Cover The double-height living space of this Miri home is anchored by a pale marble feature wall, its floor-to-ceiling glazing opening onto the garden and pool beyond
The double-height living space of this Miri home is anchored by a pale marble feature wall, its floor-to-ceiling glazing opening onto the garden and pool beyond
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Matthew Lim Associates have crafted an inviting home in Miri where precise geometric forms have been softened by light, materiality, and personality
This project in Miri, Sarawak deploys a full panoply of geometric ideas, turning simple curves and lines into a home that is so much more than the sum of its parts. A meticulous focus on forms was balanced with an inventive, flexible approach to design, resulting in spaces that are able to shift effortlessly from the dramatic to the luxurious, and then to the intimate. In the words of Matthew Lim, of Matthew Lim Associates, this home is meant to be “an exploration of geometry as both an architectural language and an emotional experience.”
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Above The car porch’s circular roof, patterned in a starburst radial motif, sits beneath the home’s sweeping, fin-lined façade
The car porch’s circular roof, patterned in a starburst radial motif, sits beneath the home’s sweeping, fin-lined façade
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Above The curved staircase is wrapped in vertical steel fins that filter sunlight into shifting patterns throughout the day
The curved staircase is wrapped in vertical steel fins that filter sunlight into shifting patterns throughout the day
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Geometric narrative
Above The double-volume living room pairs a pale marble feature wall and timber media console with floor-to-ceiling glazing that looks out to the garden
The double-volume living room pairs a pale marble feature wall and timber media console with floor-to-ceiling glazing that looks out to the garden
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The arrival sequence makes for a thrillingly bold announcement of the design’s geometric concerns. We first encounter a sculptural façade whose sweeping curves seem to have a kinetic energy all of their own. Vertical steel fins reinforce that dynamism through their rhythmic iterations. All of this energy is sustained in the adjoining car porch, whose circular roof has a starburst radial pattern. The rounded architectural gestures of the façade and the car porch are not just aesthetically impactful, but also create something akin to a visual centripetal force that draws us inward, into the residence itself.
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Above An artwork panel sits within a coffered timber ceiling in the double-volume living space
Above A pair of burnt-orange lounge chairs sit against the home’s textured façade
An artwork panel sits within a coffered timber ceiling in the double-volume living space
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Stepping over the threshold, we arrive at the broad bend of the staircase which anchors the interior. The sun’s rays filter through the aforementioned vertical fins, creating a shifting pattern of light and shadow throughout the day. Lim points out that this feature means that “the house transforms continuously, allowing geometry to be experienced not only through form, but through the changing qualities of light.”
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Above Woven rattan armchairs furnish the pool deck
Woven rattan armchairs furnish the pool deck
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Equally drenched in natural light is the expansive double-volume living space. Here, the architectural language switches away from the initial playful exploration of different varieties of curvature, and moves instead into an investigation of planes and lines and right-angles. The geometry now frames different perspectives, leading the gaze down long sightlines, including outwards through the full-length mirrors to the greenery, and upwards to the coffered ceiling.
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Elegance and intimacy
Above A round dining table is ringed by ochre-upholstered chairs beneath a sculptural pendant light
Above A marble staircase rises against a striated stone wall, its glass balustrade keeping views open to the pool
A round dining table is ringed by ochre-upholstered chairs beneath a sculptural pendant light
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Above A round dining table ringed by ochre-upholstered chairs sits beneath a sculptural pendant light, just beyond the marble kitchen island
A round dining table ringed by ochre-upholstered chairs sits beneath a sculptural pendant light, just beyond the marble kitchen island
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The angled poise of the geometrical design is complemented by a selection of materials that emphasises the tactile. While the linear elements might appeal to our visual appreciation, the surfaces invite us to come up close and engage more directly.
For many parts of the residence, pale marble with slate-grey veins serves as the sleek, cool choice for flooring. Rich timber was used for most of the cabinetry, introducing a wider range of textures along with its warmer hues. Closer inspection reveals finely judged variations between smooth, fluted, grooved or slatted finishings for the wood.
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Above A sitting area combines a sage sofa with mustard and terracotta side tables; a bar counter and games table anchor the lounge’s moodier, lowlit corner
A sitting area combines a sage sofa with mustard and terracotta side tables; a bar counter and games table anchor the lounge’s moodier, lowlit corner
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Above The basement entertainment lounge pairs dark timber flooring and brass accents with glass walls overlooking the car park
Above A bar counter and games table anchor the lounge’s moodier, low-lit
corner
The basement entertainment lounge pairs dark timber flooring and brass accents with glass walls overlooking the car park
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Particular attention was paid to the bespoke joinery, with custom shelving, curved storage areas, and integrated details like leather cabinet handles. Gleaming black accents provide a contrast with the marble and timber, while also giving clarity to the spatial language. Lim sums up the overall effect: “the restrained material palette allows proportion, craftsmanship, and detail to take precedence, creating an atmosphere of understated luxury.”
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Above The master bedroom’s round bed frame and curved console echo the home’s circular motifs beneath a detailed ceiling
Above A curved, channel-upholstered headboard banded in bronze anchors a bedroom with tall, sheer-draped windows
The master bedroom’s round bed frame and curved console echo the home’s circular motifs beneath a detailed ceiling
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Above Walnut joinery with slatted sliding panels and lit open shelving runs the length of one bedroom wall
Above Walnut shelving with a fabric-lined back sits beside a smoked glass display cabinet and slatted timber panelling
Walnut joinery with slatted sliding panels and lit open shelving runs the length of one bedroom wall
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A deliberate effort was made to create areas which would contrast in mood with the bright extroversion of the ground floor’s public areas. Lim’s intent was for the house to adapt “effortlessly to both everyday family life and gracious entertaining”. For instance, the entertainment lounge in the basement leans towards evoking a mysterious allure, with its low, reflective ceiling, textured fabric walls, and dark timber flooring.
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Above A rounded sofa and soft-edged marble coffee table form a quiet sitting nook within the master suitell
Above A round mirror hangs above the entrance to the walk-in wardrobe, finished in warm timber joinery
A rounded sofa and soft-edged marble coffee table form a quiet sitting nook within the master suitell
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Up on the first floor, the master bedroom introduces a touch of whimsy with its circular shape that is echoed by the round bed frame and by curves in the console and desk. According to Lim, these private suites are meant to “preserve moments of privacy and reflection”. The dimensions upstairs are accordingly more restrained. This can be observed most clearly with the walk-in wardrobe, which has an air of cosy intimacy.
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Above A dressing table sits beside a glass display case for accessories, framed by garden views through floor-to-ceiling glazing
Above Illuminated round mirrors hang above twin vessel basins and a fluted timber vanity in the marble-clad en suite
A dressing table sits beside a glass display case for accessories, framed by garden views through floor-to-ceiling glazing
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Overall, then, it is clear that this home has managed to infuse the aesthetics of geometry with that more elusive human feeling of belonging. Lim himself shares how proud he is that the residence has proven to be “a celebration of balance between curves and straight lines, solidity and transparency, monumentality and comfort.”
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Photography: TWJPTO
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