FEB’18 FAVORITES

Another monthly favs! Here are my top picks from this month:

 

[Mango Black Denim Jacket – IDR 599.000]

I’m a bit picky when it comes to denim jackets. There are tons of options out there, but finding the right fitted one is usually based on pure luck, lol. It’s either a hit or miss. This black denim jacket is currently one of my go-to outerwears.. very well-fitted & it has inner pockets to store your cellphone (also can be used to sneak your snacks into the movie theatre, if you wish)!

 

[Mercy for Animals by Nathan Runkle – IDR 378.000 Periplus Online]

If you’re curious on what’s happening inside farmed animals factory, read this book. It exposes farmed animal cruelty from some of the biggest meat & poultry producers in the world. Various undercover footage stories makes it more surreal, eye-opening, and horror – all at the same time.

 

[Bibigo Crispy Dumplings Kimchi & Tofu – IDR 65.000 Grand Lucky Senopati]

Been craving for some crispy dumplings/ kwotie… but since I don’t eat meat anymore, I have to find other options. I even tried youtube-ing “how to make vegetarian potstickers” but meh, I found it too complicated & time consuming to actually make it from scratch HAHA. So then I tried this frozen vegetarian potstickers from Bibigo and it taste ah-ma-zing! Definitely gonna stock up these goodies in my fridge.

 

[Cultured Vegan Butter, Vegan Mozzarella Cheese, Vegan Parmesan Cheese by Madre – IDR 65,000 Club Sehat]

Sooo starting from this year, I decided to go ‘vegan for a day’ on valentine’s day. I suppose since valentine is all about love, why not celebrate it with veganism (#CrueltyFree)! I then successfully convinced my husband to have a vegan valentine’s dinner & we ended up celebrating val’s with some home-cooked vegan baked lasagna & crispy mushrooms, cooked using these vegan condiments. Taste okay tbh, but most importantly, you feel like you’re making a difference, even just a little 🙂

 

[WACOM Intuos Art Black Pen & Touch Tablet – IDR 1.830.000 Mangga Dua] 

Okay, I’ve been taking digital imaging classes for the past few weeks. As a beginner, I opted to buy this small wacom tablet because it’s portable & compatible for both Mac/Windows. Very useful if you’re into digital art 🙂

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That’s all for February.. see you next month!
Also, thanks for taking your time to read my blog 🙂

 

JANUARY’18 FAVORITES

 

Starting 2018 with some of my fav things…

 

[Small Faux Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree – AU$30 Target – similar here]

First, let me do a quick confession. I KILLED my fiddle-leaf fig tree. I tried everything to revive the plant and NOTHING WORKS. I think it was mainly because I live in an apartment with no terrace/balcony/good airflows (blame it on the ecosystem! #excuses) ..that’s why when I stumbled upon this small artificial fiddle-leaf fig tree during my Melbourne trip, I bought it right away! (fake it till you make it, right?!) even if that means I have to think of a way to carry it all the way from Melbourne to Jakarta.. I figured since the size is not that big, it’s still doable (my husband was totally in disbelief when I said I wanted to buy & carry it home haha). If there’s a will there’s a way right?

 

[Large Hour Glass – AU$12 Target]

When you own a house or an apartment, you will always have the urge to fill up your house with home decorations. For me, I like to purchase home goods when I travel to new places in hopes that it’ll add different characters/vibes to my space. Well in this case, I couldn’t miss this hour glass because it’s so frikin’ CHEAP! And yes, it’s super fragile.. that’s why I hand-carried it all the way to Jakarta! Priorities right?

 

[Concrete planter with wooden stand – AU$30 Target – similar here]

Did I ever tell u that I’m obsessed with Target store? They have such great affordable home goods! I saw this concrete planter & I thought it suits my faux fiddle-leaf fig tree perfectly. I wrapped this concrete planter very carefully inside my luggage so that I can bring it home. And yes, it arrived safely in one piece because I’m such a good packer (giving myself a pat on the shoulder for that!)

 

[Morgan & Finch, Chunky Tassel Throw, Stone – AU$69.95 Bed BathN’ Table ]

A perfect addition to my Netflix & Chill sessions at home! This blanket throw is so fluffy & comfy at the same time. The white ivory color complements my grey sofa.. feels very homey but still minimal looking. Now I can binge watch anything without getting cold at all!

 

[Shower Speaker, Concrete – AU$29 Typo AU] 

Raise your hand if you’re a bathroom singer! This waterproof bluetooth speaker has a suction cup & can be sticked to most solid surfaces. I sticked mine inside my shower cube so I can sing along Selena Gomez songs while taking my shower! lol. The quality of the sound is just okay… but the fact it’s waterproof & affordable is just wow. Also, it comes with different colors & patterns. I chose the concrete color just bcos is very minimal looking & suits my marble wall.

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That’s all for January! See you next month 🙂

DECEMBER’17 FAVORITES

 

Pardon for the late post.. been traveling non stop for the last few months.
I did a campervan trip in New Zealand for a month! what a perfect way to end 2017 right? 😀 Anyways.. here’s me sharing some of my travel essentials..

 

[PacSafe Backpacker LX350 – Rp 914,640 Travelogue Gandaria City]

Buying this backpack gotta be one of the smartest decision I’ve ever made! I needed a backpack for my one month roadtrip & this is the perfect choice imo! It has a detachable front pocket that can be turned to a small crossbody bag/ fanny pack (I use the crossbody bag quite often! trust me, it’s VERY USEFUL). It has a laptop compartment & overall just the right size for my body (the bag doesn’t look bulky at all!). The cool thing about this backpack is that it has RFIDsafe blocking pocket which helps prevent data theft (credit cards/e-passport/ID) and the bag’s fabric is embedded with some stainless steel wire mesh that protects you from a quick slash-and-run theft. This was another steal because I bought the bag during a  midnight sale (40%+20% off from original price Rp 1.4 mio). Time to say goodbye to my black JanSport aka my college backpack from 10 yrs ago!

 

[Sony RX100 Mark V  – Rp 14.999.000 Sony Indonesia]

Been looking for some compact yet powerful pocket camera.. so prior for my New Zealand trip, I did some intense research (I literally spend gazillion hours of  my life watching YouTube reviews, reading blogs, and asking opinions from my photographer friends). I ended up choosing Sony RX100V because it has a flip screen (#VloggerApproved lol), good autofocus, good image stabilization, amazing photo quality, includes a pop-up viewfinder, slomo feature, aaaaand the camera size is very compact (perfect for traveling!). Some people told me to buy mirrorless camera, but then I asked myself “Would I be willing to spend extra money for some expensive lenses?” Nah, don’t think so. HAHA. so that’s basically how I ended up with my SonyRX100V. It’s a bit fragile though, I ended up scratching my camera body after my NZ trip (oh well, clumsy me). I must say that it takes some time for me to understand the whole aperture/shutter/ISO thingy.. (photography world is new to me!!) haha but y’know, I get the big picture.. Overall, very satisfied with my camera!

 

[MeFoto Classic Aluminium Backpacker Travel Tripod Kit, Titanium – $139 Amazon]

The reason I bought this tripod is because I wanted to do some astrophotography during my NZ trip. The main thing I love about this tripod is its compactness.. very lightweight (only 1.2kg!) & very compact (32cm when folded), plus it comes with a good quality sling bag. Definitely recommend this brand, especially for backpackers!

 

[Vintage Camera Neck Shoulder Strap in Grey – Rp 40.000 Tokopedia]

Decided to buy one because my camera doesn’t come with a neck strap. Searched online everywhere and finally found one with strap that’s short enough for me (#shortpeopleproblem)! I opted for the dark grey because it’s a versatile color and can go with almost any of my outfit. It’s very affordable as well! The quality is really good & very comfy to wear across my neck.

 

[Muji Polyester Cube Mesh Pouch – JPY 700 Muji Japan] 

I used to just put my earphones in a pouch along with my lipbalms/ hair ties/ compact mirror/ other random stuffs… but then I hate it when it gets all tangled & the earbuds (the tips part) sometimes get so dusty that it makes your ears itchy when you wear it #ewww right?! That’s why I decided to buy a pouch & dedicate it just for my earphones! This Muji cube mesh pouch is the perfect size to store your earphones & its puffiness will guard the cable so it won’t get squished around when stored inside your bag. Who wants a dirty earphones? I certainly don’t!

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That’s all for my #traveledition post! See you next month 🙂

NOVEMBER’17 FAVORITES

Here comes my November favs!

[Bvlgari Men’s Perfume Pour Homme Eau De Toilette –  $41.46 / IDR 600,000]

First of all, Yes, I wear men’s perfume. Why not right? Haha. Literally OBSESSED with this perfume scent that I’m on my 3rd bottle already! Truth is, I came across this scent because my ex was wearing this perfume at the time LOL. Long story short, I loved how it smell so much that I started using it since then. Well I tried different perfumes along the way (Chanel Chance, Hermes 24 Faubourg, Ralph Lauren, etc) but nothing really impress me & I always ended up buying another bottle of Bvlgari Pour Homme EDT. A classic scent of fresh, powder, and clean soap – definitely not the type of scent that makes people sneeze lol.

 

[Muji Fragrance Set Fruity  – JPY 1,490 / IDR 180,000 Muji]

Another obsession right here. I FRIKIN’ love MUJI fruity fragrance scent. Have I told you that I’m obsessed with all MUJI products in general? This particular scent is my favorite thing from their Muji Home line so far. During my last trip to Tokyo, I think I spent a total of 4 hours in Muji store alone (my husband had to drag me out of the store, literally). I know there are Muji stores in Jakarta, but it’s not as complete as their Japan stores, plus it’s waaaaaaay cheaper to shop there compared in Jakarta. I even bought 7 bottles of this fruity scents so that I can stock up & have this scent in every single room in my apartment. It’s THAT GOOD. Ohhh I love coming home to this scent..

 

[Headspace – FREE Apps]

“Brilliant things happen in calm minds.” That is so true. Sometimes our minds get so crowded & stressful – especially when you live in a city like Jakarta where traffic is just BLAH. I have such a hard time focusing/multitasking and feel overwhelmed at times, or even over-thinking/over-stressing stuffs! Then one day I came across this app called HEADSPACE, tried it for a week, and I LOVED IT. You just need to spare as little as 3 mins a day & meditate using the podcast. Trust me, you’ll feel different. A little bit happier, calmer, and content.. at least that’s how I feel 🙂

 

[Nike Women’s Free Run Flyknit – JPY 12,000 / IDR 1,448,100 Nike]

Been looking for a running AND everyday sneakers for quite a while. At first I’m a bit hesitant to buy a black sneakers…bcoz it will make my legs shorter (than it already is!).. I know it’s weird, but I always think that white sneakers will make my legs longer hahaha. Anyways, I ended up buying the FR Flyknit. My verdict: Super comfy! it fits my feet like a glove, and it got pointy front so it gives me longer leg kinda illusion. Plus I think black sneaker with white sole is making a come back. WELL, U GOTTA GO WITH THE TREND RIGHT??

 

[Shiseido Baby Powder Pressed Medicated – JPY 290 / IDR 35,000 Don Quijote] 

Currently I’m using this pressed powder for my setting powder. It’s light, doesn’t contain harsh chemicals, and overall it does its job really good. There’s a reason why it’s called baby powder right? The ingredients must be very safe even for baby butts! I bought mine during my trip to Tokyo, you can pretty much find this powder in every cosmetic store in Japan, aaaand it’s super affordable!

 

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That’s all for November.. see you next month!

OCTOBER’17 FAVORITES

Again, sorry for the late & inconsistent post.. better late than never right? 🙂
Anyways, here’s my October Favs!

 

[Browhaus Extend Lash & Brow Serum – S$95.23 Browhaus Singapore]

This one right here is def one of my HOLYGRAIL beauty products! I’ve been using this product for over 5 years & this stuff really works! To use this serum, run the applicator tip across the lash line like eyeliner (sometimes I use it on my brows too). Apply it daily right before bed for 2 weeks max (do it once every 6 months or whenever you feel like you need to regrow your lashes).. because otherwise your lashes will be crazy long – it’ll keep growing to a certain length that I feel is not normal #truestory. It’s non-irritating, safe to use on your eyes (usually you’ll wake up with some eye boogers the next morning lol no big deal right?) aaaaand most importantly, you’ll end up with long luscious lashes in just 2-3 weeks! Now that I’m wearing eyelash extension, I still use this serum 1 week before my next refill so I can regrow my lashes that have fallen out during my extensions. A lil’ bit of side note, the serum will kinda mess up your extension glue, so make sure you do it a week before your next refill. I usually bought the extend lash at Browhaus Singapore because they usually have the “Buy 2 get the 2nd one 50% off” promo – pretty good deal, right?!

 

[Selfie Ring Light – IDR 50,000 Tokopedia]

Still can’t get over the fact we can’t use flash when doing selfies/instastory with our front phone camera. Worry not, now you can use this portable ring light! Simply attach this selfie ring light to your phone & adjust the brightness as you like. Batteries are not needed, you can simply recharge the ring light using the USB charger that comes with it. #SELFIEGAMESTRONG 💪

 

[Longchamp Brown Cognac Leather ‘Le Pliage’ Mini Tote – approx $300 La Vallée Village, Paris] 

I usually prefer large bags over small purse/totes, just because I have so many junks with me that I need to carry it with me everywhere I go! However lately I don’t feel like carrying 2 heavy bags with me (1 heavy laptop bag is enough for me), so I decided to start using this small tote, and guess what, I secretly loving it! This mini tote is actually a good decent size that can fit your essential stuffs. Plus, this Longchamp bag is not the usual nylon type.. it kinda annoys me that I always have to put some insert bags to my regular Longchamp nylon totes otherwise all of my stuffs will be in a huge mess & it feels like a blackhole everytime I try to retrieve something from my bag. This particular ‘le pliage’ style has a sturdy firm leather base and it’s so versatile for my everday use.
MY FIRST MINI TOTE BAG THAT I ACTUALLY USE! ❤

 

[Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask – IDR 250,000 ‎Sogo]

Dry & chapped lips has always been my problem. I hate the fact that every time I try to apply some liquid/matte lipstick that my lips feel so dry & doesn’t look smooth as it’s supposed to be.. Also, I don’t drink enough water & too lazy to wear lip balm everyday. So then I decided to try this lip sleeping mask thingy ( I wear it twice a week before bed) & I really like the scent.. it’s like bubblegum/berry flavor.. taste kinda sweet.. (not that I intentionally try to eat the mask.. but you know, you kinda taste it eventually.. and it taste good! ). It also comes with a mini spatula so you can apply the mask in a hygienic way (not with your dirty fingers). Wanna wake up with a luscious & super moist lips? yes now you can!

 

 [Alien Coffee Mug – IDR 140,000 Kinokuniya Plaza Senayan]

Who needs an alien mug? I certainly do! (PS: for those who know me well, they all know that I’m obsessed with alien/UFO thingy..) nuff said.

 

 

SEPTEMBER’17 FAVORITES

Welcome to my fav month of the year – a.k.a my birthday month, whoop whoop!
Here are my September favs:

[Muji Light Toning Water –  IDR 149.000]

One of my Japanese friends told me that Muji make good skincare products. Hearing that statement from a local makes me wanna try the product even more (lol curious me..) I then decided to try Muji Light Toning Water & honestly I’m liking the product so far! It’s pretty affordable & it hydrates my skin (usually toner gives you a squeaky clean effect, but not hydrating feeling). Plus it’s also suitable for sensitive skin. I’m starting to think that all Japanese products are legit quality stuffs, amirite?

 

[Macbook Pro 2017 13″ Non Touch Bar, Space Grey  – IDR 19.999.999]

Last time I bought a laptop was in 2008 (good ol’ uni years!) & so I decided that it’s about time to get a new one (for my birthday 😀 ) so I can do more stuffs remotely & not having to rely on my husband’s laptop or my PC back at home/office. After weighing several options, I decided to get the newest Macbook Pro. Despite its premium price, they look so much better compared to other brands & their design is just sleek! I opted for the Non Touch Bar because it’s cheaper & I honestly think that the touch bar is just another gimmick Apple’s trying to sell. The bad thing about this laptop is that it only offers USB-C/ Thunderbolt port so you have to buy a separate dongle for USB 3.0 port.

 

[Laptop Leather Sleeve Multipurpose – IDR  92.000] 

Bought this leather sleeve online so freakin’ cheap! I honestly didn’t expect anything fancy as i need something to protect my laptop ASAP. But when I received the item, I’m pretty impressed with the quality! It looks expensive & the material looks good too! Plus you can use the sleeve as your mousepad – so multifunctional!

 

[Oil Burner – IDR 100.000 Alila Spa Seminyak, Bali]

I’ve been searching this particular type of oil burner everywhere! Now let me tell you, I’ve been using different kinds of oil burners & none of them burn oils the right way. I figured that the most important part is the bowl depth (the deeper the bowl, the better & longer it will burn the oils). The bowl depth for this particular burner is around 8cm, with a diameter of 12cm – it’s way bigger than the regular burners, so it’s able to hold lots of oils & won’t splash the oils when it’s getting too hot.

 

[Birkenstock Eva, Madrid – IDR 495.000]

Classic Birkenstock will never disappoint you. Been looking for a versatile sandals & later I found these pair of Black Birkenstock Eva. It’s waterproof, super lightweight, and great for the gym/ the beach. Very minimalist & comfortable at the same time!

AUGUST’17 FAVORITES

Another monthly favs! Here are my top picks:

[Biore UV Aqua Rich Sunscreen-  IDR 200.000 Watson ]

They basically say that “you can spend millions worth of skincare products, but if you don’t wear sunscreen, everything will be pointless!” I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little bit behind with the sunscreen concept. Now that I’m already in my late 20s, i realized how important sunscreen is to our skincare routine. So far I’m liking this sunscreen bcoz it’s water based, very light wearing (not greasy at all), and it doesn’t clog your pores.

 

[Nexcare Acne Patch  – IDR 31.000 Century]

This is definitely my holy grail for acne treatment! I’ve tried different acne creams/gels/solutions (including Mario Badescu’s famous drying lotion!), but nothing exactly does wonders for me. These “acne stickers” are made from flexible material called hydrocolloid, which help to absorb excess fluid/pus/oily secretion while protecting the zits from trauma – touching with your finger – which effectively allows faster healing. It also has helped flattened my big pus-filled acne overnight!

 

[Shisheido Stage Works Powder Shake – IDR  260.000 @theparlour_indo] 

My hairdresser suggested this awesome powder shake spray. Not only you’ll get the perfect beach wave hair texture using this product, but it also gives volume to your styled hair, plus it smells amazing too!

 

[Ace Hardware Cleaning Caddy – IDR 60.000]

Get organized in style! Keeping your house clean is so much easier when all the cleaning supplies are in one place. This caddy is perfect for easily carrying cleaning products around the house and for neatly storing them.

 

[Vivere Tapper Candle Holder Stoney – IDR 78.000]

Can’t. Resist. Concrete. Decor. Stuffs.
These candle holders are so minimal & industrial looking! Such a bargain (look at the price!) because you know what, it’s actually made of ceramic (not concrete)!

JULY’17 FAVORITES

Another monthly favs! Here are my top picks from this month:

[The subtle art of not giving a f*ck –  IDR 256.000]

A counter-intuitive approach to living a good life. One thing I’ve learned from this book is to “choose your fucks wisely.” – WORD.

 

[Rollover Reaction SUEDED lip & cheek cream – IDR 129.000]

Forget Kylie lip kits & try this local brand! Not that I’m against Kylie Lip kits (i love Dolce K), but RR provides a better texture & you can use it as your lip cream, blush on, and eyeshadow. It’s perfect for your everyday use, quite long lasting, and super affordable. Plus, I’m currently obsessed with OMBRE lips effect, so this has been one of my Go-To beauty products! I usually wear LUCY (on the outer lip) & LIVV/UMMA (on the inner lip). MOSS & SALLY are my other favs too!

 

[The Daily Stoic: 366 meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and The Art of Living – IDR 363.000] 

A nice way to start your day in the morning! “One page a day, keeps your negativity away” – this book is meant to be read one day at a time, it’s simple yet uplifting. It provides lessons about personal growth, life management, and practicing mindfulness.

 

[Pop socket – IDR 4.000]

Trust me, it’s a better option than a ring holder. Normally these kind of pop sockets are being sold around 50k-75k each, but lemme tell you where i got mine… tokopedia! for only 4k each! I bought a bunch of them and gave it away for my fam members cos it’s so cheap! I bought myself a simple grey colored one so I can put stickers on top of it. Soooo useful and looks CUTE AF ❤

 

[Double-sided Pill Box – IDR 25.000 Daiso]

The perfect pill container for those of you who has allergies/ who gets sick easily! It’s a double sided box with a total of 7 compartments, making it easy for you to bring different kind of meds. I literally bring this wherever i go. Put this inside your purse & you can pop your pills anytime anywhere! (why does it sounds so wrong though?)

Apartment Home Decor (AFTER)

After months of decorating and shopping for home goods, finally i can call this apartment ‘my home sweet home’.

First of all, I’d like to personally thank Billie (my contractor), Linda & Melvin from @helloembryo (my interior designer) for fulfilling my dream apartment! Also thanks for capturing these amazing shots @mariowibowophotography! Last but not least, special recognition to my little furry model @tokyotheyorkie ❤

Welcome to my apartment home tour!

Foyer

An instant warm and cozy feeling when you first enter the space..

Entrance from foyer

Living room area + home office corner

Having hardwood floors definitely has its good and bad sides. Well the good thing is that it frickin’ look amazing in real life! so pinterest! LOL #Truestory : few of my friends who visited my apartment for the very 1st time told me that they feel like walking through a coffee shop / bar lounge lol (not a typical indonesian home – hence NOT MAINSTREAM). Now the bad thing is that if you have kids/pets, they will literally destroy everything. NEVER use hardwood floors if you have kids/pets. PERIOD. It scratches easily (esp if you have kids/pets running around) and water/any liquid spill is a big NO NO. So you better make up your mind before deciding to stick with hardwood floors, whether it’s worth the hassle or not. As for me right now, having hardwood floors with herringbone pattern is EVERYTHING ❤

@tokyotheyorkie fav’s corner

For the TV console, we decided to incorporate wood element & minimalist style, with versatile opening/closing.

TV console (open)

TV console (close)

Dining area

Another statement piece would be this solid wood dining table, made from “Trembesi Wood” – it just screams SCANDI.

Open kitchen & dining area

From what I’ve learned while doing my own home decor, plants really make a difference! If you feel like you’ll ended up killing real plants, then just simply buy fake plants – it’ll still gives a pop of color and pleases the eyes at the same time!

#Shelfies

So I told my designer to create something unique and cool for the guest bathroom. Why? because guests will use it often & I want them to feel comfortable and inspired at the same time. So thoughtful of me, right? 🙂 Plus, I kinda want to impress my guests tbh haha.

Guest Bathroom

Herringbone statuario marble pattern – basically this is such a pain in the ass to work with. Fyi, this bathroom took the longest out of the entire renovation process! Every time i visited the site to check in with the progress, the workers always gave me that “look what have you done. YOU’RE TORTURING US” look. But oh well, it’s worth it! 3 P – “Patience, Persistence, & Perseverance” screams all over my guest bathroom walls LOL. Can’t be more happier with the final result!

Herringbone marble pattern – TO DIE FOR

Aisle between master bedroom & walk-in closet

White brick walls & Concrete walls – I’ve always had a thing for white bricks & concrete walls, so i said ‘why not having both of them in the master bedroom?’ Scores!

Master bedroom

Walk-in closet with open wardrobe system – against all odds (my mom’s never-ending rants about how unhygienic it will be & all the dusts involved later on).. I decided to still have open wardrobe closets – cos if not now, when? before having kids and all that, let’s just experience having a bachelor-pad kinda vibe. YOLO right?

Walk-in closet with open wardrobe system

So that’s all. Hope you enjoy my apartment tour. There are a few rooms that I didn’t post here (guest bedroom, master bathroom, and laundry room). Maybe I’ll post it next time? We’ll see.

Anyway, here’s the vendor list I use (incase you’re wondering/ you’re just being snoopy) :

• Contractor : Billie Woen (best decision ever) – pm me if you want his contact number (indonesia based)
• Interior Designer : Hello Embryo (it’s like finding your spouse – deep inside, you need to feel like it’s “THE ONE”) – @helloembryo (indonesia & singapore based)
• Built-in furnitures : Hamdani (custom)
• L-shaped sofa: Homedecor Fatmawati (custom)
• Curtains : Homedecor Fatmawati, Interni (custom)
• Solid wood dining table & side tables : Accupunto
• Master bedframe : Ethnic craft
• Dining chairs : Informa
• Marble slabs : somewhere in Sunter area i think
• Hardwood floor : Armani Parquet
• Ceramics : Venus, Wisma Sehati
• Bathroom appliances : Toto
• Lightning : Laluce, Informa
• Fridge : Hitachi
• Stove & Oven : Bosch
• Cooker hood : Ariston
• Air conditioner : Daikin
• Washer machine : LG
• Dryer machine : Electrolux
• Mattress : Serta 
• Coffee table & Bar stools : IKEA
• Artprints : www.etsy.com

Feel free to drop me a message if you have any questions.

Happy decorating!

 

-JL

Apartment Home Transformation (BEFORE)

Me and my husband got married in January 2016. Prior to our wedding day, we only got approx 8 months to renovate & move to our new apartment home. It was a long and fun journey, you know.. planning for wedding & new home at the same time.. mini heart attacks here and there for sure.

Long story short, we decided to do a full renovation. Although our apartment building is old on the outside & interior wise (classic roman themed), but overall it’s pretty legit- meaning that the developers who made the apartment really took their time using all quality stuffs, not like those new developers who prefer quantity over quality.

So moving on to the renovating & decorating part – which is the most exciting part! 🙂 My design taste is leaning towards industrial, scandinavian/nordic, dark bold colors (grey/black), marble, brass, dim lights, coffee/lounge ambiance, and loft kind vibes. While william’s taste is more like wood/earthy tones, light & bright colors, airy, simple and functional. So after tons of disagreements & cat fights, we decided to act like adults, put our negotiation skills to use, and try to find the middle ground (you’ll definitely learn to accept & let go your ego at this stage lol)

Here’s the before pictures…

 

kitchen area

living room area

master bedroom

(Pictures above: living room, kitchen, master bedroom)

 

Some of our major hauls we did to the apartment:

• Extended the ceiling height for the entire space – this changed the vibe immediately, making it more spacey and flowy.
• Made deep ceiling cove lights on both bedrooms, living room, and dining area (we use the maximum height).
• Changed the marble flooring to hardwood flooring (except the bathrooms, kitchen & laundry area)
• Merged 2 rooms into 1 master bedroom – my dream walking closet came true!
• The kitchen space used to be confined with frame walls & it has that ugly retro tiles (eww). When we opened up the kitchen area, the apartment looks bigger instantly!

 

 

(Pictures above: kitchen, bathroom, dining area)

 

The renovation ended up making it quite on time. Although we had to spend the first week sleeping at my mom-in-laws’ house due to our bed frame’s late delivery, we managed to move to our apartment the following week.

As a new apartment-home owner, I’m glad we’re living in an apartment. I think it’s the best way to live as a newlywed couple, considering I’m not ready for any “maid drama” (indo peeps, you know what I’m talking about right? haha).  Currently we have 2 on-call maids who come once/twice a week & work for 4 hrs a day. Later when we have kids, we’ll def have a maid or two, but for now, privacy is number one. I think that on our first year of marriage, we need to settle down first with our spouse, be an independent home/apartment owner, and have enough privacy for both of us. Why waste our energy and time with something that isn’t our priorities, right? Try to live simple but effective at the same time.

Anyways, I’ll post the “after” pictures & my list of vendors on my next post. Stay tuned!

-JL