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Iron-Based Creations Make Funky Corners
Ade Mardiyati | June 11, 2010

Ade Asmara’s striking decorative iron pieces and the creator in front of his home studio. (Photos courtesy of Skala 6 Studio) Ade Asmara’s striking decorative iron pieces and the creator in front of his home studio. (Photos courtesy of Skala 6 Studio)
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Looking to add a little life to the bland corners of your house but decorations made of wood or bamboo seem a little passe? It may be time to give iron a chance.

In the skillful hands of Ade Asmara, a piece of iron sheet or even an oil filter from a truck can be turned into a striking high-end decorative piece such as a lamp or candle holder.

Working at his open-air studio in Depok, the 35-year-old architect “carves” iron sheets he purchases in Jakarta. Assisted by five employees, he then paints the finished pieces, usually black, and combines them with high-quality textiles to give them an elegant look.

Ade also uses car and truck oil filters he usually obtains from Astra, an automobile company, in Surabaya. “There was a time when iron sheets weren’t available on the market due to the soaring prices, so I started recycling materials so as not to stop the production,” he said.

Ade’s artistic touch is visible in the intricate details of many of his products. Significantly, he has adopted traditional patterns from a number of regions in the country such as Lampung, Java and Bali, but usually chooses flowers as the main motif for his pieces because around 70 percent of his clients are foreigners.

“They don’t seem to like animal patterns,” he said.

Ade first saw the opportunity to make decorations out of iron in 2003 when he realized that most decorative interior products on the market were made of wood, plastic and bamboo. “Iron was rarely used and displayed,” he said.

Two years after he graduated from university, Ade along with five fellow architects founded Skala 6, an architecture, interior design and furniture consulting company. When the other five members decided to return to their hometowns to develop their own projects, Ade decided to expand his business and started manufacturing iron-based decorative products.

“Turns out people liked my pieces. All the items I initially made were sold within a few days,” he said.

Ade has marketed his products in Indonesia, Dubai, Malaysia, Australia, France and Slovenia. His pieces have also captured the interest of the hospitality industry. Numerous cafes, restaurants and hotels such as the Buddha Bar in Jakarta and Jeumpa Seramau in Kuala Lumpur have displayed Ade’s products.