Top 5 Malaysian home tours of 2023

This keen observation led to Tan reshuffling the house’s layout so the newly designed home with its multi-level balconies could capitalise on its lush view. Tan has also installed high slit windows, sliding doors and a skylight on the upper level, so the rooms are illuminated naturally, with the illusion of a breathier and more spatial layout.

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The double-storey end lot terrace for the young married couple and their dog felt constricted and suffocating after spending longer hours at home during the pandemic lockdowns, and they sought out the help of Core Design Workshop to correct a house with bad layouts, insufficient natural light and inadequate air ventilation.

The Insight House was a by-product of the pandemic, stripped down to its bare necessities. Its full-height walls had punctured openings to allow daylight and ventilation through.

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The open dining area and kitchen, the semi-indoor tree gardens and peeks of the outside world through the external walls—all spoke of the coexistence of the two worlds, while two linear blocks separated the indoor and outdoor areas distinctly.

“Although they coexist in an interdependent manner, the primary goal of Insight House is not to blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces nor to prioritise form and aesthetics,” explains architect Chun Hooi Tan, director of Core Design Workshop. “Instead, it seeks to express the richness of what lies inside, redefining the spatial experiences.”

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This Jewel Box home refurbished by A Design Atelier intrigues passersby with its stone wall and perforated fortress. When opened up to guests with exclusive access to the premises, the home reveals the varying “trinkets” in each room.

They were calibrated with care and designed to provide the family and their guests a haven, serving as the best platform for whatever socialising or leisure activity each is meant for.

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The perforated cladding on the outside enhances ventilation and creates a mesmerising sparkling effect in the evening. The verdant surroundings and water features play against the grand entrance with wooden cladding that spills into the meditative tea room with its timber furnishings.

A double-volume pavilion opens up to the dining area and open-plan kitchen. The interior was designed by Groundwork Interior Design, who mixed neutral- and pastel-coloured furniture to add lightness and ease to these attached areas.

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“I believe this project embodies the essence of modern architecture, blending functionality, aesthetics, and sustainability,” summarises Darren Gan, founder and design principal of A Design Atelier. “Its unique design elements and the fusion of public and private spaces make it a compelling project.”

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See also: Home tour: A minimalist inter-terrace house in Singapore that brings the garden into its spaces

Wunderwall Design has been responsible for many of the city’s more modern spaces, such as Jibby by the Park, VCR Ritchie, Small Shifting Space and If Only. But, when it comes to designing something for themselves, two out of three founders, designer couple Sharmaine Wong and Wei Hoong Chia, opted for a sanctuary for their own home in one of Petaling Jaya’s sleek condominiums, away from a hard day’s work.

However, that doesn’t mean their eye for design stops there, as Wong states: “Because it was our own home, we could experiment with materials, designs and the lifestyle that may not be the norm for usual households.”

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The designer duo leant more towards the minimalist and functional, with minimal lighting to give the place a sense of calm, and highlight personalised qualities of the space.

These curated pieces included the burnt Nyatoh coffee table in the living room, and the curved panel on the kitchen wall that was ground by hand. 

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Read more: 6 ways to create a warm minimalist space

Amidst the hubbub of Bangsar South’s integrated urban community, Pins Design Studio has crafted a calm haven for a pair of sisters to return home from the hectic city life. This was made possible by combining the Japanese’s warm wood tones and neutral finishing design elements and the Scandinavian’s use of luxurious materials and distinctive textures and motifs.

“By combining these design themes, we’ve created an interior that evokes a sense of peace and sophisticated charm,” explains Tan Sii Yuan, one of the three founders of Pins Design Studio.

See also: 8 minimalist Malaysian homes that do more with less

Pins Design Studio has also gone a step further in adding character to the usually monotonous interior theme. Organic shapes, rounded corners, and curved detailing were set against the backdrop of clean lines and minimal design to create a balance between the soft and solid.

Despite the compact space, the optimisation of the lack of is also executed tastefully, especially in the master bedroom, where a walk-in wardrobe with effective storage solutions was concealed behind sliding doors.

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