A Terrace With Enclosed Courtyard Wins Qanvast Design Award

A home renovation usually requires a significant investment on your part, so it is important that you choose the right interior designer that can understand and bring your vision to life. And most importantly, one in which you feel comfortable placing your trust. To help you make your choice with confidence, we have created the Qanvast Design Awards, which recognise outstanding renovation projects completed by reputable Malaysian interior design firms.

Klaasmen Sdn Bhd and their winning project, a 2,800 square foot landed home in Glenmarie, Subang, were among the recipients of this year's awards. We spoke with Leslie Tan, the project manager who oversaw the renovation of this stunning terrace, which has been completely remodelled to suit his clients' tastes and preferences.

About the client

This 2,800 square foot double-storey terrace is owned by a married couple in their late twenties. The couple lead a very busy lifestyle as they are both career-oriented. They also enjoy travelling and host social gatherings.

About the design brief

When the couple approached Klaasmen to renovate their abode, they requested for a modern and contemporary style with a touch of elegance to be incorporated in the design concept. As the couple entertains a lot, they needed a home that could accommodate large parties as well. Besides these requirements, the couple entrusted the finer details to the firm.

About the renovation

The house is unusually wide for a terrace house and it comes with an 11-meter high ceiling which contributes to the home’s lofty feel.

Given the sheer size, Tan used partitions to divide the communal area on the ground floor into several smaller, more intimate sections.

“The living area can easily fit in up to 30 people as the sections are interconnected and this fits well with the clients’ lifestyle who enjoy throwing parties,” said Tan.

To enhance the warm and inviting atmosphere of this modern home, Tan combined earthy tones and warm wood. Meanwhile, the TV panel was painted with a heavenly blue abstract to give the room a pop of colour.

Aside from that, mirrored panels, glossy surfaces, and other eye-catching details make the open-plan living area appear larger.

The focal point of the house is the enclosed courtyard located in the centre of the house. Tan took advantage of the unit’s 11-meter high ceiling by adding skylight into the roof which helps to draw natural light into the enclosed courtyard.

With the skylight in the centre, the enclosed courtyard becomes one of the best places for the couple to entertain as well as one of their favourite places to chill, according to Tan.

Aside from that, the courtyard has a dark timber floor that contrasts with the surrounding white tile floor, as well as a modern-looking glass water feature that gives the space a calming visual and audible effect.

The dry kitchen was also intended to be used for entertaining. When the homeowners host a large number of guests, the gorgeous waterfall kitchen island double as an additional dining table for serving canapes and drinks. Meanwhile, gold pendant lights and glossy black cabinets with glass doors contribute to the perfect finishing touches for an exquisite modern home designed to entertain.

Of course, there were a few architectural alterations made to the unit’s original plan. The existing kitchen, for example, was too small. As a solution, Tan removed the original kitchen walls and utilised the existing house backyard to create a bigger kitchen. He also converted the house porch roof into an outdoor garden in addition to the kitchen expansion.

The skylight provides natural light to the upper floor lounge area, which helps to reduce electricity consumption, especially during the day.

Dark wooden flooring is applied throughout the upper floor to create a seamless visual flow between areas while providing a warm and relaxing vibe to the space.

The master bedroom is outfitted with soft shades of cream, grey and pink. The neutral palette contributes to the restful look of the bedrooms, while adding to its cosy ambience. A lightwood panel wall and built-in side tables helps to complement the neutral colour scheme, while a pair of chrome pendant lamps help to illuminate the bedside tables with warm lights for light reading at night.

Lastly, the master bathroom is clad in dark wooden floors. Two bathroom sinks, a glass partition shower, and a large mirror contributes to the master bathroom's feeling of spaciousness and helps to emphasise the bathroom’s large size.

To sum up

Completed within six months, Tan was delighted that he and his team completed the project within the time frame specified by the client.

“The client held an open house right after moving in and we got really good feedback and it is truly satisfying when you see the glow in their eyes,” said Tan.

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