By Johnni Wong | Aug 14, 2009
Exclusive Bangsar Living
Photographs courtesy of D&B Reka Sdn Bhd
 |
| The defining element here is the beige-coloured feature wall, made of recessed and protruding square and rectangular panels. |
Perched on one side of Bangsar Hill in Kuala Lumpur, the Inara condominium complex is so exclusive that few people have even heard of it. But for a high- flying couple, spending half a million Ringgit to renovate one of the 22 units to make it uniquely their home was money well-spent.
The baby grand piano in the spacious living room in this Inara luxury condo unit, wasn’t merely a prop. The pretty lady owner Ch’ng Teng Teng actually tinkles the keys quite regularly. Why, there were even a couple of sheets of music score popped open when we visited.
With over 302sq m (3,250sq ft) of built-up space in an open-plan layout, Ch’ng and her husband, a consultant in the world of finance, immediately knew this was THE home when they were tipped off by a friend from the developer’s office.
“The main attraction was that there were only 22 units in this low-rise development of three residential blocks. And each floor has only two condo units or a duplex penthouse,” said the husband, who declined to be named. “It was actually a bargain as we paid only RM620 per square foot.” This meant that the happy couple paid a little over RM2mil for their unit which they share with the husband’s mother.
RM1,000 per sq ft
Launched in 2004, the Inara condo development is sited on 0.46 hectare (1.13 acres) of freehold land. Standard units start from 302sq m (3,251sq ft) while duplex penthouses range from 532sq m to 560sq m (5,726sq ft to 6,028sq ft). The asking price in subsequent sales in 2006 exceeded RM740 per square foot.
Currently, the asking price is more than RM1,000 per square foot. Rental prices range from RM13,000 for a standard unit to RM20,000 for a penthouse unit. And that’s without any “KLCC view” of the Petronas Twin Towers, as all the condo units face Petaling Jaya.
When the couple secured the condo of their dreams, they wanted to turn the original five-bedroom unit into a modern and luxurious home that would meet all their expectations. And that’s when interior design consultants Benjamin Wong and Anne Ang of D&B Reka Sdn Bhd came into the picture, upon the recommendation of another friend and satisfied client.
The original budget for the design features that Ch’ng and her husband wanted, came to RM380,000 but it soon shot up to half a million, as the owners had very specific ideas and wanted a flawless finish. “The brief was to design a practical, spacious and modern living space. It must have interesting features that guests would talk about but it mustn’t be overdone. We proposed a Modern Luxury concept,” explained Wong, who is an arts degree graduate from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia.
 |
 |
| The AV room or family lounge is the place to relax at any time of the day or night. |
The powder room entrance has been deftly camouflaged to the extent of being almost undetectable. |
“Originally, the unit comprised a master bedroom of 35sq m (360sq ft) and three other bedrooms as well as a maid’s room. We combined the master bedroom with an adjoining bedroom to create a bigger space of 53sq m (587sq ft), like a suite. Within that space, we created a small study and a walk-in wardrobe.
“The unit also has four bathrooms, a powder room next to the lounge and dining area plus a small bathroom next to the maid’s room. In terms of size, the lounge spans 37sq m (413sq ft), the dining room 25sq m (282sq ft) and the kitchen was expanded from 16sq m (182sq ft) to 18sq m (198sq ft).”
Designer Furniture
D&B Reka is a small interior design outfit established in 2000. According to Wong, the company specialises in high-end residential properties due to its long-standing relationship with suppliers of fine furnishings and contractors of luxury properties.
“An eye for meticulous details like ensuring a concealed glass door closes flushed with the other wall panels, is what sets us apart. We undertake projects that require a fine finish. “For example, when it comes to a spray-painted finish, there are many degrees to a fine finish.
Knowing what is acceptable and what isn’t, ensures that our clients get the best workmanship possible.”
But meeting high expectations in renovation projects cost money and D&B Reka’s projects are normally budgeted around RM300,000 or more. As for this Inara project, which took five months, the clients did not agree with everything that was proposed. Said Wong: “It’s normal for the owners to disagree with certain details, from design to material selection. We always advise our clients professionally, as to why we design certain things and why we select a particular material. We do our best to prove our point by showing visuals, larger material and on site markings to help them get the big picture.
 |
 |
| The island counter top in the centre of the dry kitchen is made of onyx and lit from within. A pair of hidden doors lead to the wet kitchen at the back. |
Furniture is kept to a minimum to maintain a feeling of luxurious space. Lighting plays a important role here. |
“We also did the sourcing for the furniture items to ensure the final result would be consistent with the concept. “The sofa sets are from Germany. The dining sets and the designer bar stools are from Italy.”
And when it came to construction work like removing the dry kitchen wall that separates it from the dining room and the hacking of the bedroom walls, the neighbours gave a bit of a problem.
“We had problems with neighbours who complained about the hacking, even though we followed the house rules strictly. In the end, the owner wrote to the chief executive officer of the development company. “The chief executive officer gave us the ultimate permission to continue with our work, as long as we followed the house rules.”
E-mail the writer (johnni@thestar.com.my) if you know of interesting homes to feature.
See Related Articles:
|