Cover The jury panel of the 2025 edition of Tatler Homes Design Awards - Malaysia, (from left) Lai Siew Hong of Blu Water Studio, Lillian Tan of Veritas Design Group, Bee Eu Tan of BETA Architects, Omar Khan of Omar Khan Rugs, Bill Bensley of Bensley
The jury panel of the 2025 edition of Tatler Homes Design Awards - Malaysia, (from left) Lai Siew Hong of Blu Water Studio, Lillian Tan of Veritas Design Group, Bee Eu Tan of BETA Architects, Omar Khan of Omar Khan Rugs, Bill Bensley of Bensley
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These illustrious names and tastemakers will make up the jury panel deciding on the winners for the upcoming 2025 edition of the Tatler Homes Design Awards - Malaysia
Talented designers seem to effortlessly create a memorable and enduring home. By skillfully blending materials, colours, and shapes, they craft cosy, comfortable spaces that are ideally suited to their inhabitants' lifestyles.
Now in its third year in Malaysia, the Tatler Homes Design Awards will spotlight exemplary residential projects that not only meet but exceed expectations, captivating homeowners and visitors alike. The Malaysian edition will take place in Kuala Lumpur on July 30, 2025, and is supported by Dulux. The venue sponsor is Imperial Lexis Kuala Lumpur, and the beverage sponsor is Vinarchy Wines.
With almost a hundred entries reviewed, the awards celebrate the finest home designs featured in Tatler Homes. As the event approaches, we are pleased to introduce the esteemed panel of jurors who will select the best projects for the 2025 Tatler Homes Design Awards in Malaysia.
Read more: In pictures: Tatler Homes Design Awards 2024 - Malaysia celebrates diverse design talents
Bill Bensley, founder of Bensley
Above Bill Bensley of Bensley
Bill Bensley of Bensley
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Bill Bensley, Harvard-trained architect and landscape designer, has designed over 200 hotels across more than 30 countries since founding Bensley in 1989. The Bangkok-based American applies his distinctive “maximalist” approach to projects like Cambodia’s Shinta Mani Wild and Vietnam’s InterContinental Danang, prioritising sustainability and storytelling.
At Shinta Mani Wild, he preserved a 2025-acre wildlife corridor, demonstrating his environmental commitment. Bensley’s unconventional design philosophy—“the more odd, the better”—has distinguished his work in the field of hospitality architecture. His Bangkok and Bali studios develop comprehensive design solutions, encompassing architecture, interiors, and landscapes, to create cohesive environments that challenge industry norms while respecting cultural and ecological contexts.
See also: Prof Robert Powell reflects on resilient tropical modern architecture
Lillian Tay, Group vice president, Veritas Group
Above Lillian Tan of Veritas Design Group
Lillian Tan of Veritas Design Group
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Lillian Tay, a Princeton graduate, honed her architectural craft across continents, from Italy to New York, before returning to Kuala Lumpur as Vice President of Veritas Design Group. Renowned for her groundbreaking designs, Tay spearheaded iconic projects across Malaysia, like the W Hotel and Oxley Towers. Her leadership extends to sustainability, pioneering eco-friendly structures like the DiGi Headquarters and One Sentral Tower.
Recognised with the prestigious PAM (Malaysian Institute of Architects) Gold Medal in 2023, Tay made history as the first woman recipient in the venerable institution’s history. A passionate advocate for gender parity, this Asia’s Most Influential honouree in 2023 amplifies voices for inclusion, reshaping the architectural landscape with her brilliance and advocacy.
Don’t miss: 10 magnificent multi-generational family homes in Malaysia
Lai Siew Hong, Co-founder, Blu Water Studio
Above Lai Siew Hong of Blu Water Studio
Lai Siew Hong of Blu Water Studio
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A multiple award-winning interior designer, Lai Siew Hong is the creative mind behind the design for numerous hospitality and F&B establishments, including luxury hotels The Edison George Town and EQ KL, Kuala Lumpur rooftop bar Sky51 and Spice Market Restaurant in Langkawi.
Long-time member and immediate past president of the Malaysian Institute of Interior Design (MIID), Lai is also the chairman of the MIID REKA Conference and an adjunct lecturer at Taylor’s University Malaysia. In recognition of his accomplishments, Lai was voted Asia’s Most Influential Designer at the Designer of the Year Awards in 2020 and Tatler Asia’s Most Influential list in 2021.
Read more: Malaysia and Singapore’s Art Deco legacy: Buildings that tell stories
Bee Eu Tan, Founder, BETA Architects
Above Bee Eu Tan of BETA Architects,
Bee Eu Tan of BETA Architects,
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Founder of BETA (BEu Tan Architect), Bee Eu Tan is an award-winning architect recognised for the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings in her native Penang and beyond. Her maiden project in Alor Setar, the Kedah Digital Library, won gold at the PAM (Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia) Awards 2022’s Adaptive Reuse Category, and most recently received two PAM Silver Awards for two categories: Guar Kepah Archeological Gallery (Public & Institutional) and South Wing of Penang Institute (Conservation), giving her a total of nine design awards and a third gold at the PAM Awards in the last five years.
Other heritage buildings recently benefiting from Tan’s intuitive touch include the art deco-style Penang Hill Gallery @ Edgecliff and Eythrope Bungalow, which won in the Heritage Category of the Malaysia Property Award 2023 by FIABCI Malaysia. A Tatler Asia’s Most Influential honouree for two years, she is also the organiser of PechaKucha Penang, a global networking event for creatives.
See also: 5 inspiring heritage homes in Penang
Omar Khan, founder of Omar Khan Rugs
Above Omar Khan of Omar Khan Rugs
Omar Khan of Omar Khan Rugs
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Omar Khan creates rugs and interior design with his signature imaginative flair. The Singaporean-born Kuala Lumpur-based designer’s work is informed by his multicultural background and diverse experience in visual merchandising and graphic design.
An Asia’s Most Influential honouree for two years, Khan’s rugs adorn private homes and luxury hotels, including St. Regis Maldives, Nobu Hotel London Shoreditch, and designer boutiques like the Christian Louboutin stores in Shanghai and Beijing. His most recent coup was designing the bedheads, rugs, and carpets at Else Kuala Lumpur.
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Jennifer Choo is Regional Managing Editor of Tatler Homes, covering architecture, interior design, and art across Asia. Based in Malaysia, she oversees regional content on luxury residential design and contemporary art collections. Legally trained but choosing to pursue her passion for design, she previously led notable design publications and worked as an interior stylist and art consultant for property developers, design firms, and private clients.
