King of Thrones

Gani Atmadiredja has steered W. Atelier onto a new course, adding designer chairs and kitchen systems to its sanitary ware. He shares his plans for his one stop furnishing realm with  GEMMA KOH

- Gemma Koh

GANI ATMADIREDJA was in a bathtub when Prestige last photographed him seven years ago at his newly named W. Atelier along Bukit Timah Road. Today, the firm’s managing director is snapped again by the same photographer, but this time, among Arne Jacobson’s Egg and Drop chairs from iconic Danish furniture brand, Republic of Fritz Hansen.

“You’ve got that boy band look,” says our photographer. “You look 25.”

“Alamak, that was not what I’m going for,” says Atmadiredja. I think he’s trying to roll his eyes. But they’re smiling all the time.

Behind the 38-year-old’s youthful looks and trendy hairstyle, now with distinguished hints of salt and pepper, is a business-savvy that’s taken W. Atelier into a new age.

We’re shooting Atmadiredja in an adjacent unit that’s been added to accommodate kitchen systems and European furniture. This synergy with sanitary ware from Japanese brand Toto, that they only carried previously, makes complete sense. “If you are building a house, one of the first things you’ll need is sanitary ware. Kitchens are second and after that, wardrobes, furniture and lighting,” he says.

Some of the kitchens are from the family’s factory in Indonesia, which has been making kitchens for over 15 years, initially as the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for Toto in Japan. “Japanese kitchens are only used in Japan because of the small size. We told Toto we would stop doing kitchen OEM. We wanted to use the European matrix that was more suited for Singapore,” he adds.