Rumah Tentrem Appears Humble Outside, Yet Charming Inside

Located on a narrow lot with only 5-metre front width and 17-metre in length, Rumah Tenrem appears as a humble one-storey house that disguises the charming, functional two-storey house at the posterior part. The roof itself adapts to the intentional humble appearance with its lower height facing upfront and rising backwards as the result of the second floor's presence, giving a distinctive aesthetics dimension to the house.

The front part of the house features a carport with red brick pavement that leads to the side entrance with seating area at the right side of the house. The entrance reveals a spacious open-layout space, encompassing the living room, inner courtyards, stairs, dining room, kitchen, and laundry area in a unified compartment. The bathroom is available upfront, in parallel with the west entrance made of glass door.

The blue and white patterned tile floor in the living room offers an interesting visual touch and highlights the uniqueness of the room. The combination of many elements in the open-layout space reflects the synergy of material references given by the client, presenting design challenges that ultimately results in a unique, aesthetic unity.

In the middle of the open space is the inner courtyard. It holds a Tabebuia aurea tree that provides shades, accompanied by bench seats for various activities such as relaxing, working, having family discussions, or hanging out with guests.

At the back of the open space, there is a kitchen and dining table in a bar style. The stairs is placed at the far right side of the open space, leading straight to the second floor. The space under the stairs is utilised for the laundry area, ensuring an efficient arrangement for the utility purposes.

Going up, the second floor features a bar-style lounge, creating an intimate atmosphere for deep discussions and late night talks. The starry night view can be enjoyed from this lounge, enhancing the cosy ambiance. The semi-open roof provides natural lighting, views, and air circulation inside the house.

The back part of the house accommodates the private rooms such as master bedroom, children bedroom, and hobbies or sports room for the children. The master bedroom is adjacent to a small backyard which functions as the main access to the bedroom. There is also an ensuite bathroom of the master bedroom, located at the right corner of the house. The overall layout inside the house is designed with carefully planned continuity and cohesion.

In Javanese language, tentrem means in harmony, tranquillity, and balance. Although appearing as a humble house from the outside, Rumah Tentrem is still adequate and charming enough inside to live up to its name: a tranquil house with balanced harmony.