Not only is East Java celebrated for its industrial activities, but this province is also known for its beautiful green hills, especially in Prigen. The locals own many private villas here, and we visited a new one, which was designed by Stefanus Eddiy. Let’s take a tour.
The area is a two-hour drive from downtown Surabaya or Malang. But for the owner of the villa, who prefers to stay anonymous, the distance is more of a joy rather than a burden, as he likes to drive his sports car to go out of town.
Arriving at the villa, we were welcomed with a vast front yard, with a long carport towards the buildings. From this point, we can already see the hills as the background of the villa. The architecture is more of an accent from the surrounding natural environment. It consists of two buildings with a bold modern design – rigid square building on one side, and round tower on the other.
The villa is designed for weekend retreat and gathering. Eddiy decided to separate the both functions, “That is why there are two buildings. The square one is designed for the owners to get the serene ambiance, while the round tower is to share this ambiance with many people when they host a party,” says Eddiy.
The bedrooms are located at the back part of the square building, where we can see the hills from the floor-to-ceiling door that leads to a balcony. These bedrooms are designed in neutral colours to evoke a tranquil feel. The beds are covered in white linen. The furniture is all built-in and covered with soft-coloured laminate. Each bedroom has an en suite bathroom.
The square building has a common area on the ground where the family can spend quality time together. A double-height living room is there, with openings on three sides that make it look bigger. The windows can be opened to get fresh air from the hills. The living room is connected to the dining room and a pantry to prepare refreshments. Both the living room and the dining room are designed in monochromatic grey. The entire furniture in these rooms is covered with grey upholstery, with accents of wooden tables. Meanwhile, the pantry is covered in white, with accents of grey marble tabletop and an array of grey Matala bar stools from Vivere. This colour scheme makes a subtle foreground to the fresh green environment on its background.
The six-metre round tower is designed with only a flat roof, walls and awning. It makes a great place for outdoor gathering. Right on the ground, there is an open wide space that connects to the front and backyard. Here, guests can feel like being inside a room while enjoying fresh air from the hills. The kids especially enjoy this sort of space very much, as they can run round the yard while their parents watch them from the tower.
Peacefulness that is evoked by the nature is strongly exposed in this villa, giving a restful weekend getaway for the owner. Meanwhile, the gathering space lets the family and guest enjoy the hillside retreat together.