Cover The arrival hall of ZLG Design founders home (Photo: Lin Ho)
The arrival hall of ZLG Design founders home (Photo: Lin Ho)
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A sneak peek into the shared homes of couples who are architects and interior designers
An architect or interior designer’s home is always fascinating to visit as it often offers insight into his or her design ethos. The home of not one but two architects or interior designers is double intriguing, especially if they are partners not just in work but in life.
We look into five homes across Malaysia of couples who are both in the design industry and have created unique and inspiring living spaces that reflect their expertise, creativity, and shared love for all things design.
From a wabi-sabi home featuring finishes and materials inspired by the Straits settlement shophouse typology to a meditative sanctuary doubled as a testing ground for future designs, these five homes are an inspiring combination of creativity, functionality, and aesthetic sensibility.
Read more: Home tour: A sustainable wabi-sabi home in Kuala Lumpur
1. A meditative home in Selangor
A quiet haven (Photo: David Yeow)
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This apartment in Selangor is home to Sharmaine Wong and Wei Hoong Chia, two out of three founders of the renowned design studio Wunderwall Design who have been behind some of the city’s most beautiful spaces.
Their own home serves as a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of city life and a testing ground for future designs, allowing them to experiment with materials and lifestyles that may not be the norm.
Above The freestanding island (Photo: David Yeow)
Above A meditative corner (Photo: David Yeow)
The freestanding island (Photo: David Yeow)
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Wunderwall’s work always showcases meticulous details, and their living room features minimalist design elements, such as a TV wall with a sound bar and a coffee table made of burnt Nyatoh slabs.
The kitchen incorporates hand-ground stainless steel panels and lowered wardrobes to create a larger appearance, while soft lighting highlights the space’s calm atmosphere.
Read more here
See also: Home Tour: An old Manila home is transformed into a spacious sanctuary to start life anew
2. A wabi-sabi home in Kuala Lumpur
The back of the house also has a function (Photo: Lin Ho)
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This link house in Wangsa Ukay, Kuala Lumpur, belongs to ZLG Design founders Susanne Zeidler and Huat Lim, who bought the house in the ‘80s and renovated it to create open spaces and a loft-like design.
The home features finishes and materials inspired by shophouse typology from the erstwhile Straits Settlements and after a major landslide, the couple moved out for 10 years before returning to renovate the house again, adding a steel structure and extending the building to incorporate the garden.
Areas look into each other (Photo: Lin Ho)
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This second round saw the removal of the back elevation, then extending it to merge with the retaining wall and garden to create a unique transitional space with a steel structure partially covered in clear PVC to shield it from rain.
The redesign focused on stripping away unnecessary elements, introducing a double-height void with indoor trees, exposing timber trusses by removing the attic, and incorporating a skylight. A spiral staircase was installed using existing timber components for access between the ground and first floors.
Read more here
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3. A pitched roof home in Selangor
The pitched roof is distinctive (Photo: BricksBegin)
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Founders of Paperspace, an architecture and interior design studio, Winston See and Amy Ang, transformed a dilapidated terrace house into a cosy family home, taking advantage of the extra land at the side of the house.
Privacy and safety concerns were addressed with an inward-looking design, eliminating front openings and introducing a courtyard garden.
Above The dining space (Photo: BricksBegin)
Above The dining space (Photo: BricksBegin)
The dining space (Photo: BricksBegin)
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Passive green design features include utilising the solid east-facing façade to reduce heat gain, natural ventilation, and ample natural lighting to minimise the need for artificial lights.
The couple's clear vision and experimentation with materials made for an optimised layout, integrated indoor-outdoor space, and durable, visually appealing detailing—an ideal home for the couple and their three young children.
Read more here
Read more: 5 magnificent multi-generational family homes in Malaysia
4. A pre-war terrace house with a modern interior
A “floating” staircase accesses the upstairs (Photo: The Space Storyteller)
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Interior designers Chuah Say Yang and Chong Su Min of design firm Nevermore Xcent Design Consultancy, respectively, collaborated to transform a pre-war terrace house in Georgetown, Penang, into their sleek, light-filled home.
They combined their respective styles, creating an open-concept space with skylights to maximise natural light. The first floor houses the living room, kitchen, dining, and open bar area. In contrast, the upper floor features three bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms.
The cantilevered bathroom is bathed in natural light (Photo: The Space Storyteller)
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The home boasts Arabescato Orobico marble and solid teak wood flooring, with high-quality fittings in the modern kitchen. The elegant furniture, sourced from their suppliers and accented with designer pieces, reflects their shared love for design.
The project won the couple their first international award at the British SBID International Design Awards 2018.
Read more here
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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.
