include furniture, lighting, and accesories. “In a city with beautiful weather, staying indoors is simply too boring.”

At first sight of the outdoor Christmas setup, all eyes are automatically drawn to the five suspended lanterns. “Besides the garden setting, the lanterns were my main inspiration,” shares Shinta. “Each lantern is reminiscent of a different aesthetic, but they all blend together because of their uniform golden hue. From there, I chose the other elements of this table setting.”

Scan the table and you’ll find an array of different elements that aren’t overtly Christmas-related – you won’t find the traditional red and green or poinsettias, for instance – yet they still contribute to an overall holiday feel.

Notes Yohanes Wempy, a floral designer at Blumen who took charge of the flower arrangements: “The theme is of a garden Christmas, so the colours I used were white, green and a touch of gold. I used white roses, moluccella, viburnum, baby’s breath, solidago and green berries. The flower arrangement here is actually just a supporting feature to the other elements of the table setting because the tableware, the hanging lanterns and the table lanterns are already so pretty. If you look at this table setting the elegance of the accessories stands out - but without the flowers looking plain. Every element in the design supports every other element.

“To enhance the outdoor theme, I used a moss bed as a table runner. I also used oncidium orchids. Other than being a fragrant flower, the white on it ties into the white roses and the maroon offsets the brighter colours. My goal was to mix the elegant, modern elements, like the crystals and the glass, with something more natural and rustic, like the wooden platforms and the little birdcages.”

Shinta’s design is a good example of how to create a holiday table setting in a subtle way. The various elements – from the L’Objet tableware to the Baccarat glassware pieces, all of which are available at Elite – combine to create a setting that has all the aura of the holidays.

For anyone who wants to create something like this, but hasn’t had a go at creating a table setting, Shinta jokes: “Hire a decorator.” Then she goes on: “Just make sure you love the location. For me, I love this garden. No matter what the table setting looks like, if you like the setting, you’re bound to have a lovely time.”