By Willy Wilson | Nov 30, 2009

Living large in a small space

A modest neighbourhood nestles snuggly in Sunway’s industrial area. It consists of old, small houses built in the 70s. These rather rundown one-storey houses are surrounded by factories and warehouses.

In spite of the shabbiness, one renovated house stands out among the rest. A standard one-storey house of 22 x 70 sq ft, the house is coated in olive green paint and enclosed by soaring greenery. However, the interior of the house is even more unique. Star Property gets an exclusive tour of the home from its owner, who prefers to remain anonymous.

A tour of the Oriental-themed home
When you walk up to the house, a beautiful wooden gate greets you. Walk through it and you’ll find yourself in a mini Balinese garden before you arrive at a small sitting area where the main door is. The homeowner parks his car next to the garden.

Step into the house and you’ll find a jumble of ethnic furniture, Oriental decorations and fresh flowers – all cast in dim lighting.

“This is the living room,” says the proud homeowner, who is very into Buddhism and Oritentalism.

Two Ming chairs stand regally at one side while an opium bed, complete with ethnic cushions, at the other. An altar dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin) and wooden crafts are placed at the end of the room. These exotic decorations are set against red walls.

In order to keep the house airy, the homeowner decided not to use doors to separate the main rooms in the house. Doors are only used to separate private areas such as the bedrooms and bathroom.

“I have a rather heavy concept for such a small house,” he explains, “and one way to create a less suffocating atmosphere in the house is by having fewer partitions in the house.”

Instead, he uses colours to show the function of each room. This becomes clear when you step into the adjoining room. Coated in bright orange, the room is as unconventional as the living room. It is a tea room where the homeowner and his close friends often spend time in. The room has an ethnic table with four matching chairs, two ethnic cupboards, a picture of Buddha’s face painted in gold and a huge glass window that overlooks another Balinese garden.

Yes, you read right – there is a garden inside the house too!

“I want to have some greens to wake up to. This garden is situated right in the middle of the house, so I can never miss it.”

The tea room leads to the dining room, which feels less cluttered compared to the previous two areas despite the heavy decorations and loud colours. The tiny dining room, which is painted fuchsia, is decorated with a Balinese cupboard and a beautiful Chinese dining table.

“My dining room gives a total airy feel to the whole house, thanks to the high-ceiling concept and the glass door to the garden,” says the homeowner, who shares his home with his mother.

A kitchen and bathroom is located after the dining room, while a door off the dining room leads to a bedroom, which belongs to the his mother.

So where does he sleep?

“There is a hidden mezzanine floor, only accessible through my mother’s bedroom.”

To access the mezzanine floor, one has to climb up a steep flight of stairs and uncover one part of the ceiling (imagine the traditional Japanese houses). One has to be careful not to fall down the stairs, but once there, the chore of navigating the steps becomes worth it.

The mezzanine floor is transformed into a comfortable, low-ceilinged space with a Japanese concept: a mattress, a chilly balcony and a working space with lots of windows.

The mysterious owner
The homeowner, who is a hairstylist, spent RM200,000 to renovate his home. While he admits that the cost to renovate his home is rather expensive for such a small house, he insists that it wasn’t excessive.

“I could have bought another house in the same neighbourhood. But this house is neither for sale, nor is it an investment. It is for my family to use, so I might as well make it a heaven for me and my mother,” he reasons.

Tips on decorating small spaces

According to the homeowner, it is essential that you know your personal taste when it comes to decorating. In his case, it is the Oriental style. If you have a similar taste, you should know that the combination of unique artistic approaches and uncommon color schemes bring out the characteristics of ethnic furniture without making them seem outdated.

Apparently, combining various ethnic themes such as Balinese, Thai and Chinese lend a highly-appealing and warm ambience to interior spaces, so long as you don’t go overboard. Clashes of colours and themes must be done with a clear objective, such as to lend a new dimension of space to the home.

“We tend to get carried away. But we must stop when you find (too many) bright colors, daring patterns, and a combination of different variety of textures in your house!,” he says.

While he believes that ethnic furniture has a rustic and visually-captivating appeal, it could clutter up the home and turn it into a “Disneyland” of sorts when done up wrongly.

How true indeed.