A Modern Condo in Bangsar South Designed for a Bachelor and His Pug

Dark, moody tones and plenty of pet-friendly designs.

Have you ever imagined what an influencer's house may look like? For this high-end condominium in Bangsar South, designers Crystle Lye and Darren Wong of Paperworks Studio Plt have seamlessly blended, organic materials, earthy tones, luxurious textures and thoughtfully curated furnishings to create a peaceful and relaxing environment for a bachelor and his pug.

We spoke with Neo Chin, the team principal at Paperwork Studio, to learn more about the renovation process, which took his team 10 weeks and cost RM155,000 to complete.

Q: Tell us about this home and your client

Neo Chin (NC): This property is a high-end condo owned by a bachelor who works as an influencer and host/emcee. He lives with his 3-year-old pug, Ginger.

Measuring 969 sqft, the property features 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It is a newly developed unit that was completed early this year.

The owner purchased this condominium because of its central location (near the KL city centre) and easy access via major highways such as the federal highway, Kerinchi Link, and Duke Highway, making it convenient for him to commute to his workplace. He also appreciates the neighbourhood as well as all the neighbouring amenities nearby, such as restaurants, medical centres, and shopping malls.

Q: What was your client’s request for this project?

NC: Due to the nature of his job, he travels frequently. So he wanted us to design a home where he could find solace and escape from his jet-setting/busy lifestyle.

He wanted plenty of storage around the house for ease of maintenance. He also requested a dark interior and dim lighting to anchor the home’s aesthetics.

Aside from that, it was also a priority to make his abode pug-friendly. He wanted to ensure that his dog would have a safe space that it could retreat to.

Based on his feedback, we proposed a modern interior and experimented with dark tone materials such as dark oak cabinetry and grey tones for the soft furnishings to give the home a luxurious, masculine feel.

To avoid the home feeling cramped with dark tones, we juxtaposed the dark interior with white ceilings and several white walls. For lighting, we employed indirect lighting that can lend a soothing and laid back feel throughout the space.

Q: What renovation works were included to achieve the desired look?

NC: Since the owner prefers an obstructed view of the linear open-plan living space from the entrance all the way to the balcony, we kept the home's original layout. This creates a visually spacious feel while also allowing his pug to roam freely/easily in this area.

The kitchen

The kitchen is located right next to the entrance door. We installed upper and lower kitchen cabinets, wood panels to fill the gap above the refrigerator, and a wooden ceiling. The vertical groove lines of the wood panel create a visual connection from the ceiling to the floor, while the low ceiling in the kitchen makes the space appear stretched horizontally.

To fulfil the owner’s request for dark tones, we used a black marble slab as the kitchen countertop and green kitkat tiles as the backsplash. This adds an elegant touch to the cooking space.

The dining area

The dining area is divided by an island wrapped in beautiful dark timber. It extends all the way to the dining bench in the dining area, providing visual continuity and a smooth transition from one area to the next. The built-in bench allows ample seating whenever the owner entertains his friends, while the hidden lighting on the bench creates an inviting and welcoming ambience when dining.

Furthermore, a full height tinted mirror on the dining area walls opposite the built-in bench helps to lengthen the visual line and makes the dining room appear twice as large.

The living room

The living room is where the owner and his pug often spend most of their time lounging in front of the TV. The spray tiles on the walls behind the TV and the wood panels directly next to it are the focal points of the living room. This gorgeous texture combination creates a captivating and harmonious aesthetic that blends the warmth and earthiness of wood with the rugged beauty of spray tiles.

The wood panels include a hidden door that opens to reveal a storage solution. Aside from being hidden storage, it also functions as a multipurpose element, acting as a divider between the living and dining areas while retaining an open and spacious feel.

The master bedroom

The master bedroom is intended to be a peaceful haven for the owner to rest. Through careful space planning and space-maximising features, the bedroom works around its space constraints to fulfil a myriad of purposes, including a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe and a vanity area.

The gentle curves and fluted headboard found on the bed create the impression that it is softly wrapping its occupants in a gentle embrace.

We installed a hanging shelf divider as a partition between the bed and vanity area, allowing light to travel through while retaining an open and airy feel. The vanity was originally equipped with a white wash basin, but we had it replaced with a dark green wash basin to match the overall dark tone theme found throughout the rest of the house.

We also elevated this space with more woodsy, dark elements and painted the walls beige to add warmth.

Q: What were the design challenges that you faced during the renovation process?

NC: As the home needed to be pet-friendly, we had to find suitable fabrics for the home’s upholstery and material for the furniture. This proved to be a challenge for us as it limited our material options.

As a solution, we used velvet-tech upholstery for the sofa and bench seats, as this type of material does not trap a lot of fur. This material is also very easy to maintain, making it ideal for homes with pets.

For the built-ins, we use high-compact laminate that is exceptionally durable, scratch, moisture, and stain-resistant. And, because dogs have a tendency to chew on things, we chose furniture with a metal finish to prevent the pug from biting the bottom of the furniture.

Q: Did you incorporate any smart home solutions in this condo?

NC: Yes, the owner wanted a smart home system fitted into the house. So we added the Aqara smart home system, which includes a smart switch, smart power, and smart lighting dimmer and is applied in the living room, dining room, kitchen, and master bedroom. This gives the owner the option of turning on/off or controlling the lights and appliances using a physical button, a smartphone app, or a voice command.

Q: And what was your client's reaction when he saw the completed project? Did the renovation meet his vision?

NC: The owner was overjoyed when he saw the completed project, as it exceeded his expectations. In particular, the built-ins were custom fitted to fit every nook and cranny so that no space was left wasted. He was also pleased with the project's timeline, and the overall cost is within his budget range.

Last but not least, what are your thoughts on the final result of this project?

NC: Overall, I’m happy that we were able to bring out the elegance and charm of the dark-tone interior in this project without jeopardising the sophistication and cosiness of the space.

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