MYTHIC ORIGINS

Lilith House, a sprawling mansion in Surabaya, is designed to meld the family's Chinese roots with stunning examples of Indonesian craftsmanship

- Karen Tee

A home is often a reflection of its owners’ personalities and backgrounds, so when an Indonesian family embarked on a renovation project, their designer knew exactly what to do. Founder of BK Studio Budi Kurniawan saw this project as the ideal opportunity to showcase Eastern touches such as decorative chinoiserie elements alongside exquisite artisanal details that were specially created by local craftsmen.

The sprawling 18,298 sq ft home is located in one of the most prestigious mansion clusters in West Surabaya and overlooks a beautiful golf course. Additionally, the homeowners, who run a fashion business and have three grown-up sons, wished to pay homage to the heart and soul of the family—the mother.

LADY OF THE HOUSE

To achieve this, Kurniawan, who specialises in offering a bespoke, hands-on approach to each of his projects, drew inspiration from the mythical female character, Lilith, to bring the refurbishment of the family abode to life.

“If Lilith were to exist in this world, you would identify her in the characteristics of the lady of the house—strong and focused, yet loving. She is the centre of the home, where this residence not only fulfils her needs but those of family as well,” he explains.