words tyara p hansel photography martin westlake n
n words retta oktaviani suparli
photography heri b. heryanto
Functionality at Its Best Born and based in Jakarta, Yuni Jie is the founder of Jie Design, an interior-design company whose signature style always captures understated yet elegant settings. Yuni has shown a passion for design since she was very young, as she says, “I’ve always been interested in construction toys, such as Lego. I remember I used to do a 3D modelling on a floor plan using Lego back then.” After graduating from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, in 1999, she worked for interior design firm Collins and DiMarco Architecture+Design. Yuni then continued her studies at Pratt Institute in New York, where she finished a Master’s degree in Industrial Design. In addition to working on interior-design projects for residential and commercial buildings, the designer is also currently busy preparing her own new furniture line. “Hopefully it will be ready by the end of this year.” In Yuni’s world, client satisfaction is paramount. She is aware that every client has unique needs, not just in execution and design but also in the way a personal connection is established. “Most of my clients are returning ones. I’m very selective in the sense that I prefer clients with whom I can work so closely,” she says. Educating clients is also part of her game. “I feel obligated to educate them about splurging versus saving. For instance, I always recommend them to ‘splurge’ on iconic, classic furniture, as it will last forever.” Through Yuni’s eyes, being an interior designer equals being a problem solver who can seamlessly balance functionality and aesthetics. Indeed, all the projects she has undertaken have a multitude of characters, but everything
“I just enjoy what I do and let it flow. At the end of the day, I just want to live a happy life” boils down to one statement: sleekness and timeless. “I always know when to stop when I’m designing something. It’s never overdone. For me, designing a space or product is almost the same as cooking. All the ingredients have to be just right, not too much and not too little.” To help people understand more about interior design, Yuni has also written several interor design books, including Simply Simple: 100 Modern Interior Design Tips (2006), and Contemporary Urban Living (2009). She has also had her work featured in several prestigious exhibitions and publications, including International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York and New Talent Design Annual 1999, published by Graphis Inc. When asked how she manages to balance her workload, she answers, “I just enjoy what I do and let it flow. I keep everything very simple, yet organised. At the end of the day, I just want to live a happy life.”
indonesia tatler
4
october 2012
aesthetic master
above from left to right
A dining area designed by Yuni, who puts elegance and timelessness at the heart of her creativity; A fancy and sleek living room, with a large abstract painting taking centre stage