An interior designer helps a young family build a stylish home that will grow with them through the years

When interior designer Raymond Lee set to work on this new bungalow in the gated community of Damansara Idaman in Petaling Jaya, practicality was a top priority. His brief was to design a family-oriented house, and with two active little boys and two pooches to consider, anything too fragile or fussy would have been unsuitable.

With this in mind, designer and client settled on relaxed, contemporary-style interiors. But functionality needn’t come at the expense of style, as is evident here. Artful touches lend the home some drama and in several instances, a stroke of show-stopping glamour.

“The ‘easy glamour’ theme was one of several ideas I had presented to the clients. They liked the idea as it was achievable [within budget and resources available here] and suited their aspirations,” Raymond recalls.

He had a nearly blank canvas to paint on as the family was moving here from a much smaller double-storey linkhouse. In addition to store-bought furniture and fittings, he had furniture custom-made to achieve the combination of glamour and practicality.

The mirrored sideboard cabinets in the living room, for example, would look right at home in an old Hollywood flick. Their bevelled glass surfaces wink in the light and suggest they have witnessed many a fabulous soiree, belying the fact that they are newly custom-made. A pair of lamps and several tasteful knick-knacks offset their elegant beauty.

Close by, a pair of custom-made velvet wing chairs the colour of wine flanks a large Kow Leong Kiang painting. The rich shade and sexy lines are complemented by a more low-key antique ceramic garden stool.

Another example of understated glamour can be seen in the study-cum-audiovisual room upstairs. It’s the playground of the master of the house, a thirty-something lawyer who is passionate about movies, gaming and surfing the Internet.

“The masculine, cocoon-like effect was created with the help of the gunmetal-grey textured linen wallpaper streaked with silver vertical zigzag lines,” Raymond points out. An Oriental rug and deep rust-coloured sofa with jewel-toned throw cushions, however, make it warm and inviting.

The AV room adjoins the master bedroom, where the glamour quotient is pumped up high. A chocolate-gold-mocha scheme gives the inner sanctum a rich, lustrous glow. The silk curtains and bedcover are in gold while the velvet armchairs are covered in a dusky mocha. For unexpected contrast, Raymond selected cushion covers, silk flowers and chocolate wallpaper that incorporated dashes of hot pink.

It is stylistically, a world removed from the rest of the house, which is contemporary with classic and subtle Asian accents.

“We wanted the house to be stylish, but did not want the glamour to be over-the-top. Everything sort of fell into place as we went along — there was no attempt to up the glamour ante in any particular areas of the house.”

The pale walls provide a neutral backdrop for the use of colour and texture in the form of soft furnishings and artwork, accessories and rugs.

Raymond sourced the soft materials by Osborne & Little, Casamance, Designers Guild and Andrew Martin from Janine in Bangsar. For some of the furniture, he turned to Felione Fine Furnishings, and Tomlinsons for the Chinese pieces. The house features many custom-made pieces as well.

Artwork includes new pieces by Malaysian artists such as Jai, Kow Leong Kiang, Chang Fee Ming and photographer Alex Moh. Paintings by Thai and Balinese artists round up the collection, a reminder of past holidays abroad.

Elegant accessories add interest throughout the roomy house. Because the bungalow is on a corner lot, there was ample opportunity to increase the built-up area, by 1,500 sq ft to 8,000 sq ft. A 10m-by-5m pool was added to keep the active little boys, who are keen swimmers, happy.

“We did not change the architectural vocabulary of the house,” states Raymond. Some alterations were, however, necessary to maximise the use of space. For instance, the car porch was extended by almost double — correspondingly, the upper level was enlarged to make a bigger AV room-cum-study.

Notably, the original lobby’s raised timber deck was removed and paved over with marble. And the gravel-covered courtyard was transformed into an inviting corner for gatherings.

“I think the developer had intended for the area to be sort of an indoor garden. We paved it over with the same marble as for the rest of the area, making it one continuous space. Detailed timber partitioning was added, creating a sense of space and intimacy between the lanai and courtyard area,” Raymond explains.

The area is now a spot for gatherings with family and friends. Needless to say, the clients, who moved in at the end of last year, are enjoying the rest of their dream abode to the fullest. Understandably so — it’s a beautiful home that will grow with them through the years.

This article appeared in haven, Issue #40, Dec 2009 + Jan 2010, the deco and garden publication of The Edge Malaysia