This Couple Renovated Their Home to Support Their Son's Autism Journey

This house is filled with thoughtful details that most of us would overlook!

Upon entering this two-story link home, you’ll notice a sharp contrast of black and white artwork in the dining room and neutral tones repeated throughout the entire house, giving the abode an elegant monochromatic look. While this may seem like a purely aesthetic decision, its homeowner, Ain Jamlus, tells us that her interior design choices were centred around creating a conducive and calm environment for her 12-year-old son with autism.

"Our worlds are different, and in order for us to understand him, we need to learn to adapt to his quirkiness and allow him to be different," said Ain when talking about her son, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of five. We had a chat with her to learn more about how she renovated her home into not only an aesthetically pleasing space but also a safe, comfortable, and supportive environment for her son.

Qanvast (Q): Hi, tell us about yourself and your family

Ain Jamlus (AJ): Hi! My name is Ain, and I'm a 37-year-old business owner. My husband’s name is Zharif, and we have a 12-year-old son named Ariez.

We've been living in this 1900 sq ft double-storey link home in Elmina Shah Alam for the past three years. It is a newly constructed property with four bedrooms and four bathrooms.

One of the main reasons we purchased this house was to be closer to our parents. Furthermore, this neighbourhood is a secure and gated community with easy access to major highways.

Q: In brief, how would you describe your home’s style?

AJ: Our house is designed in a contemporary style. It features plenty of neutral tones such as taupe, grey, white and black. We learned that certain bright colours, such as red, green, and yellow, can easily overwhelm our son, especially when displayed on a large scale. On the other hand, neutral tones can help regulate his mood and make him feel more at ease, which is why we chose this colour scheme.

But to keep it from looking too flat, we layered these tones with different textures and materials.

Q: What renovations did you carry out to make it more personal to your taste?

We hired an interior designer to renovate our new home before moving in. This included adding plaster ceilings in the living room, replacing the original tile floors with vinyl flooring, and installing lighting and cabinetry throughout the house. I decorated the rest of the house myself.

The staircase near the entry

As soon as you enter the house, you’re presented with views of the staircase and the entire ground floor, which features an open-plan layout that combines the living room, dining room, and kitchen. To utilise the dead space under the stairs, I requested for pullout cabinetry to keep clutter at bay. Minimal clutter is also beneficial for my son because it prevents sensory overload.

The cabinet is available in a variety of sizes and storage capacities. The tall drawer is used to store larger items such as a vacuum cleaner, ladder, toolbox, and cleaning supplies. Meanwhile, the medium-sized drawers are for storing various items, such as shoes, luggage, and handbags. We also have a miscellaneous storage area where we keep extra light bulbs, batteries, appliances, warranty cards, caps, and charges.

The living and dining room

Opposite the staircase, a large grey built-in unit houses an entertainment unit for the TV. It also has open shelving, which allows me to decorate and display ornaments I've collected over the years.

The TV cabinet integrates with the banquette bench seating in the dining room. We chose banquette bench seating for a variety of reasons, and it has been one of the best decisions we have made when renovating this home!

For one, it has a storage area underneath. I also enjoy sitting here because it provides the best view of the house from the entrance, living room, kitchen, and laundry room, as well as the playroom, which is located near the kitchen. That way. I get to keep an eye on my son while dining or entertaining guests.

One of the unique features we have in our home is the contemporary artwork that my husband and I made in our dining area. We wanted something to stand out in the otherwise neutral space, and we thought black and white art would look great on the wall. The simple colour scheme with curvier lines complements the existing space.

The minimalist kitchen

For visual flow, the built-in banquette actually continues all the way to the kitchen island. During the design process, I told the interior designer that I wanted a simple kitchen that isn't ostentatious or over-the-top, as well as a combined wet and dry kitchen.

Hence, we installed floor-to-ceiling built-in cabinets to store tableware, dinnerware, and cookware, and I replaced the original kitchen backsplash tiles with a quartz material, similar to that used for the kitchen countertop. The kitchen’s consistent colour palette and material leave the space looking neat and coordinated.

The laundry room

The only structural work done was to extend the extra yard space and convert it into a laundry room. We added built-in cabinets to store cleaning supplies, towels, and linens, as well as a glass door to connect the laundry and kitchen, creating an open feeling and inviting natural light into the house.

I also like that, because of this, the kitchen is now at the center/middle of the house instead of the back.

The master bedroom

The master bedroom upstairs continues the contemporary theme with a neutral colour scheme and soft bedding materials to give the space a tactile feel. It has a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe that also serves as a partition between the wardrobe space and the sleeping area while providing a sense of privacy, especially if anyone walks past the master bedroom. I also like how the bed faces the windows that lead out to the patio.

The kid’s bedroom

I wanted my son's bedroom to be a calm environment where he could sleep and unwind with minimal visual stimulation. To accomplish this, we chose calming colours and cooler tones for his bedroom, such as light blue and white.

Because he’s very sensitive to noise, I added a nice rug to reduce echoing sounds and to ensure he has enough floor space for rolling or simply lying down on the rug. He loves geometric shapes, so I bought him a low-pile rug with geometric shapes.

Textures and lighting are also important factors in creating a comfortable environment for him. I included a variety of soft materials for the bedding and cushions that he enjoys touching. In terms of lighting, I purchased sensory lights that he can easily turn on and off whenever he needs time to regulate his thoughts, feelings/ mood. I also avoided decorating the walls to reduce visual clutter, which in turn reduces irritation and promotes calmness.

Q: Are you pleased with the results of your home renovation? Is there anything else you want to change or improve in the future?

In hindsight, I should have been clearer on what I wanted my home to look like and conducted thorough research before embarking on a home renovation project, rather than relying solely on the decisions of the interior designer.

But overall, I’m happy and grateful for the home that my husband and I have built. I’d like to convert the remaining backyard space into a mudroom in the future. So that’ll be our next big project!

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