All aspects that concern our everyday lives depend on how a house can create comfort and security for the occupants. However, it is sometimes difficult to feel a homey and serene atmosphere inside a luxurious house, as the extravagant layout and plush amenities might feel solitary and distance the occupants away from it. Gaharu House in Cipete, South Jakarta, strives to bring the true meaning of a house despite its lavish and sophisticated ambience.
PHOTOS BY: Bagus Tri Laksono
The luxurious and expensive atmosphere of a house can often be detected even from the entrance gate of the house and this is just the case with this private abode. Designed by consultant Denny Gondo Architect (DGA), the entrance gate opens up to a vast front courtyard. The building’s front demarcation line is deliberately pulled back a few meters to give it a palatial feel as well as a stronger sense of privacy for occupants. The sprawling site on which the house is built—almost 3,000 sqm in total and elongates to the back—allows it to stand a bit farther from the front yard. The courtyard also holds a line of car ports located on the right hand side of the site which are adorned with white doors and pillars. A large tree grows right in the middle of the courtyard, centering the main entrance to the house.
The front entrance appears striking with two magnificently-sized doors decked in Moroccan-inspired patterns. A new style in decoration, the elements of Moorish architecture sit in contrast with the marble walls and floors that make up the façade of this 1,758 sqm house. To the right is a two-level structure, a part of the house designed in modern Colonial flair complete with its typical vertical and horizontal lines motifs.
Walking through the main entrance, we are led into an open foyer that borders a fish pond filled with large koi fish with a kaleidoscope of motifs and colors. The house’s circulation pattern is pleasantly smart because in order to enter the main building guests have to turn right and walk along a corridor which encircles the fish pond in the middle of the front building, giving them a lovely view as they walk. Beautiful, lavish ornaments are placed in various corners of the building, from the main entrance through to the smaller main door of the house.
The family quarter is sumptuously designed with awe-inspiring composition of length, width and height. Large openings abound on both sides of the room, flooding the room with natural illumination as well as providing great aeration. “Cross ventilation is one of the important aspects that we bore in mind during the design process of the house,” says Denny Gondojatmiko, the principal designer of DGA. Tall ceilings also become a perfect design solution to add more aeration to the two-level dwelling.
Adjacent to the family room, which is decorated with wooden partition engraved in kawung and parang batik design, is the outdoor sitting area. Lined with beautiful pillars typical of modern Colonial architecture, the open space borders a green backcourt adorned with a large, single tree. At the back, a large swimming pool is added on the right side while a fully-equipped fitness center stands on the left. Adjoining the swimming pool is another seating area with pool and table chairs. This seating area is directly connected to the massive dining room and pantry that commands a breathtaking view. Accesses and openings are still the main key to provide good air circulation around the dining area although the ceiling is not as tall as the one in the family room.
In addition to the children’s bedroom and service area, a large workstation is placed in an area next to the front door. Featuring an extended style, the workstation has three brilliantly designed accesses. The first one is for the owner and can be accessed from the main building while the second connects it to the open foyer inside the main entrance and is used by guests. The last one is the access from the service area, designed in order to avoid mixing the flow of the helpers or cleaning service people from the circulation of the guests and owner. The workstation itself is split into three zones without any clear partition. Instead, the arrangement of the furniture pieces clearly marks the zones: work area, meeting area and guest area.
Without having to intrude into the more private area on the second floor that houses the main bedrooms, Gaharu House is the true embodiment of a modern living quarter. Luxurious and comfortable as a result of the superb design, the house is not one that flaunts its magnificence without having a substantial design. It is rich in artistic aesthetics that sit seamlessly with planned structural and functional elements. The expression “home is where the heart is” is reflected in every corner of the house. Room arrangement, material selection, people’s circulation, aeration, room accesses and precise composition work together to create a masterpiece for a living space—making the private residential of Mdm. Tenri Pawelangi Ridwan one of the most luxurious and greatest modern Colonial houses that Indonesia Design has ever visited.