Where to shop if you are a newly arrived Expat to Jakarta

July and August are a busy time for the expat community here in Jakarta.

With most international schools following a Northern Hemisphere timetable (typically, school starts in August and ends in June), this is the time of the year we say farewell to many old friends… and hello to new ones!

Indeed, over recent weeks, I have met several new arrivals and one of the most frequent questions they ask is “I need new furniture. Where do I go?!?!”

It makes sense really.

Many new expats come from countries where apartment living and smaller houses are the norm. Even those from countries such as Australia and America, where we tend to live in larger homes, will often see this move as a time to get rid of old furniture and non-sentimental items.

Either way, the homes here tend to be HUGE!! Even for those of us (like myself) who arrived with a 40 foot container full of household items, our new homes still somehow manage to look empty.

So, knowing where to find new furniture that fits both our budgets, tastes and future needs becomes a key milestone in settling into our new Jakarta homes.

So where do you start?

Well, in my humble opinion there are four real options, depending on your budget and tastes.

Option 1: High-end Euro-Style Stores

Most expats will find themselves living in one of the main ‘suburbs’ of South Jakarta - Kemang, Cilindak, Cipite and Perjarten are all very popular.

Perhaps not surprisingly then, this area is also home to a large number of high end, international grade furniture shops.

Centered around Jalan Kemang Raya and Jalan Benda Raya in Kemang, you will have no problems finding beautiful European-styled furniture shops, such as Arbor & Troy, Cellini, Urban Loft and Minotti, to name just a few.

These shops offer more than attractive shop fronts - they also offer some gorgeous looking large and small furniture options that can often be customised to your colour and size requirements. Prices are in keeping with ‘Western’ pricing and the styles often look like something straight out of the latest high end home furnishings magazine.

For foundation items that you expect to keep for a long time (for example sofas, beautiful lighting fixtures or dining tables), this option might be a great one for you.

Option 2: Export Grade Local Furniture Stores

This is by far my favourite category and the furniture option that tends to be my go-to.

Jakarta is a huge city, and it is not possible to list all the quality local furniture stores around. Instead, I will focus on some of my favourites, many of which are to be found once again in South Jakarta.

These stores tend to favour more ‘Indonesian-styled’ furniture, with teak and rattan being popular materials for use.

Offering modern and clean facilities, these local furniture stores differ from more traditional one-man furniture makers, in that they produce what is known as ‘export quality’ furniture. In other words, the sorts of furniture you have probably seen for sale in your own home countries. I know that in Australia, imported Indonesian furniture is hugely popular and I think every home has at least a few such items!

Some of the options for these sorts of shops include:

What I love so much about these places is that they tend to offer items that are just that little bit different, and not only do they sell furniture but also beautiful nic nacs such as placemats, dinner ware, napery, etc.

Even better, their prices are very competitive and leave money for a few unplanned purchases!

Option 3: Local craftspeople

If you have a spare few hours one day, I urge you to head over to Kemang Timur.

This street, in the heart of Kemang, is renowned for its small road-front shops that sell hand-made furniture items. Even better, this is where you can order furniture to your exact requirements. Need a new coffee table? Find a picture in a magazine and then show it to the craftsmen. There is pretty much nothing they can’t replicate.

Above: Just a few of the gorgeous items I saw (and purchased) on a recent trip to Kemang Timur.

A word of warning though (based on my own experience) - wherever possible, ask for old teak rather than new teak. Although slightly more expensive, old teak is much more solid and less likely to split or bend over time. I made the mistake early on of choosing cheaper, newer teak, and now have some regrets about those decisions!

Also, take any timeframes offered with a grain of salt. Three week quotes can sometimes mean 3 weeks, but other times can mean 8 weeks. You need to keep your sense of humour and be relaxed about completion times.

In addition to Kemang Timur, another very well known option for local craftsmen is Jepara.

A town several hundred kilometers from Jakarta, but still on the island of Java, this city is known for its furniture makers, many of whom supply international stores. Search for Jepara Furniture on Instagram, and many, many options will come up.

The one issue with having furniture made from Jepara is that you are unlikely to meet the craftspeople in person. Instead, all discussions will be had over WhatsApp. If you are comfortable with that, having furniture made in Jepara can sometime be cheaper than having it made here in Jakarta, even including transportation costs (which tend to be very small). Once again, find some pictures of furniture you like and send them via WhatsApp or Instagram to the shop.

Above: Some items I have had commissioned over the last few months, including large bookshelves and a tv unit.

However, you don’t just have to buy new furniture. One of my favourite things to do is to have existing furniture up-cycled. For example, I recently had a local craftsman completely strip down an old (no doubt Indonesian) buffet of mine that I purchased 20 years ago back in Australia. Although very functional and solidly built, the original colour of the unit was no longer to my taste.

Luckily I was able to find a local man who came to the house, collected the buffet and paint colour sample I wanted it to be painted in, and in just over a week completed the job. The ‘new’ buffet looks amazing and I get so many compliments. Better yet, it was a very inexpensive way to create what is essentially a new piece of furniture.

Image: From an initial brown heap of wood, through inspiration, to completed piece. I feel as though this piece of work has added years of enjoyment to the piece for us.

Other options

In addition to the options mentioned above, there are always solid choices to be found at large retail furniture chains. Everyone knows Ikea, but there are other local options that are also worth a look, such as Informa and Dekorma. Definitely worth a look, particularly if you are rushed for time and in need of some basics.

Final words

This list is just a taste of some of my favourite options and stores, but is absolutely not exhaustive. If you have any favourite shops, let me know below! I will be sure to check them out!