If you had attended iD’s 15th Anniversary celebration, you would have passed through the “Time Tunnel”. The natural wooden look and texture created a sense that it was made of real wood. But wood does not bend in such a way. This led us to pay a visit to Syntheticwood Wall Panel (SWP)’s showroom in Surabaya to have a glance at the tunnel’s twin sister, along with other application alternatives. Let’s take a tour!
Founders Agus Limanto and Arif Budiman saw the rise of interior design in Indonesia and the need for a material that is durable, water-resistant, fire-proof and even non-porous. In response to this, they came up with SWP. The advancement brought by this synthetic material is of great quality, with faster and easier application that leads to a premium looking end result.
Starting out his venture with a frame planks business, Agus has progressively sharpened his craft making skills. Even now, he continues to express his artistic side, designing every corner of the showroom with a different ambiance.
The entrance boasts the subtlest area, covered in neutral colours with a relaxing daybed on one side. As you walk further, it connects you to two lounges with bold colours. Behind the reception area is a function room that boasts a podium, which looks just like the tunnel installation at the iD anniversary party. The podium has a wooden look, but there are bends on the corners, making it look futuristic. There is a videotron on one side of this room, and on the opposite side, there is a seating area for gatherings and corporate events.
At the back, they surprise us with more options in colour and application. In one corner, it is combined diagonally with a mirror, while on the other side – despite its firm look - it is woven into an intricate panel. “We aim to inspire the designer to push the boundaries and achieve new looks,” Arif says.
SWP can be applied to any flat surface – be it plastered walls, furniture or a stereo speaker set. The design would adjust to how the customers want to express their personality. “If you want to appear light and elegant, you can apply the planks directly. If you want to look more artsy, you can cut it into small pieces and assemble them just like we did on our ‘transformer wall’, which is made of more than 4,000 pieces. Here is all about you,” Agus concludes.