Cover The backyard in full: a steel-and-glass pergola covers the outdoor kitchen and dining area of this Penang home renovation, surrounded by mature trees and the hillside beyond
The backyard in full: a steel-and-glass pergola covers the outdoor kitchen and dining area of this Penang home renovation, surrounded by mature trees and the hillside beyond
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Ceed Design’s Penang home renovation of a five-bedroom property in Permai Gardens replaces generic finishes with limestone detailing, concealed lighting, and a landscaped backyard courtyard designed for everyday family living
When Eugene Chan, co-founder of Ceed Design and his team, first visited the property in Permai Gardens, a low-density gated enclave along Penang’s northern coast, the interior bore no relation to its context. The site backed onto mature trees and hillside greenery; inside were white-painted walls, standard tiled flooring, and a conventional room layout. “The surrounding greenery and peaceful environment inspired us to create a home that embraces openness, encourages family interaction, and celebrates indoor-outdoor living,” Chan says.
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The living room, furnished with The Perabot’s SF01 Calm Sofa and a marble coffee table, faces floor-to-ceiling linen curtains that filter afternoon light from the garden
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Above Close detail of the limestone TV plinth: a recessed brushed steel ledge, a piece of raw driftwood, a small brass candlestick, and a design book styled with a chrome object
Above The living room TV wall in relation to the entry hall, where the organic-framed floor mirror and carved timber front door are visible; a skylight above the stairwell brings in natural light
Close detail of the limestone TV plinth: a recessed brushed steel ledge, a piece of raw driftwood, a small brass candlestick, and a design book styled with a chrome object
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The house, a 3,280-square-foot, five-bedroom property completed in 2013, had sat largely unoccupied for years before the renovation. The clients, a husband and wife with three children, had known Chan through a café, and he was already familiar with how they spent their time — slow mornings, coffee taken outdoors, an ease with domestic routine. That familiarity informed the design before formal conversations began.
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Above A view from the living room through to the dining area, where a limestone-topped table on a brushed steel cylinder base sits beneath a white sculptural pendant
A view from the living room through to the dining area, where a limestone-topped table on a brushed steel cylinder base sits beneath a white sculptural pendant
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The most consequential decision was what to do with the backyard. Rather than treating it as a secondary zone, Ceed Design reorganised it into the house’s social centre: a covered outdoor kitchen, a landscaped courtyard designed by Sputnik Forest, and a series of openings that draw the interior and exterior into continuous dialogue. “Seeing the homeowners genuinely enjoy the space — from spending time with their children in the backyard to hosting friends and family — the home has become an extension of their lifestyle,” Chan says.
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Above The dining room: a limestone table on a brushed steel base beneath a white biomorphic pendant, flanked by dark oak wall panels and a floating stone console shelf
The dining room: a limestone table on a brushed steel base beneath a white biomorphic pendant, flanked by dark oak wall panels and a floating stone console shelf
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Above Looking across the limestone dining table towards the floating stone console, styled with dried thistles in a faceted silver vase and a glass decanter
Above The limestone dining table surface, set with blueberries, a croissant, and a ceramic cup; the floating stone console and dark oak wall panels form the backdrop
Looking across the limestone dining table towards the floating stone console, styled with dried thistles in a faceted silver vase and a glass decanter
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Inside, the living area was stripped of visual complexity. Texture paint was applied to the walls for its seamless, durable finish. Custom limestone elements were introduced to the living and dining areas, their earthy tones bringing a quieter material register to the space. Concealed lighting runs throughout, producing ambient warmth without drawing attention to its source. Every decision, Chan says, was made to minimise visual clutter and enhance spatial clarity.
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The kitchen island in limestone with a black undermount sink, looking towards the dark oak joinery wall and refrigerator integrated into the cabinetry run
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Above A box-form basin in warm terracotta-toned stone, paired with a curved gunmetal tap and a triptych mirror cabinet; concealed lighting runs along the ceiling edge
Above A recessed display niche houses candles and decorative objects above a dark oak sideboard; the Artemide Tizio lamp and an impasto artwork lean against the adjacent wall
A box-form basin in warm terracotta-toned stone, paired with a curved gunmetal tap and a triptych mirror cabinet; concealed lighting runs along the ceiling edge
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Furniture was sourced with the same restraint. Chan collaborated with The Perabot, a Penang-based furniture brand, on key pieces for the living room. The SF01 Calm Sofa, upholstered in a looped cotton-linen fabric in light beige, sits alongside the LC01 Lounge Chair in smoked brushed ash, its grain providing enough contrast to keep the room from reading as monochromatic. An Artemide Tizio table lamp occupies one corner. On the custom stone console, an original impasto acrylic painting by Ceed’s designer, Sin Yi, introduces texture and colour to an otherwise measured composition.
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The oval outdoor dining table, set on white gravel among rocks and greenery, seen from above with tulips, a wine bottle, and an open magazine
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Durability governed material selection where sustainability was not an explicit brief. Natural stone, quality timber finishes, and custom-built joinery were chosen for long-term performance as much as for appearance — to reduce the likelihood of future renovation or replacement.
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Above The backyard in full: a steel-and-glass pergola covers the outdoor kitchen and dining area, surrounded by mature trees and the hillside beyond
The backyard in full: a steel-and-glass pergola covers the outdoor kitchen and dining area, surrounded by mature trees and the hillside beyond
1 / 1
Above A timber deck and dark steel gate anchor the entry, framed by gravel, volcanic rock, and plantings that soften the boundary between street and home
Above The covered outdoor kitchen features timber-lined ceilings, dark oak cabinetry, and stone countertops, opening directly onto the gravel courtyard below
A timber deck and dark steel gate anchor the entry, framed by gravel, volcanic rock, and plantings that soften the boundary between street and home
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The project was not without difficulty. Near completion, during the rainy season, water leaked through cracks in the existing concrete structure. Tracing the source took time. “It took time to trace, as it was not immediately visible,” Chan recalls. Eventually, it was found that water was entering through the existing concrete; the contractors resolved the issue before handover: “Renovation is often about problem-solving as much as it is about design.”
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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.
