Post-Revamp, This Condo in Cheras Is Now a Cosy Abode for Homebodies

It's a family space that's great for entertaining

After 4 years of renting, Lilian and Kim decided that it was time for them to take the next step and buy a place that they could truly call their own. While searching for a new home, they came across a condominium in Cheras and fell in love with the home’s open plan layout. As it was a newly constructed property, they were ecstatic to have a blank slate to plan their renovations on.

We spoke with Lilian about her experience working with an interior designer to renovate her abode and how she decorates the space, which she shared on her blog, www.thatislelife.com.

Qanvast (Q): Hi, tell us about yourself and your family

Lilian (L): Hi! My name is Lilian, I'm a 34-year-old blogger and content creator. My husband, Kim, is a software engineer, and we have a Shih Tzu named Golden Chuubs. We bought this 1449 sqft condo in 2017 and it is our first home together. It has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. One of the main reasons we purchased this condo was because it was close to my husband's workplace.

Q: Tell us about your blog, www.thatislelife.com

I studied and worked in fashion, so I've always had an interest in design and style. However, it wasn't until the pandemic that I became interested in home decor. My husband and I were previously rarely at home because we worked long hours, and I frequently travelled for work. As a result, our house became more of an afterthought than a priority.

During the lockdown, we were forced to spend a lot of time at home, which led me to explore different ways to make our home a happy space for us. I've become such a homebody since then, and I love it! I wanted to share my knowledge and unbiased experiences with other ordinary women like myself. So, in 2020, I started my blog, which is filled with interior design, interior styling, and home organisation tips.

Q: Did you hire an interior designer to renovate your home?

L: Yes, prior to moving in, we commissioned the help of an interior designer to renovate the condominium. As my husband and I both had very busy work schedules at that time, we found that hiring an interior design firm was way more convenient, as they were able to manage and coordinate the renovation with all the subcontractors on our behalf. The renovation took about 3 to 4 months to complete and cost around RM100,000.

Q: What were the requirements for the home renovation?

L: I had a clear vision of what I wanted, and many of our renovation decisions at the time were influenced by our lifestyles as a busy, career-driven couple that’s barely at home.

I wanted our home to appear open and light, with minimal built-in furniture. Not having too many built-ins means I can change the layout or move the furniture around whenever I want. For example, even after the interior designer tried to persuade me that upper cabinets in the dry kitchen were necessary for extra storage space, I was adamant that I didn't want them. I'm still happy with my choices because they made the house appear less cluttered in comparison to many standard Malaysian houses, which have plenty of floor-to-ceiling cabinets.

Furthermore, with so much storage space, you tend to accumulate a lot of things. So having less storage space means we won't accumulate as much clutter at home. This is something I learned from my minimalist husband!

Q: In brief, how would you describe your home’s style?

L: We don’t exactly stick to a particular style, though! The look and feel constantly evolve as we switch up our loose furnishings, decor, and even plants.

I find that mixing and matching materials (like glass, rattan, and marble) gives the home depth and texture, which adds character to a home.

However, the most important thing for our family is to have a home that exudes warmth and cosiness. A place where we can relax, entertain, and enjoy life. For that reason, I kept our home’s colour scheme neutral, and I only display the things I truly love.

Q: Can you tell us about the renovations that were carried out to achieve this look?

L: As we enjoy entertaining guests, we set aside a huge chunk of our renovation budget for the common area, which combines the living room, dry kitchen, and dining area in one space. Among the renovation works done were the replacement of the original tile floors with vinyl flooring, the addition of a plaster ceiling, and the installation of lights throughout the house.

Dry kitchen

As soon as you walk into the common area, you'll notice the kitchen backsplash, which is the focal point of our dry kitchen. I chose a matte white hexagonal tile for the backsplash, and our interior designer came up with the idea of having an asymmetrical edge. We love how unique it looks!

I also chose two different countertop materials for our kitchen: solid surface and marble. Because the marble countertop is the first thing you see when you enter our home, I wanted it to be a showpiece that is both beautiful and functional at the same time.

I also requested that the interior designer install open shelving to store and display everyday essentials like glasses and dishes. I know shelving is not for everyone, especially because it can collect dust/grease rather quickly, but I love being able to admire the tableware collection I’ve curated over the years.

Under the countertop and below the open shelves, I installed cool grey kitchen cabinets with gold hardware to give the space an elegant and sophisticated feel.

Wet kitchen

The wet kitchen has the same cool grey cabinets and shelving units as the dry kitchen. I like how the shaker-style cabinets give the space a farmhouse chic look. My only regret is that I did not hack down the wall to create a combined wet and dry kitchen. Currently, the wet kitchen (after it has been outfitted with appliances and cabinetry), makes the room appear and feel tight and cramped.

Living area

The living area is where we spend the majority of our time. Whether it’s a chill night listening to music or watching TV or hosting a group of friends for dinner and drinks, we’ve created many wonderful memories in this area.

As we love hosting, we requested the designer to install window seating to maximise the dead space at the corner and provide ample seating. My husband came up with this idea, and he also contributed to other great ideas during the renovation process.

For example, initially, I thought of installing a built-in cabinet to house the entertainment unit, but my husband insisted on a more minimalist approach. We compromised and went with two planks of wood for the TV console and a hallway cabinet for storage instead of a built-in floor-to-ceiling cabinet.

Master bedroom

In our master bedroom, I requested the interior designer to install a crittall screen divider to separate the bed from our wardrobe and vanity area. I chose this design element to make the bedroom appear spacious and to allow natural light to flow into both areas.

As for the furniture and decor, we took our time purchasing most of these items ourselves so that they would match the rest of the house's design. When purchasing furniture, I would choose pieces made of wood to provide warmth to the room and of glass to create the illusion of more space.

Q: How did you personalise your home through decorations?

L: In terms of decor, some of my favourite finds have been vintage items I thrifted or inherited, as well as pieces I purchased during my travels. Instead of buying souvenirs like magnets and keychains, I gravitate towards handmade pieces that are unique to each country.

I also love mixing warm and cool tones in our home. I chose cool grey for our kitchen cabinets and curtains, and warm neutral colours such as brown for the wall paint, flooring, and furniture. This was intentional; since our home has a lot of hard lines and angular elements, we wanted the balance of cool and warm colours to add a sense of softness and cosiness to the home.

After four years of having bare white walls, last year we took the plunge and had our walls painted with limewash paint (mineral based paint). We collaborated with Vasari Malaysia, a company that sells non-toxic and environmentally friendly limewash paint. Instead of painting the whole house with limewash paint, we used it as a feature wall in our bedroom and painted the living and dining area walls, and we couldn’t be happier with the result. It adds a subtle layer of texture to the rooms.

Q: What was the most challenging aspect of your home renovation?

L: For me, it was constantly having to monitor the renovation despite hiring an interior designer/project manager. Despite my hectic schedule, I made sure to visit the site every day after work. There could have been a few costly mistakes if I hadn’t checked on the progress on a daily basis!

For example, during the renovation, the contractor ordered the wrong size and colour tiles for our kitchen backsplash. They would have installed the wrong tiles if I hadn’t checked them, which would have cost more money and time to remove and reinstall with a new set of tiles.

Q: Are you pleased with the results of the renovation? Is there anything you'd like to change or improve in the future?

L: Homes are meant to evolve, and they will always be a work in progress. We renovated our home in 2017, when we were both career-driven. Since the pandemic, it has become our epicentre. Kim and I now spend more time together at home because he has a hybrid work environment, and as a blogger and content creator, I work primarily from home.

We also got married in 2020, just before the lockdown, so our house has served us through various stages of our lives, and we're happy with how it looks at each stage. However, we have yet to have the opportunity to renovate our laundry room and master bathroom, so we would definitely like to do so in the future!

Q: If you could give first-time homeowners who are planning to renovate their home one piece of advice, what would it be?

L: While it’s always a joy to seek inspiration on Pinterest or Instagram, trends come and go. Always remember that your home needs to work for you and your family, so do your research thoroughly and prioritise functionality over aesthetics.

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