Tatler Asia - Home tour: A serene Japandi condominium in Selangor, Malaysia with stunning views
Newcleus Design’s Japandi condominium high above Petaling Jaya is an oasis of calm Located in bustling Petaling Jaya, this condominium unit in Bayberry Serviced Residences, Tropicana Gardens, was furnished minimally to rent out. However, a newly married couple decided to make this their first marital home and approached Newcleus Design to spruce up the 1,500 sq ft unit.
“The couple just happened to be close relatives of ours and came to us, trusting us to create a fresh, young, contemporary yet comfortable space for their daily use,” explains Nee Wong, Creative Director of Newcleus Design.
The site was adequately sized for a new growing family, with a large glass window spanning the width of the living and dining area, overlooking the lush greens of the Tropicana golf course. Large curtains initially covered these windows, so the designer wanted a more open visual experience, ideating a tea table overlooking this view as soon as they saw the site.
“Being constantly surrounded by the demands of fast-paced urban life, I wanted the new homeowners to be able to find refuge in a clean, ambient space but also have moments of individuality and character,” explains Wong.
“The homeowners are a well-travelled couple who enjoy their time at home making coffee. So the overarching concept of the interior design was to marry the warm, clean, serene elements of Japanese and Scandinavian interiors with artful Parisian style,” she adds.
The designers drew the big gestures with minimalistic wood finishes, morphing from a TV console table and a floating Japanese tea table to wall wainscoting panels for a zen look. They then zoomed in to details that would bring more character to the space, such as a ‘chimney’ looking ceiling trough over the kitchen island, black-lined Roman blinds, and cornices reminiscent of a Parisian abode.
“Despite the space limitation, we introduced ceiling details within the living area. The large wooden curtain pelmet with black striped Roman blinds changes the spatial experience of the living area, compressing one’s view to the beautiful golf course ahead and creating a Wood laminate with an ash wood finish was predominantly used. This feature on most carpentry work in the living area creates a cohesive look throughout, from architectural finishes like wainscoting and curtain pelmets to the floating TV console, custom altar, tea table and shelves.
“The floating tea table was a pleasant detail to work on for us. We envisioned the table as a plane extension from the TV console, dropping its height slightly to create a completely different function at a corner of the living area,” states Wong.
“It was also special to us because we could introduce something connected to the homeowners’ hobby of enjoying home-brewed coffee and tea.”
