Hollywood glam: Jane Seymour and Michael Amini visit Indonesia to promote their newest collections that emulate the lifestyle of Hollywood stars.

They often appear on TV and in magazines, and soon house owners could create Hollywood-style homes of their own.

Actress Jane Seymour and California-based entrepreneur Michael Amini are in Jakarta showing off their collaborative work on nine collections of furniture that will satisfy people’s imaginations about the lifestyle of Hollywood stars.

“I love Hollywood. Everyone does,” says Amini, the CEO of Amini Innovation Corp., also known Aico, whose furniture had been sold in over 80 countries worldwide.

“Our designs resonate with people’s ideas of the Hollywood lifestyle,” he adds, referring to Seymour with whom he has worked for seven years.

The collections come with names such as “Hollywood Swank”, “Platine De Royale” and “After 8”. These are among the company’s well-received pieces and are luxurious in tone.

Large and leathered upholstered furniture, intricate carvings on mirrors, dining tables and embossed silken bedspreads in tusk white or metallic glitz come from what Amini dubs “Jane’s exquisite taste”.

British-born Seymour says she never had a formal education in design, but as an impecunious child growing up she got used to making everything by herself and soon enough mastered embroidery, crochet and knitting.

“People would ask: ‘Why are you suddenly designing now?’ Well, I started a company when I was 15, selling Chinese-style embroidered see-through blouses,” says Seymour, now 65.

“When I had my own home, I used to be clever at finding antiques and wall art […] whenever I sold a house, people would buy it with everything in it. I just walked away with my clothes. I have a natural kind of taste that people like.”

She painted and designed her Open Hearts jewelry line when 12 years ago she was invited to design a collection of beddings and table tops by a major furniture store in America, just like the sort of things that she made for her Malibu home.

“It was very successful and after that I was inclined to work with furniture because without furniture there would be nothing to put the decoration on. That was when I was invited to meet Amini, whom I knew by reputation, and he was interested to have woman’s perspective in the design.”

According to them, designing the furniture took a long time to mature as they went back and forth, exchanging ideas they picked up from various places they traveled to and from old ideas they re-invented.

“We also spent time talking with the customers. I guess that’s the reason why our designs are successful. Because we listen to our customers,” says Amini, 58, formerly an electrical engineer who designed circuit boards.

His educational background might have affected his decision to equip the furniture with USB drives and adaptors as well as power plugs and Seymour has added hidden compartments to add value to a piece of furniture.

“We bring a lot more than beautiful furniture. In addition to being beautiful, they are practical, of good quality and have a lot of value,” says Amini.

Seymour and Amini talked to the press during the launch of Malinda Furniture Gallery’s new theme “Hollywood Lifestyle” in Kemang, South Jakarta, in mid May. Their collections, displayed under a “Hollywood Glam” sign, are available in the showroom in Kemang and at the flagship store in Slipi, West Jakarta.

During the event, Seymour and Amini also signed books on home design and home decoration. The proceeds from the book sales will be donated to the Rachel House Foundation, an organization that provides palliative care for children in Indonesia.

Seymour says she has an emotional attachment to Indonesia where her mother, Dutch-national Mieke van Tricht, once lived as a nurse for the Red Cross.

Her mother lived in Bandung, West Java, but was later imprisoned during the Japanese occupation and moved to Bogor and then later to Jakarta.

“I brought my mother back to the places she once lived in, to the cultures she loved 20 years ago before she passed away in 2007,” says Seymour, who is also a collector of batik and casually wears a kebaya over jeans.

The Bond girl and two-time Golden Globe best actress devotes much of her time these days to her art. She also does public speaking in relation to her Open Hearts Foundation, which supports art, education, health and sports charities as well as produce films.

“If I can be creative every day, I’m a happy camper.”

Amini, who has Aico factories in many parts of Asia, including one in Surabaya, admires the craftsmanship of local talent.

“I work extremely hard, 18 to 20 hours a day; travel eight months a year and hang around with people like me. But if you love what you do, you don’t have to work a day in your life. I love what I do because I believe that what I bring to the table is people’s dream. I’m happy to bring a small portion of my talent and passion to people’s homes.

“Everybody loves to live in a beautiful environment, like a Hollywood star. I’m lucky to meet Jane. Ours is the longest celebrity relationship in the furniture industry and we have a lot in store in the future.”

— Photos by Jerry Adiguna

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Making yourself at home

Reality check: Large and leathered upholstered furniture, intricately carved mirrors, dining tables and embossed silken bedspreads in tusk white or metallic glitz are some of the characteristics of the Aico brand.

Dynamic duo: Actress Jane Seymour poses with California-based entrepreneur Michael Amini, the CEO of Amini Innovation Corp., also known Aico, during their visit to Indonesia to promote Aico. The company’s furniture has been sold in over 80 countries worldwide.

JANE SEYMOUR
“I’m an artist. I take ideas from texture, images, nature, architecture — things I like to bring into my home. I like to have pieces that inspire me lying around the house.

For me, furniture is like a blank canvas onto which I can add color and excitement.

There are many different cultures in my home. I have Buddhist statues, Balinese art, African art, beadings, things from India, antiques from England, although not necessarily crammed in the same room.

But it would be very interesting to mix up something very Indonesian next to something very Hollywood. Most of the houses in Malibu now are in the Indonesian style while it used to be Tuscan. It’s interesting to see it’s coming to that culture.”


MICHAEL AMINI
“First thing to consider in home design is the furniture proportion to room size; next is color coordination.

Besides furniture, there are many things that can give out warmth and style to a house such as rugs, wall art and other accessories, including the lights.

A simple thing like changing the color of the walls, and changing the pillow to match the color of the walls, could totally transform the house.

You have to think about the whole picture, not only the furniture. It needs talent, which some may have although they may not realize it.”

— JP/Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak

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