Post-Revamp, This Home Is Now a Peaceful Abode for a Family of Four

Despite having young ones, the homeowners were not afraid to step out of the proverbial box to give their abode a look of its own.

A staircase with a glass handrail and pristine white walls or wardrobes may not be something that homeowners with small children would prefer when renovating their home. But this was not the case for the owners of this double-storey linked house in Selangor.

We spoke to Ms. Chen the founder of Poco Atelier, to find out more about the design process that went into transforming this house into a peaceful haven for a family of four, which took eight weeks to complete.

Qanvast (Q): Hi, can you tell us a little about your clients?

Ms. Chen (MC): Our client is a married couple in their 40s and 50s with two beautiful daughters, ages three and six. The husband is a chemist who owns a science research laboratory, and the family enjoys a quiet life and loves reading in their spare time.

They were actually referred to us by a previous client, which has been rather common for us since our inception in 2014. They approached us with a budget of RM300,000 plus, and from there, we worked together to envision their dream home.

Q: Can you give us a brief description of the property?

MC: The property is a 1887 sqft landed home with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Despite the fact that the house is smaller than where they previously stayed, the couple chose to purchase this home for security reasons because it is in a gated and guarded community.

Q: What were your client’s requirements for this home?

MC: The couple led a very busy lifestyle, so they wanted to create a calm and relaxing home where they could unwind after a long day at work.

They didn’t want any unnecessary design elements, but instead wanted to focus on using quality materials. Since it’s a smaller unit than what they were previously used to, they also requested that plenty of storage space be incorporated for a neat and uncluttered appearance.

Q: What was the design style chosen for this project?

MC: It's difficult to pin down the design style for this home. It can be minimalist, modern, or contemporary. In general, it was a mix of the above tailored to match the family’s lifestyle and preferences.

Based on the couple’s requirements, we adopted a "less is more" approach, focusing on quality and playing with light and shadows from the large windows found throughout the house. Serene white, sheen silver, and warm red wood tones were used extensively throughout the house to achieve the desired calming and serene ambience that very much reflects the state of mind they are or wish to achieve.

Q: Can you tell us about the renovations that were carried out to achieve this look?

MC: The renovation sought to maintain the bright and airy ambiance during the day by leveraging the high ceilings and large windows, and a cosy atmosphere during the night using a variety of light fixtures, particularly the moon light in the dining room (more on this later!).

The Entryway

A well-crafted wooden altar greets you as soon as you enter the house. The couple desired a traditional yet minimalist design for the altar, so we had to find a craftsman to custom make it, which proved to be quite a challenge! However, we are very pleased with the overall look of the altar, as it complements the wooden staircase that’s right behind it.

Originally, the staircase came with a steel handrail and tile-finished steps. It didn’t fit the look we were trying to achieve, so we decided to throw some budget into redesigning it to make it look more aesthetically pleasing. We replaced it with tempered glass handrails and solid merbau wood steps that were extended to an 11-foot-long TV shelf.

We also installed LED strip fixtures that run through the staircase, softening the heavy tone of the dark red solid wood against the white surroundings. This really elevates the entire look because you get luminescence and reflections of the light on the transparent glass handrail.

The couple was initially concerned about the safety of the glass handrail, but they decided to go ahead with it because the staircase transformation makes the house look more elegant.

The Study Room

There's a storeroom next to the wall-mounted TV, and there was originally a walkway that leads to a study room and washroom. We chose a fluted wall panel to cover the side wall and conceal the store room door, followed by a full-height pivot door to conceal the walkway leading to the study room and the washroom.

This helps to isolate the study room from the TV noise while also making the entire space appear continuous and uncluttered. The kids can now enjoy their TV show while the father can work peacefully from home.

The Living Room

The overall design of the living room is meant to be simple, allowing the furniture and featured artwork to take centre stage. The furniture was chosen with reflective and translucent materials to lighten its presence as much as possible, making the small living room appear more spacious.

The Dining Room

The original layout of the dining room, which sits between the living room and the kitchen, is rather narrow, but thanks to the tall ceiling, we decided a moon-shaped lighting would be ideal for the space. The unique light fixture poetically matches the couple's background, as they work in science development and the husband is a fan of Elon Musk's philosophy.

The Kitchen

The kitchen is located next to the dining room. We outfitted the kitchen cabinets with an anodized aluminium sheet and frame for easy maintenance, and the slightly sheen surface helps to alleviate the oppression of full height storage in the small kitchen. We also installed a glass panel and sliding door to separate the wet and dry kitchens, contributing to the feeling of spaciousness. Meanwhile, the white tiled backsplash lends a clean and timeless feel to the space.

The Master Bedroom

The second floor has a more intimate setting for the family to rest. The master bedroom channels a soothing vibe where everything is white and has simple lines to allow the eyes and body to rest. There isn't any artwork on the walls, but the furniture and finishes exude all the character the room needs. We added fluted panel cabinet doors in place of flat ones to tie the master bedroom and living room designs together, as well as warm LED accent lighting to lend a laid-back feel to the room.

The Children's Bedroom

The couple mentioned that their children enjoy climbing up and down, so we installed a bunk bed with an integrated wardrobe in the children's bedroom. It also saves space, as the room is too small to fit two single beds, a wardrobe, and a study table. We also added some fun elements to the space; the kids' wardrobe door can be used as a whiteboard where the kids can doodle or draw with marker pen.

The Guest Bedroom

In the guest bedroom, we installed a platform bed with storage drawers underneath to provide additional storage space for the family. The family also uses this spare room when they have guests over or when the kids want to sleep with their mother.

Q: Were there any unexpected hiccups during the renovation process?

MC: No. Just like all our other renovation projects, instead of showing fancy 3D renders, we always try to render the space as close to the actual atmosphere as possible and get all material samples approved by our clients before we proceed so that our clients can envision the finished result of their future home. Unless the clients request for additional items during the renovation process, our costs are always the same as our quotation. We are proud of our ability to strike a balance between aesthetics and budget control.

Q: What are your thoughts on the final result of this project, and what was the clients’ reaction when they saw the completed project?

MC: I thoroughly enjoyed working on this project. The satisfaction of tailoring a living space to our clients' needs, visions, and lifestyles—and seeing it come to life—is what drives me to do what I do.

More importantly, the couple was pleased with the overall result. They even suggested holding an open house for their neighbours to view the house before they moved in because a few neighbours commented that it looked really nice from the outside and were curious to know how the inside looked. So we made that happen for them!

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