Daring and Dramatic: A Selangor Home Transformed with Bold Black Hues

Bold and dramatic.

Among the many homes we’ve been invited to tour, this one was impossible to miss. In a neighborhood dominated by light coloured façades, a single home dressed entirely in black stood out from afar.

Owned by a married couple in their 30s, this home was intentionally designed to break away from the cookie-cutter aesthetic of their neighborhood. What’s even more impressive is that the entire renovation was completed in less than 50 days. We had the opportunity to sit down with the couple to talk about their home renovation journey, which came to life with a budget of RM130,000, including furniture.

About the couple and their home

My name is Adeeba, and I work as a creative designer, while my husband, Iskandar, is a business owner and full-time trader. We met in high school while studying and have been happily married for 8 years now. We have an amazing 7-year-old daughter and a British Shorthair called Pip.

We live in a 2,200 sqft double-storey home in Sungai Buloh, Selangor. It’s a brand-new property with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.

This is the first home we bought together. Previously, we were renting a place owned by our parents. When the opportunity to buy our own place came up, we found this landed home—it was the most affordable option and close to our parents' home in TTDI.

About the design style chosen

The home's main colour theme is black. At first glance, it might give off a man-cave vibe, but in reality, both my husband and I simply love black. Plus, it’s rare to find a home with an all-black aesthetic (inside and outside), making ours truly stand out. As a creative designer and with my husband working from home, we find that the dark environment stimulates our creativity and helps him stay focused on his work.

To keep the house from feeling too dark or somber, we incorporated plenty of lighting throughout. This gave us the freedom to get creative with our lighting choices and how we wanted to showcase them.

One of our favourite DIY projects was installing strip lights along the staircase, which not only serves as a striking focal point but also enhances visibility at night.

We also played around with different types of lighting in each room—recessed lights, task lighting, and statement pieces—to create a cosy and inviting vibe. Mixing and layering lighting not only makes the space feel warm but also gives us a chance to get creative with the overall look.

We also balanced the deep tones with lighter elements like earth-toned furniture, warm wood flooring, and glossy finishes on the cabinets and appliances. We also added contrast with lighter-toned artwork on the walls, bringing in pops of colour that make certain areas stand out.

Back at my parents’ rented house, we didn’t realise how much stuff we had until it started feeling cluttered. Moving into our new home was a fresh start—we left everything behind and only brought the essentials, mostly just our clothes.

We wanted to embrace a minimalist lifestyle in our new home so we intentionally kept storage to a minimum, opting for built-in cabinets only in the kitchen and under the stairs for essential storage. By limiting storage space, we naturally avoid accumulating unnecessary items, making it easier to keep our home neat and tidy.

We went with loose furniture instead of built-ins for more flexibility. It makes it easier to open up the space when we have guests over and lets us switch things up as our style changes. Plus, if we ever move out, it'll be way easier to take everything with us.

About the renovation works

We decided not to hire an interior designer for our renovation. If you have the budget, working with the right designer can be great, but we felt confident in bringing our vision to life ourselves. We also felt that taking on the project ourselves would give us complete creative control and ensure everything turned out just the way we wanted.

Every design idea came from us, inspired by the cafés and shops we’ve visited over the years. With my background in creative design, I was able to draft the drawings myself. From there, I worked closely with our contractors to bring those ideas to life. We sourced multiple contractors—some through TikTok and others recommended by our neighbours and friends.

We wrapped up the entire renovation in less than 50 days! But to be fair, we had been planning it for the past 4 years ever since we bought the house during COVID while it was still under construction. So by the time we got the keys, we already had a clear vision of what we wanted. We mapped out everything, from the construction timeline to making sure our furniture and home accessories arrived on schedule.

To speed things up, we kept the renovation simple with no major structural changes and no built-ins, except in the kitchen. But to make the space feel like ours, we focused on decorating it to match our personal preference.

Luckily, when we got the house, there weren’t any major defects, so we could dive straight into the renovation. We hired multiple contractors to do different jobs at the same time, which really helped keep things moving. The renovation work includes installation of solar panels, painting, electrical wiring and carpentry.

Living and dining area

The house comes with an open-plan living area and kitchen, but our main focus was making the living space feel as spacious as possible. To do that, we relocated the original kitchen and turned it into a dining area, giving us more room to work with.

We wanted a laid-back vibe, so we went all out and custom-made a 16-foot sofa to fit the space perfectly. Since it’s loose furniture, we can easily move it around or even turn it into a sofa bed, perfect for cosy movie nights! Plus, with all-black walls and ceiling, when we turn off the lights, the whole living room gives off that cosy cinema vibe.

Since we skipped a console table, we hid all the cables and wires behind our wall-mounted TV and even mounted the speakers to keep everything looking neat and organised.

We also custom-made our dining table to perfectly fit the space. We love hosting and wanted the house to feel welcoming for family and friends. So, we went for a dining table that can seat up to 8 people. Our living and dining area is often packed with guests, which is exactly why we needed a big sofa and a spacious dining table to keep everyone comfortable.

Kitchen

Right next to the dining area, we turned the spare room into our kitchen. We went all-in with black appliances and, black glossy cabinets to achieve a sleek look.

When we were renovating the kitchen, I sketched out the entire layout and measured every single item we bought, appliances, kitchen essentials, everything, to make sure it all fit perfectly in the kitchen cabinet. This helped us maximise the limited space and keep the kitchen as functional as possible.

Master bedroom

Even though the rest of the house is all black, we wanted the bedrooms to have a contrasting colour so, we went with earth toned ceiling and walls, paired with wooden flooring.

Instead of bulky wardrobe cabinets, we opted for hanging rods and open shelves and covered them with a curtain. It is neatly tucked away right next to our bed. We designed this wardrobe to fit our specific needs. I wanted plenty of hanging space, so I installed rods on both upper and lower levels to maximise storage. I keep my less-used clothes on the top rod and use a garment hook pole (like the ones in clothing stores) to grab them easily. Since my husband doesn’t have as many clothes, he went with just upper hanging rods and added open shelves and boxes on the bottom part of the wardrobe.

We also have a small nook in our master bedroom that we turned into a little storage nook for my shawls, handbags, and other personal items, to prevent it from becoming a dead space.

And since both of us love watching movies, we mounted a TV on the wall in our bedroom. We placed it at eye level so when lying down, so it’s super comfortable to watch without straining our necks.

Balcony

Right next to our master bedroom, there’s a balcony, and we thought—why not turn it into a little retreat? So, we added a small portable pool for our daughter to splash around and burn off all that endless energy.

To make the space feel even more relaxing, we set up some outdoor chairs, umbrellas, and a canopy to give it a bit of a Balinese vibe. It’s not huge, but it’s the perfect spot for us to unwind and spend quality time together as a family.

Master bathroom

We kept the master bathroom’s original layout and just gave it a little makeover by painting the walls black (except for the ceiling, to tie in with our master bedroom’s colour), installing lighting, and putting up a mirror.

One of our boldest design choices was painting the original tiles black instead of replacing them, which would have been more costly. We used water-based tile paint, but we made sure to do it right so the colour would last. First, we applied a primer layer, then topped it off with regular paint for a longer-lasting finish. So far, it’s holding up great!

Children's bedroom

For our daughter’s bedroom, we went with warm earth tones to create a cosy and calming space. Just like the rest of the house, we skipped a traditional wardrobe and instead installed railings and storage boxes for her clothes and belongings. We made sure the setup blends seamlessly into the room’s decor, so it looks intentional rather than just functional.

Guest bedroom and laundry room

We turned one of the spare rooms upstairs into a combination guest bedroom and laundry room. To keep things efficient, we installed a 2-in-1 washing machine with a built-in dryer, so I don’t have to worry about hanging our laundry outside to dry. It’s a practical setup that saves time and makes laundry a breeze.

The biggest challenge

The toughest part of the renovation was probably having to oversee the renovation ourselves. My husband had to call the contractor, make sure they do it within the fixed timeline, and ensure that they do it correctly. There were even times when they messed up the paintwork, so he had to step in and get them to fix it. It was a lot to handle, but in the end, it was all worth it.

To sum up

We’re really happy with how the house turned out. The good thing about having an all-black home is that dust is super easy to spot, which actually helps us stay on top of cleaning. Both of us have eczema and are sensitive to dust, so whenever we see dust around the house, it’s like a reminder to clean, which is definitely a good habit to have.

Looking ahead, we’re thinking about including a mezzanine level (since we have a high ceiling) and turning it into a home office for my husband since he works from home. We also want to fully integrate smart home features which is still a work in progress, but we’ll get there!

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