Meet Jonathan Rachman, a self-taught, rule-breaking visionary in the world of interior design

His first monumental break in the creative world came when fashion icon Marc Jacobs walked into his shop. Impressed by Rachman’s eye for beauty, Jacobs commissioned the budding designer to create the floral designs for his San Francisco flagship store. This high-profile gig swung open the gilded doors of high society; Jacobs’s PR team and personal assistants eagerly connected Rachman to television networks and Hollywood luminaries such as Oprah and Sarah Jessica Parker. Eventually, he became one of the go-to celebrity florists and event designers. Soon enough, the elite women he encountered at these lavish parties began tracking him down, insisting that he decorate the interiors of their private homes. The rest, as they say, is history.

Despite lacking formal interior design training, Rachman approached decorating with masterful intuitiveness. He operates by one steadfast, unbreakable rule: never follow trends. To his eye, trend-chasing results in spaces that look dated, uncreative and dreadfully boring. Conversely, the one rule he gleefully shatters pertains to scale. He entirely rejects the traditional notion that small spaces require diminutive furniture; instead, he deliberately places large-scale pieces in compact spots to brilliantly cheat the room’s visual perception.

Above all, Rachman designs directly from the heart. What he wants is for a guest to walk into a room he has curated and instantly feel love, romance and passion; and, to realise the blood, sweat and tears, body and soul he has poured into every square inch of the project.

This deep emotional investment is glaringly evident in his most monumental works. Take, for instance, a landmark 1905 mansion in San Francisco’s prestigious Pacific Heights, offering sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Over the course of 14 painstaking years, Rachman transformed the historic property into a staggering 26,000-square-foot, five-storey estate—equivalent in size to ten typical houses in San Francisco. Yet, despite its massive, intimidating scale, the colossal project reinforced his belief in the absolute necessity of small, intimate corners. He ensured that no tiny vignette was overlooked, creating concentrated moments of romance that made the sweeping mansion feel exceptionally warm and cosy.

His profound reverence for history also shines through his spaces; he firmly believes modern buildings feel far too cold without the grounding, nostalgic presence of antiques and vintage objects from previous eras. Other career-defining milestones include his “April in Paris” green room, a stunning silk-wallpapered homage to Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn, and a highly celebrated monkey wallpaper design commissioned by De Gournay.

Today, the Indonesian-American designer shuttles between the crisp air of California, at his design headquarters in San Francisco, and his personal residence in Carmel Valley, but also back to the lush landscapes of Bali. His return to Indonesia was driven by personal reasons. Following the passing of his beloved father three years ago, Rachman felt an undeniable longing for his homeland and a strong duty to be near his 92-year-old mother, who is currently living with dementia. To honour his family and roots, Rachman established DI SINI DI SANA by Rachman & Sons in the cultural heart of Ubud. Meaning “Here and There”, the vibrant venue is more than just a restaurant; it is a heartfelt gathering space that beautifully bridges East and West, serving as a living, breathing reflection of family memories and craftsmanship passed down through three generations. Visitors can also explore its adjoining boutique, Di Sana, which features Rachman’s carefully curated collection of antiques and vintage items. Additionally, the Indonesian-American designer pays a touching tribute to his parents’ enduring love story through The Loro Blonyo Fine Porcelain Collection, an elegant line of pure white tableware accented with blue and gold details.  

Rachman’s rich Indonesian heritage continues to seamlessly blend into his Western design projects. He marvels at how universal patterns—like the Greek key, known in Bali as the Egyptian pattern and often seen adorning religious temples—have been subconsciously ingrained in his mind since childhood. This distinct cross-continental perspective is further celebrated in The Story Collection, a collaborative line of painterly wallpapers and fabrics created in partnership with designer Patricia Nurchandra and Calissa Home. The line features five exquisite designs inspired by meaningful locations such as Bali, Java, Lampung, Paris and San Francisco, fusing Eastern and Western influences with motifs reminiscent of ancient Indonesia.

As a man who has travelled to nearly a hundred countries since the tender age of five, Rachman knows better than anyone that home is not a place; it is ultimately a state of mind. For him, home is wherever he feels entirely safe, surrounded by beauty and standing alongside his husband of 33 years. Yet, as he looks toward his final chapters, his heart is unequivocally set on Bali. He deeply admires the passionate, loving care that the Indonesian people provide to the elderly, and he wishes to retire there. With his trademark humour, he reveals his ultimate dream project: building a home from scratch in Bali, which he morbidly but cheerfully calls his “death home” or “huge coffin”. This, after taking a break from building DI SINI DI SANA by Rachman & Sons, which took him 2.5 years to finish.

As for the legacy he leaves behind, Rachman hopes that at least one of his 15 adopted children will inherit his fiery passion for collecting antiques. Among his most treasured earthly possessions is a 13th-century artefact originally from a temple near his father’s village, which he ironically discovered at an estate sale in California. The massive piece, which took six people to lift, now proudly greets visitors in his front yard, a poetic, towering symbol of the East residing comfortably in the West. He has already instructed his children to keep it in the family, ensuring that the rich, romantic stories of his past will continue to anchor and layer the spaces of the future.

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