An Expat's Condo with Stunning Views of KLCC Gets a Modern Makeover

It impressed the owner so much, he now has a new outlook to what a home should be!

After 5 years of acquiring a 1650 sqft condominium in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, a Hong Kong expatriate who works as a business consultant was pleasantly surprised to find that his property boasted a captivating view of KLCC, a discovery made apparent only after the installation of a floating bench by Kotak Kreatif Design Studio. What’s even more impressive is the fact that the whole renovation was communicated solely through text messages on WhatsApp.

We spoke with the homeowner, Jason to learn about his experience renovating this 2-bedroom condominium, which cost RM111,000 to complete.

About himself and the condominium

As a business consultant my job requires me to travel and live in various places around the world, such as Switzerland and France. But I never felt at home, unlike when living in Asian countries, particularly Malaysia. I think the cultural diversity in Malaysia was what appealed to me most. Of course, the cost of living in return for the quality of living and service in Malaysia is perfect. Which is why I decided to move back to Malaysia this year and invest in several Malaysian properties.

I purchased this condominium 5 years ago and used it as a rental home because I wasn't ready to return and relocate to Malaysia. Back then, a local friend introduced me to an interior design firm that specialises in low-budget renovations. For RM50,000, all they did was a basic renovation, such as painting the walls, installing pendant lights in the dining room, and building an arch shelf in the living room. The wall colour was very unappealing—it was bright green and yellow. Because I was in Hong Kong, I didn't even come over to supervise the renovations because the house was primarily used for rental purposes.

Five years later, after my renter had moved out, I decided to engage an interior designer to thoroughly renovate the condominium before renting it out again. I would also use this condominium as a temporary home until my other properties, which I recently purchased, are renovated.

About how he discovered Qanvast and Kotak Kreatif

I approached my friend for recommendations, and she suggested using Qanvast. After submitting the inquiry form, I received 4-5 quotations, including one from Kotak Kreatif. From a user perspective, the biggest hurdle of hiring an interior designer online is a lack of confidence and security.

So when Muiz, the project manager from Kotak Kreatif, texted me on WhatsApp, I bombarded him with so many questions. It's very surreal for me to be dealing with someone I've never met in person (we only chatted via WhatsApp because I was living in Hong Kong at that time) and having to pay the firm a large sum of money for the renovation. I also asked him a lot's of tough questions but Muiz was really patient and understanding. He even reassured me that it is acceptable to have reservations, especially if you have never met the individual in person before agreeing to work with them.

I came to Malaysia two weeks after signing the contract, and the first thing I did was pay a visit to Kotak Kreatif’s office. That was the first time I met Muiz in person, and we discussed the home’s design, colour choice, and ideas.

About the design brief

I told Muiz I wanted a Japanese, Muji-style design with wooden materials and a light brown, yellow, or white colour scheme. I sent him some examples of Japanese designs I searched on Google, and he created 3D render from there.

About the renovation works

All I wanted to do at first was repair the entire plumbing system in the kitchen and bathrooms (because the condo is over 30 years old), replace the dated floor tiles, and change the wall colours because I disliked the green walls done by the previous interior designer. So we had the entire condominium repainted (except for the bedrooms), and Kotak Kreatif created a feature wall (wainscoting) to provide visual interest and depth to the space. However, throughout the renovation process, Muiz made some design suggestions around the condo, and I ended up renovating the whole condo except the bedrooms.

The bathrooms

The condominium features two bathrooms. Here, they replaced the old pipes and retiled the floor and walls. Kotak Kreatif also replaced all of the WC fixtures, sinks, and bathroom accessories with new ones.

The master bathroom now has marble-look tiles that complement the black accents on the bathroom fittings. They also replaced the outdated ceiling lights with strip and pendant lights.

In the guests' bathroom, they replaced the old tiles with concrete-like tiles to highlight patterned strip lines tiles around the washbasin. The shower area features square black kit kat tiles. I like the pendant lighting and ceiling lights that Kotak Kreatif chose for the bathrooms, which helped to elevate the space even further.

The hallway

Previously, there was no arch in the hallway; instead, it was a rectangular hallway entry. Kotak Kreatif constructed an arch to match the existing arch wall shelf (done during the previous renovation) in the dining room. So there is a balance in the overall design, especially when viewed from the living room or kitchen.

The kitchen

In the kitchen, they replaced the previous tile floor with SPC flooring. Instead of hacking the old tiles (a costly endeavor), we chose to just install the SPC flooring on top of them. The light wood-toned SPC flooring helps to brighten up and enhance the overall look of the kitchen.

Kotak Kreatif also had the kitchen's plumbing system replaced. The existing condo comes with a certain type of piping called GI pipes. They replaced it with copper pipe for both hot and cold water.

The cabinets were from the existing home, and I retained them because they were still in excellent condition. However, when Kotak Kreatif renovated the kitchen plumbing, a portion of the cabinet collapsed. So they had it replaced and matched it perfectly to the existing one. You can’t really tell the difference at all!

Last but not least, Kotak Kreatif replaced the old kitchen backsplash with a tempered glass finish that coordinated well with the kitchen counter and appliances.

Living and dining area

The condominium has an open-plan layout that integrates the living, dining and study rooms into a single open space. There are also large windows that allow plenty of natural light into the space. However, due to the unique corner/shape, the previous interior designer merely covered the space with a curtain.

Kotak Kreatif proposed to install a floating bench in the living room, which completely elevated the entire space and made me realise that my unit has a stunning view of KLCC. When I bought this condominium, I couldn't come over to pay a visit (because of COVID), so my friend assisted in choosing the property. I only noticed it one night when I was sitting on the floating bench, so I'm happy to have discovered that I can now see KLCC from my condominium, all thanks to Kotak Kreatif’s brilliant design idea!

These days, I spend more time sitting on the bench than sitting on the sofa. It's an excellent area for me to read, work, eat, or engage in meaningful conversation with my friends. When you open the windows at night, the breeze blows in, making it very pleasant to sit and rest here.

In the adjacent dining area, I kept the original dining chairs but replaced the dining table with a wooden slab table and a matching bench. Kotak Kreatif provided some of the additional decor in this home, such as the indoor plant, carpet, painting, and wall decor, for free, while the rest of the furnishings, such as the TV cabinet, coffee table, sofa, office table, and working chairs, were from the existing home.

Why he choose not to renovate the bedrooms

I chose to keep the bedroom as is because my impression was that it is still in good shape, especially the furniture. I don’t want to create too much waste by replacing good-condition furniture such as the wardrobe, as it will impact the environment.

But after Muiz sent me the final look of the renovated home, I realised how bad the bedroom looked in comparison, as it simply does not match the rest of the newly renovated spaces! I’ve discussed it with Muiz and decided that once my other house renovation is completed (which will also be done by Kotak Kreatif), I'd like to renovate these bedrooms.

His reaction when he saw the newly renovated home

It actually looks quite different from the 3D renders, but in a good way because it turned out so much better. For example, the master bathroom design he presented to me was a simple white wash basin. But he surprised me with a patterned wash basin and it turned out to be better than I had anticipated.

As a practical, down-to-earth person, I always had the mindset that a house is just a place for me to eat, rest, and sleep - that I don't really need a beautiful home. But this journey with Qanvast and Kotak Kreatif has completely changed my perspective. It doesn’t hurt to have an aesthetically pleasing home, especially if it’s not too expensive. It also made me realise that I need to give my trust to the professionals and let them do their job. I expected something simple, but Kotak Kreatif gave me much more. The result of the home renovation went far beyond my expectations.

I'm looking forward to working on the next renovation journey with them!

About his experience using Qanvast

I believe that Qanvast makes it easier for homeowners to find interior design services. It's incredibly convenient in the sense that, as a user, when you need to renovate, you go to renovation design firms and knock on their doors. But with Qanvast, interior designers come to you. You simply fill out the form and specify your requirements, and you will receive quotes within a day. Besides, I frequently rely on public transportation, making it difficult for me to go around. So, for lazy individuals like myself, a one-stop site where you can fill out a form and get recommendations from more than five firms within a week is very convenient for me.

Aside from that, I find Qanvast very helpful because they follow up weekly checking if I am happy with one of the quotations or whether I have signed a contract with any of the interior designers. I was also surprised by the Qanvast Guarantee that safeguards my renovation deposits up to RM50,000, because when I paid the renovation deposit to Kotak Kreatif, I was really uncomfortable. Fortunately, I didn't need to utilise the protection in the end, but it provides me with a sense of security and peace of mind!

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