Living in Harmony

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Just like in her fine creations, jewelry designer Elizabeth Wahyu blends modern and classic atmospheres while staying true to feng shui for her home.

The designer said she loves spending most of her daily routine at her beautiful 800-square-meter, two-story sanctuary in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta.

Her family moved in to the house in 2006, which was specifically constructed according to their personal feng shui — the Chinese art of arranging objects and choosing dates to improve luck — by an expert from Hong Kong.

Together with her husband, Ricky, she designed the house’s floor plan from scratch. It took two months for the couple to develop floor plans that would deliver a pleasant and comfortable design flow based on their personal feng shui.

“In areas with good feng shui, we built rooms where my family would spend plenty of time, such as the bedrooms, dining room, my jewelry studio and Ricky’s home office,” she said, pointing to the double-door entrance that stands at a slight diagonal to the doorframe and the walls next to it.

From the start, Elizabeth and Ricky decided to seamlessly fuse classic and modern designs for the interior of the estate.

“It’s like putting on a classic t-shirt and beautifying it with today’s hip accessories,” she explains.

The concept clearly provided creative freedom for the designer, who happens to be the family’s chief decorator, to play around with the place’s vast living space.

Each room is given a distinctive flavor of its own. And to this day, she has managed to gorgeously transform the front living room into a Chinese-themed room with red walls and Chinese soldier statues; the dining space as a French room flaunting feminine European decorations; and the family TV room as a cool modern spot with wooden flooring and sleek beige sectional sofa.

However, Elizabeth is very careful in decorating her spacious nest. For her, every room is a meticulous work in progress.

“I’m not an impulsive shopper. I only purchase good quality items that I really need,” she said.

True to her word, her collection of paintings contains several masterpieces, including from the famous German realist painter, Rudolph Schmidt, who is also married to her aunt.

“I really adore his soft colors and vintage-feel creations because they radiate such sophisticated serenity. They’re what I call stunning understated beauties,” says Elizabeth, who displays some of Schmidt’s paintings in the French-style dining room.

The cream-colored damask wallpaper, which attractively garnishes one of the dining room walls, also showcases her love for patiently beautifying her home.

“After years of decorating, I only recently added the wallpaper along with some gold curtains to enhance the elegant French ambience of the room.”

When selecting furniture, Elizabeth prefers unique and timeless designs, whereas for smaller objects, such as lamps and chandeliers, she goes for the trendiest items as they are easier to replace.

At times, Elizabeth unleashes her creative prowess, such as an elegant chandelier that, embellished with feminine lace, crystals and striking gold chains, hangs attractively above the breakfast table in the kitchen’s indoor veranda.

“I made the chandelier to complement the small area’s contemporary vibe,” she explains.

Overlooking the swimming pool and garden, the breakfast corner is one of Elizabeth’s favorite spots in the house.

A small bundle of Bougainville flowers, which came straight from the garden, perfectly matches the mint green walls, lending an eclectic freshness to the modern streamlined kitchen.

Elizabeth’s lovely artistic touch is also on full display in her daughter’s bedroom, which features a handmade wall painting she created when they first moved into the house.

“It’s part of Emily’s private corner where she does her favorite activities, such as reading books. My goal was to create a dreamy atmosphere inspired by the children’s book illustrations that Emily loves,” said Elizabeth, who has started painting when she was 13 years old.

In almost every room in the house, she showcases her love for nature in the form of floral arrangements and potted plants.

“Be they fresh or artificial, a floral arrangement can instantly liven up any room. They relax my eyes, especially after a stressful day,” she says.

She loves being surrounded by soothing greenery, inside and outside the house, which is why the home’s design includes a Zen-style indoor garden and floor-to-ceiling windows that oversee the compound’s lush garden.

Since she spends plenty of her personal and professional life at home, she finds it crucial to divide her home into separate private and working quarters.

In this case, she splits the first floor as the working or public area where her jewelry workshop is located, while the private, family-only zone is situated upstairs.

A small gym and a hair salon are nicely tucked into a corner on the second floor.

“Basically, my husband is a homebody like me. So we try to accommodate most of our daily activities at home,” Elizabeth says. “That way, instead of getting stuck in traffic jams for hours, we can happily enjoy our hobbies inside the house.”

Despite her tight schedule, Elizabeth always has time to entertain her friends and relatives at home twice a week, where the couple’s friends come over for lunch, dinner, of quick dip in the pool on a sunny day.

“I usually cook for them, when I’m not so busy. I enjoy making special meals for the special people in my life.”

When asked about what she likes most about her home, she did not hesitate with her reply.

“It’s the people inside that make this house very special.”

For her, a great home is a place that can provide feelings of security and safety for the people living inside.

“No matter where I travel, I only feel safe and happiest when I’m at home.”