By Johnni Wong
Photographs courtesy of Geoffrey Thomas Associates Sdn Bhd | Mar 3, 2010
Britain’s Got Talent in KL
BRITISH interior designer Geoffrey Thomas arrived in Kuala Lumpur 17 years ago for a month-long holiday and felt that Malaysia had certain possibilities.
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Left to right: Geoffrey dislikes "shallow copying". Form, proportion, block colour and simplicity of detail are important elements. Lounge of a one-bedroom unit at Hampshire Place.
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In 1995, he relocated his design firm to Asia and subsequently set up practice in KL and has been engaged in some of the most luxurious residential projects in the city since then.
Besides private residential projects, his portfolio includes show units for condominium and apartment developments such as Kiara 1888, Hampshire Place, Tijani II North, 51 Gurney, IGB Condominium, Menjalara 18, Fairlane Service Apartment as well as LYNK “Soho” residence and Habitat II Service Apartment. Hotel projects include one “6- star” resort in Koh Samui in Thailand. “Interior design has always been an interest from a very early age,” says Geoffrey, “With regular trips to the local library, finding me devouring every book on architecture and design in general. Surprisingly, it included David Hicks, a noted English interior designer.”
Blackened steel
Geoffrey studied interior and furniture design at the London College of Furniture. In Kuala Lumpur, he initially consulted under his UK company name. Geoffrey Thomas Associates Sdn Bhd (GTA) was formed several years ago, when he realised he had been here for several years. His 180sq m (2,000sq ft) office is located on Changkat Raja Chulan, which is conveniently close to his current home.
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Left to right: This tablescape reflects Geoffrey's design sensibility with the interplay of shapes and forms as well as light and dark tones. Specifications of GTA project will follow a "consistency of reference".
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Visitors to his office can’t help but notice that this is one interior designer who has a certain fondness for grey tones but in a chic way. He describes his office design as having been done, “very simply,” with an industrial reference - allowing for concrete floors, custom- designed furniture and antique decorative highlights.
And the key feature in his office design scheme is an incredibly heavy, blackened steel pivot-hung door that secures the entrance arrestingly, and which Geoffrey says, “always provokes comment!!”
“Our project profile usually reflects a residential bias, allowing for both developer and private clients,” explains the designer, when asked about his typical projects. “The nature of our usual residential consultancy profile, reflects both public and private areas.”
Examples of his recent condominium projects in KL include The Avare, Hampshire Place and Tijani, all in prime residential locations, with properties averaging at least RM1,000 per square foot.
Modernist
And what is Geoffrey Thomas best known for, in terms of design style?
“I would like to think - consistency - with attention to detail, in addition to a fondness for grey interiors ...
“While initially minimal in direction - weren’t we all? - my interiors have been developed to reflect a more eclectic preference, with furnishings and objects being proposed from differing periods and pedigrees of origin,” explains Geoffrey.
And in the world of design - reflecting both architecture and interior design - his immediate references would include, Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio and modernist architects and designers like Ludwig Mies Van De Rohe, Le Corbusier, Berthold Lubetkin, Jean-Michel Frank and Eileen Gray. He cites them all, as being acknowledged “masters of timeless innovation” who espoused original thought and consistency, and “integrity of detail and execution.”
And what he absolutely abhors in interior design is “shallow copying” of what is considered to be in vogue, at the particular moment.
Moody ambience
When it comes to deciding on the sort of furniture, soft furnishings and decorative accessories for a residential project, Geoffrey states that all such specifications are reflective of the specific project, allowing for a consistency of reference with regard to form, proportion, block colour (normally) and simplicity of detail.
“Our most recent large-scale private, residential project is located in Karachi, allowing for in-depth liaison with both the client and the architect, to reflect ongoing architectural and exterior proposals, in addition to our interior design scope of consultancy.
“Detailed discussion is considered to be very important at project instigation, to confirm actual client requirements and aspirations, so as to ensure a reflective and achievable design proposal.
“When designing a show apartment, I always prefer to adopt a largely, neutral colour palette, allowing for textural and tonal contrast.
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Hampshire Place (left to right): Lounge of a two-bedroom unit, Geoffrey's preference is for a largely neutral colour palette, allowing for textural and tonal contrast. Even a one-bedroom unit can look spacious. Master bedroom of a two-bedroom unit. Typically, a GTA project pays close attention to details.
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“Identified areas will often reflect an injection of ‘solid colour,’ providing contrast and drama.
“Our projects to date have ranged from 54sq m (600sq ft) to 540sq m (6,000sq ft).
“However, I do not consider square footage to necessarily reflect a project’s status.
“GTA is currently consulting on a new service apartment concept, which will allow for a square foot provision, from 400-plus (sq ft) onwards. Working within such a limited spatial constraint is both very challenging and exciting.”
As enthusiastic as Geoffrey is about working on challenging projects, he would prefer to avoid office refurbishment jobs.
And speaking of refurbishment, the designer will be moving to a “new city central apartment” when he “eventually completes” doing it up. The new home which spans 166sq m (1,850sq ft) will have a mix of both contemporary and antique furnishings, reflecting a “very moody ambience,” with industrial references, of course.
England
Living in Malaysia is a long way off from his home county of Hertfordshire, just outside of London, where he grew up.
But as busy as he is with his projects and demanding clients, Geoffrey tries to go back to England a minimum of twice a year, possibly more depending on project and sourcing requirements.
“Quite honestly, I do not find London to be very exciting, much preferring Paris as a source of inspiration,” reveals Geoffrey, when asked about shopping tips for home accessories.
“In London, however, I would recommend Soane and Lamberty, both being situated in the Pimlico Road area. The showrooms in question, offer a range of traditionally referenced furnishing and decorative items, which are very quietly edgy. Liberty, the long established department store, is currently experiencing a retail renaissance, with great furnishing and interior items.”
Geoffrey would normally shop for smaller items from either Conran or Habitat, which reflect a good design sensibility and are easy to carry. But when it comes to buying art, he has his favourite haunts.
“I really find the London art scene to be very buzzy, with a wide range of art works available, reflecting current contemporary, established contemporary and traditional artists.
“Recently, I bought a ‘paper piece’ by Anthony Caro, (an established leading British sculptor/artist) from The Bernard Jacobson Gallery, and a beautiful lithograph by an American artist named Linda Karshan from The Redfern Gallery.
“I also have several art pieces by Malaysian artists, with my favourites being by Abdul Multhalib, Yee I-Lann, and Shiva Fernandes, who is currently an ‘under the radar’ newlyemerging Malaysian resident artist, proving to be extremely popular in London.”
And with his eye for detail, Geoffrey does often get involved in artwork proposals and purchase, including several pieces - shortly to be commissioned - for an overseas project.
Status reflective
With his English background and sensibilities, how does a British interior designer like Geoffrey find working in Malaysia?
“I find the interior design scene in Malaysia to be both very exciting and also incredibly frustrating, in varying levels of response!!
“There is definitely a growing level of awareness, appreciation and sophistication that is evident, with however, a persistent insecurity with many clients, as to what is considered ‘status reflective’ being more important than what is appropriate or liked.
“I view luxury as reflecting a climate which allows for the freedom of interplay between interior and exterior areas, together with an often generous square footage provision, of residential space.”
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