Hotel or Home? This Terrace in Selangor Blurs the Line

Classy, elegant and practical.

For this homeowner, turning her first home into a hotel-inspired sanctuary had always been a dream, and it truly lived up to her expectations. From the outside, it looks like any typical house, but once you step inside, the difference is striking. The space exudes a refined boutique hotel-style charm that immediately sets it apart from an ordinary home.

What’s even more impressive is that the entire transformation, including furniture, was completed for under RM250,000. We had the opportunity to speak with the owner, Azlin Aziz (@cassia.casa) to learn more about her renovation journey and how she managed to keep costs low while achieving such a luxurious, hotel-inspired look.

About Azlin and her family

I’m a 34-year-old stay-at-home mom, and my husband works in the oil and gas industry. We got married in 2016, and today we’re blessed with two boys, aged 4 and 7, and we’re excited to welcome another little one next year.

We’re currently living in a 2,402 sqft landed home in Elmina West, Selangor. It’s a brand-new property with 4+1 bedrooms. We bought it in January 2021, though it was still under development at the time. We finally collected the keys in April 2023, started renovation a little later in September, and officially moved in by January 2024.

We decided to purchase this home because my mom bought a unit nearby. Since we were staying with her at the time, there wasn’t any rush for us to move into the new place. While waiting for the renovation to finish, I would come by almost every day to check on the progress and make sure everything was going smoothly.

I really love this area because it’s a newly developed township, very family friendly, and there’s a lot of exciting growth happening, like new schools, malls, restaurants and more on the way.

About the home’s design

Our home is designed with a classic contemporary style. Most of my inspiration came from photos I’ve seen on Pinterest and Instagram, especially designs by Humphrey Munson, whose classic-meets- contemporary approach really appealed to me. I’ve always wanted a home that feels like a hotel, and that became the main direction for our renovation.

For the design work, we decided to work with a KL-based interior design firm, MASH Kuala Lumpur, to help us with the detailed plans and 3D drawings. I actually discovered them on Instagram, and as I browsed through their projects, I realised their styling ideas aligned perfectly with the vibe we wanted, so it felt like the right choice.

I put together my own mood board and colour scheme (white, beige, black, and a touch of brown) and shared it with the interior designer, Amy. She did an amazing job coming up with the 3D renders.

Although the firm offered a full renovation service, we decided not to proceed because the cost was way beyond our budget, they quoted around RM600,000, which is almost the same price as the house! So instead, we sourced our own contractor and carpenter, which helped bring the overall cost down significantly.

The contractor was recommended by my mother-in-law. As for the carpenter, I found him myself. I noticed he was doing carpentry work around the neighbourhood, so I asked for his contact. He’s been great to work with because he’s open to my ideas and willing to take on things others might avoid, like the curved kitchen island, which many carpenters don’t usually want to do.

About the renovation works

Entryway

For the entryway, I wanted it to stand out from the rest of the house. I envisioned a statement entrance with tiled flooring, plus a floor-to-ceiling cabinet to store all our shoes. I even had the wall sockets and plugs repositioned so I could add a mirror, which gives the illusion of more space.

As a result, the entryway now has a boutique hotel vibe, and the tiled flooring creates a contrast against the SPC flooring in the living room, helping to visually divide both areas.

Under the stairs and staircase

Behind the entryway is the staircase, in which I turned the space under it into a hidden storeroom with a concealed door so everything looks seamless. To minimise dead space, I added a pull-out cabinet which makes it easy to reach into those deep corners. That’s where I store my boys’ school bags and our toolkit.

I also updated the original staircase railings. They used to be white with a simple straight-line design, but the contractor repainted them black and reshaped the rails. Repurposing helps to keep the renovation cost low while still allowing me to achieve the look I wanted.

Living room and dining area

When designing the living room and dining area, I wanted it to not only look aesthetically pleasing but also be practical at the same time. If you noticed, my house doesn't have a lot of open shelves because it’s a hassle for me to maintain or keep them dust-free. So I told Amy to design a few closed storage and hidden storage behind the feature wall to conceal all the TV wires so that the living room doesn't look too cluttered.

When we bought the house, it already came with a plaster ceiling on the lower floor, so we didn’t change much there. The only major addition was installing a centralised air-conditioning unit in the middle of the living and dining area.

Since we often host family gatherings, we decided on an 8-seater dining table. I actually had all my furniture and lighting custom-made from an Indonesian store called Gavel Furniture and from Taobao.

Guest bedroom and bathroom

The guest bedroom was originally a bit larger, but since I really wanted a bigger kitchen with a spacious island, Amy suggested taking a portion of that room and shifting the entrance for better flow. So, we moved the original bedroom door and replaced it with a hidden door to keep the whole area looking cohesive.

At first, I was thinking of turning the guest room into a studio or a lounge area with a sofa bed. But since we often have guests over, and especially because my husband has a big family and we love hosting them, we decided it made more sense to keep it as a proper guest bedroom on the ground floor for convenience.

The guest bathroom has direct access from the bedroom. We didn’t make any major changes except replacing the sanitary fittings, but we did move the original bathroom door to improve the flow with the new layout.

Kitchen

The kitchen is really where I spend most of my time, as I love cooking and preparing home-cooked meals for my family.

The original kitchen felt a little tight, so I borrowed some space from the guest bedroom (as mentioned earlier) to create a larger layout that could accommodate a large island. I wanted the island to be a central area where my boys and I could enjoy casual meals every day. I also added an apron sink so it would be easier to wash our hands without stepping into the main prep area.

For the countertop and backsplash, my carpenter suggested quartz stone. It looks great, but it does require a bit of maintenance. For example, if there are any turmeric spills, I need to wipe them up immediately, or they will stain easily. For the kitchen cabinets, my carpenter recommended HMR (High Moisture Resistant) board since it’s highly moisture-resistant and ideal for kitchen use.

When designing the house, I asked Amy to include a coffee and tea station in the kitchen. I had a custom drawer made to store all my tea collections, so it’s where I enjoy my tea every morning. During family gatherings or open houses, I also use the space to display desserts.

Yard turned into kitchen prep area

One of the big changes we made to the home was turning the open space yard into an indoor space, which Amy calls the food prep area. I love this prep area because it faces the playground, making dishwashing less boring as I get a nice view at the back.

This prep area is also very convenient for me when hosting guests. I can keep the main kitchen looking more presentable while keeping the dirty pots, pans and plates out of sight after cooking during gatherings.

In this area, I asked Amy to add a bench with storage underneath, like you’d see in a mudroom, and to let in more light. Since our house is an intermediate unit with limited natural sunlight, we added an arched glass door and a skylight to brighten up the space naturally.

Utility room turned into a walk-in pantry

One of my requests was a walk-in pantry with plenty of open shelves and gallery railings to display all my pantry items. Since we didn’t really need a utility room, we removed the walls and transformed the room into a walk-in pantry.

I actually got the idea from Pinterest and was really excited to recreate it at home. Finding the exact gallery railing in Malaysia was tricky, so my sister-in-law helped by getting them from the UK. I’m really happy with how it all turned out.

Planting area turned into a laundry

Originally, the house had an outdoor planting area connected to the guest bedroom, but we decided to turn it into a laundry room with a skylight. This way, I can hang clothes to dry while staying protected from the rain.

To sum up…

The home renovation has really improved my lifestyle, made me appreciate my home more, and even helped me become more disciplined. I love having a beautiful space, and keeping it that way means staying on top of things. Even when my kids make a mess in the kitchen, I teach them to quickly grab a tissue and clean up. It’s my way of training them to help keep the house looking neat and spotless.

Her advice for other homeowners

If you’re thinking about renovating your home, I’d highly recommend hiring an interior designer, as they can provide detailed 3D drawings and make sure your ideas actually work in real life.

We all want to be our own interior designer, but sometimes what we envision just isn’t practical. For example, I wanted a walk-in pantry, and our interior designer had to calculate the clearance first, because that’s really important. She then suggested a layout that worked perfectly with what I had in mind.

Sometimes it’s hard to know if something will fit or work, but with their input and expertise, they can suggest the best way to make the most of the space you have at home.

Looking to renovate? Simplify your search for a reliable interior professional.

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