Cover Looking from the living area towards the kitchen and dining zones in the Japanese-inspired apartment, with granite window benches visible along the perimeter where the balcony once stood
Looking from the living area towards the kitchen and dining zones in the Japanese-inspired apartment, with granite window benches visible along the perimeter where the balcony once stood
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Wuuu Studio redesigns a Japanese-inspired apartment in Petaling Jaya, removing the balcony to create layered spaces defined by light, shadow and restrained materiality
In most condominiums, designers work to maximise natural light from the moment you open the front door. Dom Tee of Wuuu Studio took the opposite approach with this Japanese-inspired apartment. The entry to the 2,500-square-foot residence in Petaling Jaya is deliberately dim, an artificial garden of cement walls and compact plantings that visitors pass through before entering the sun-filled living room beyond. The transition is abrupt. What begins as a compressed, shadowy threshold opens onto a space flooded with daylight.
Above The shadowy entry garden features brushed cement walls and artificial plantings, creating deliberate darkness before the sun-filled living room
Above Oak storage walls define the circulation spaces throughout the 2,500-square-foot condominium
The shadowy entry garden features brushed cement walls and artificial plantings, creating deliberate darkness before the sun-filled living room
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The contrast between these two spaces shaped the entire design for the young couple who commissioned the project. Tee removed the apartment’s original balcony, which had consumed valuable interior space, and extended the living room to the building’s perimeter. This single move freed up enough room to reorganise the kitchen and dining areas completely, creating what Tee describes as the layered quality found in traditional Japanese residential architecture.
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The extended living area, gained by removing the balcony, accommodates generous seating and the cement structural column
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“We deliberately created a modern Japanese living experience from the get-go, characterised by a series of spatial revelations at points of interest, stimulated by contrasts and contradictions,” says Tee. “The apartment foyer was turned into a shadowy Zen-inspired garden with brushed cement walls and a compact artificial garden. From the foyer, the immediate living space that succeeds the entry, in stark difference, is an open, sun-flooded living area.”
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Above Linen Roman blinds and external shutters control Malaysian daylight in the living room, where granite window benches provide seating
Above The window benches run along the perimeter where the original balcony was removed to expand the living space
Linen Roman blinds and external shutters control Malaysian daylight in the living room, where granite window benches provide seating
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Above The pine coffee table sits in the living area, one of the warm wood elements in Wuuu Studio's material scheme
Above Granite benches inspired by the chashitsu tea room line the windows, offering flexible seating arrangements
The pine coffee table sits in the living area, one of the warm wood elements in Wuuu Studio's material scheme
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The reorganisation allowed for a more ambitious kitchen design. An extended counter island now separates the living room from the kitchen in the Japanese-inspired apartment, with an opening that provides sightlines from the dining area directly into the cooking space. The opening uses an artisanal portal frame technique that references the torii gate, giving the kitchen what Tee calls visual depth and a sense of ritual importance. The connection between spaces is both visual and functional, making the kitchen feel larger whilst maintaining distinct zones within the open plan.
Along the windows, a series of low benches inspired by the chashitsu tea room offers flexible seating. The benches can function individually or serve as cohesive seating for larger gatherings, adapting to how the couple uses the space throughout the day.
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The open-plan kitchen, dining and living areas demonstrate how Tee created spatial depth within the condominium's structural constraints
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The material palette in the Japanese-inspired apartment reflects Tee’s stated philosophy of duality. Pine appears in the pantry and coffee table, materials chosen for their warmth. Oak defines the main carpentry work throughout the residence. Smooth-textured cement forms the background surfaces, providing a neutral backdrop that allows the wood tones to register more strongly. The cement also helps moderate the temperature in Malaysia’s tropical climate.
“We like to think that every design element exists in a state of duality,” Tee says. “In this apartment, the new spaciousness is balanced with restraint in the choices of its material palette."
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Above The counter island's oak shelving provides storage whilst maintaining visual connections across the Japanese-inspired apartment
Above The kitchen island, with its torii-inspired opening, provides sightlines from the dining area directly into the cooking space
The counter island's oak shelving provides storage whilst maintaining visual connections across the Japanese-inspired apartment
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Above Oak furniture and shelving create layered zones in the dining area, with cement walls providing neutral backgrounds
Above The kitchen features oak cabinetry with under-cabinet lighting, demonstrating the warm wood tones in Wuuu Studio's material palette
Oak furniture and shelving create layered zones in the dining area, with cement walls providing neutral backgrounds
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The restraint extends to the window treatments and soft furnishings. Linen Roman blinds layer with external shutters to control the intense Malaysian daylight that floods the living areas. The upholstered pieces throughout the apartment maintain consistency with other textiles and furnishings, creating visual continuity across the different zones. An oversized Japanese paper lamp hangs above the dining table, its scale proportional to the expanded room dimensions achieved by removing the balcony.
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The platform bed sits elevated on a granite base, viewed from the shadowy entrance corridor
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Above A granite vanity counter extends from the wall in the powder room, backed by floor-to-ceiling oak storage
Above The bathroom features a freestanding tub set against textured cement walls, with dark external shutters controlling natural light
A granite vanity counter extends from the wall in the powder room, backed by floor-to-ceiling oak storage
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Condominiums present particular challenges when structural walls cannot be moved. In this Japanese-inspired apartment, Tee relied on sightlines and material transitions rather than partitions to create spatial separation. The kitchen’s portal frame, the progression from the dark entry garden to the bright living room, and the strategic placement of the counter island all work to define distinct zones within the open layout. The benches along the windows and the torii-inspired portal adapt Japanese domestic principles to contemporary Malaysian urban housing, translating ideas about restraint and spatial sequence into a setting where structural flexibility is limited.
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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.
