Colour with a place to belong.

The observation

In IFDM’s 6 November coverage, British-Nigerian artist and designer Yinka Ilori uses colour, pattern and sculptural forms in Chasing the Sun, the Veuve Clicquot lounge at Downtown Design 2026. The report frames the installation around meeting and conviviality. This is one designer’s event project, not evidence that a particular colour is becoming dominant in Jakarta homes.

For a Jakarta home

Name the moment you want to emphasise. A conversation chair, a breakfast corner and a family games area have different relationships to the rest of the home. A strong accent can mark one of them, but it should not become an obstacle to changing the room later. Begin with a movable piece or fabric sample before committing to a large fixed surface.

Work from the materials that are staying. Place the proposed colour beside the actual floor, stone and timber finishes, then look at the combination in daylight and under the evening lighting. A sample that feels rich against pale paper may become muddy beside a warm brown surface. Compare the samples in the intended position rather than relying on a phone screen.

Repeat with restraint. A small note in a cushion, artwork or object may connect a coloured chair to another view across the room. Matching every accessory usually removes the sense of discovery. Leave enough quiet surface around the accent for its shape and texture to be noticed.

For couples combining possessions in a new home, colour can be negotiated through placement. Keep a favourite object in the room where it is most enjoyed, then develop the nearby palette around it. Agreement on a few meaningful elements is more useful than choosing a fashionable colour that neither person particularly likes.

Try a reversible first step

Photograph the room from its main doorway, then place the sample in the intended position and photograph it again under the same conditions. Use the images to discuss balance with the designer, while keeping the physical sample as the final reference. A colour decision should remain convincing when the room is being used, not only when it is styled.

Before you specify

Its yellow seating illustrates a focused residential accent; it does not document the installation’s palette or materials. Assess upholstery care, light exposure and replacement options for the exact fabric before ordering.