Cover An open plan living space
An open plan living space
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DualSpace Studio combines elegance and restraint to create a light-filled and texturally varied space in Jade Hills, Selangor, Malaysia
A luminous sense of calm pervades this residence in Selangor. The owner’s hectic work schedule meant that he was in need of a home where he could feel at ease for long stretches of time.
DualSpace Studio answered this brief by carefully drawing together various design elements to create a sanctuary for the owner and his two sons. In their own words, DualSpace came to the conclusion that “the most suitable concept was a modern and tranquil design with a hint of zen.”
Read more: 8 minimalist Malaysian homes that do more with less
Light Touch
An important consideration that DualSpace had to keep in mind was the fact that the owner of the residence is colour-blind.
There was a lot of collaboration involved in selecting materials and colours that suited both the owner’s visual world and the studio’s own design principles.
Above The house exterior
The house exterior
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Lew Yong Wei, co-founder and co-lead designer with Wong Yee Liz, elaborates: “We had to go through several rounds of trial and error, to adjust the colours of the 3D visuals and materials according to the client’s colour spectrum, in order to understand how different they looked compared to our own perception.”
It is no surprise that constraints on colour meant that light came to play an essential role in imparting a sense of character to the various spaces. The whole structure comes alive through the modulating qualities of natural light.
See also: 6 ways to create a warm minimalist space
The entryway
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Sunbeams flow in through the curved ridges of textured glass at the landing; a soft glow diffuses through the sheer curtains in the dining room; sharper clarity is offered by strategically-situated windows; and the gleaming white of many of the surfaces provides a canvas for the play of shifting light and shadow.
The light fixtures fall in line with the clean, minimalist aesthetic. Wherever possible, DualSpace went for discreet and lightweight options.
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A sculptural tableau
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Thus, rather than using heavier elements to mark out distinct areas, they used long stretches of ceiling lights to imply the separation between the wet and dry kitchens (the functional spaces) from the living, dining, and tea areas (the spaces for relaxation and leisure).
Another instance of subtlety is the skylight in the tea area. LEDs were hidden around the opening so that the natural light of day could be seamlessly replaced by electric lighting at nightfall.
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The living room
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Spatial Awareness
The light-filled airiness of the whole residence is enabled by the open layout of the design. While the current built-up area occupies about 5,000 sq ft, the original structure was 1,000 sq ft smaller and was encumbered by extraneous walls and divisions. “It felt narrow and confined,” Lew shares.
By removing these barriers, they freed up the whole layout, thereby introducing a more natural flow of movement, lengthening view lines, and allowing for more ventilation. When the glass doors at the dining area and the tea area are opened, there is enough of a cooling breeze that there is no need for air conditioning.
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The deliberately restrained palette
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The subtle variations in the choice of materials complement the overall design approach. Matte surface tiles were selected for the flooring, so that some of the reflected light was softened and muted.
Micro-cement was used for the walls at the tea area and on the walls next to the 2-storey glass block. Yet another textural quality was achieved with the staircase through the use of durable, ultra-compact Cosentino stone imported from Spain.
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Mirrored columns were added
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A combination of refinement and ease is apparent down to the smallest details. For instance, the kitchen cabinets have wooden frames that elegantly double as handles.
Then there is the sink in the dry kitchen, which sustains a visual simplicity due to its shallow appearance, but whose base is removable when required.
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A small seating area
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As for the furniture, the selection was carefully curated.
Many pieces were sourced from Australia; some (including the dining table, coffee table, and bench at the tea area) were custom-made while the dining chairs were handmade in Malaysia.
See also: Home Tour: An Interior Designer's Luxe Minimalist Kuala Lumpur Home
Light blocks filter natural light in
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Floating World
Ultimately, the staircase area has emerged as one of the design team’s favourite parts of the whole project.
This is in no small part due to the way in which all the design elements converge here: from the relationships between the different materials to the irregular sizes of the steps; from the generosity of both the vertical and horizontal dimensions to the floating steps, which allow light to filter in through the gaps.
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It is only right that the bright serenity of this space is bordered by a Japanese rock garden, where concentric ring patterns in the pebbles allude playfully to water.
As for the owner, the residence not only satisfied his preferences and taste but also “helped him to have a more comfortable lifestyle with the flow of the space.”
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Credits
Photography: David Yeow
