By Johnni Wong | Dec 2, 2009
Photographs by Yap Chee Hong
A Whiter Shade of Pale
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The kitchen concept in this villa unit has been styled for frequent dinner parties.
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With the property market seemingly picking up pace despite the impending 5% realproperty gains tax downer, buyers looking for condominium bargains at prime neighbourhoods such as Mont’ Kiara may still be able to pick up a good buy or two.
Among the many upscale developments in and around the Mont’ Kiara property gold mine - where developers of “luxury” projects egg each other on by pushing their condo prices beyond RM900 per square foot - there are developments such as Mitraland’s Kiara 1888 condominium project which still offers units from RM420 per square foot.
“Although the development site is on the border of Segambut, the Kiara 1888 address which is along Jalan Kiara 3, is still on the Mont’ Kiara side,” said Mitraland Group marketing manager Eddie Wong, during a guided tour of his company’s project.
“Given time, the neighbouring kampung houses will eventually be part of more upscale developments as developers seek to capitalise on the location.”
Looking at the rate of development in the heart of Mont’ Kiara where land and, of course, property prices are truly prohibitive for the average buyer, condo properties on the Mont’ Kiara-Segambut border now seem quite reasonable.
Similar condo projects in the vicinity of Kiara 1888 are selling their units at between RM500-RM520 per square foot with a neighbouring development asking for RM700 per square foot and upwards.
Developer’s price
Launched in 2006, the Kiara 1888 residentialproject - named after the lot number of the 1.2-hectare (three acres) freehold plot - was completed early this year with the certificate of fitness issued by the local authority. Comprising 182 units of high-rise condo homes and low-rise “villas,” the project has 10 units left for sale.
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From Left to Right: The family lounge has a snug feel to it; The main lounge overlooks a rustic scene; The low-rise villas that face a village scene.
The condo tower block is in the background.
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“The project is actually quite low-density with only about 60 units per acre,” said Eddie. “Completed with the CFO, we are only selling the premium units at a very competitive price at RM420 per square foot onwards. The high-rise condo units have a built-up space of 1,238sq ft, 1,636sq ft and 2,723sq ft. The low-rise villa units come with a built-up area of 2,390sq ft, 3,950sqft and 3,983sq ft.”
The facilities include an infinity pool, jacuzzi, wading pool, spa pavilion, cascading water feature,yoga and Pilates exercise area, gymnasium,badminton court, squash court, barbecue area and even a park with a children’s tree house surrounded by lush greenery.
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Left: The sheltered walkway that leads from the lifts to the pool deck.
Right: The internal courtyard has a timber deck and black-stone wall cladding.
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There is also a café deck, sundry shop, games room, multi-purpose hall and an area specially designed for families with toddlers to run and play freely.
Naturally, with all gated and guarded developments there days, the property is built with perimeter fencing and provides 24-hour security patrol.
Entrance to the residential units is through an interlinked four-storey high atrium (see cover photo). For the low-rise villas, there are “personalised” lifts serving only two units per floor and the units come with extra storage at the car park. Standard units are entitled to two parking bays while the penthouse units come with three. Apparently, there are still two penthouse units available for sale.
The monthly maintenance charge amounts to 26 sen per square foot inclusive of the sinking fund.
Sculpture
Driving past the distinctive “1888” signage and guardhouse, and into the cobbled-stone circular driveway to access the car park, does give a sense of entering into a secure residential development.
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The "wet kitchen" section is equally
spacious and well-ventilated.
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What’s distinctive about ascending the entrance atrium is the huge metal sculpture, created by one of Malaysia’s leading sculptors, Abdul Muthalib. It seems to be a growing trend for astute developers to commission leading artists to create artworks for their public space, at least within their own property.
Entering one of the “private” lifts brought us up to view one of the 2,390sq ft villa units which has already been rented out and occupied by an expatriate family.
The interior design scheme by notable, KLbased designer Jeffrey Wilkes is predominantly in shades of white and cream. Somehow walking through the unit, the classic pop tune A Whiter Shade of Pale keeps playing in my mind.
The internal courtyard offers plenty of options for a tropical garden. But the designer has kept it quite stark, playing on the black-white-grey elements of pebbles and slate wall.
The master bedroom is sumptuously big while the study and other bedrooms are “cosy”. The snazzy kitchen and elegant dining area is definitely designed for entertaining guests. The living room offers a green view of the rustic village life on neighbouring 1.2-hectare plots .
Overall, the clean, clinical and pristine interior concept seems more targeted at artsy bachelors rather than families with adorable and creative “little monsters” armed with crayons and ink-filled water pistols.
But for expatriates and locals who want the “security” of staying in a Mont’ Kiara development but scoffs at the high prices asked by developers and secondary market sellers, this could well be your dream home.
Any other Mitraland development in Mont’ Kiara in the near future?
“We are still searching for potential development land in the surrounding area,” said Eddie.
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From Left to Right: The black-and-white bathroom of the master bedroom is fitted with all the right-accessories; The study is another room that can
be converted to other possibilities; The master bedroom is quite adequate; The built-in wardrobe of the master bedroom comes with ample storage space.
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