By Willy Wilson | Jun 6, 2011
Photograph by V from The Muzes
Makeover under budget a-la-Zan and Jasmine
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Zan Azlee (right) with his TV news anchor wife, Jasmine Abu Bakar
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Finding sufficient storage is a perennial problem for most condominium dwellers. It is even more of a headache if you are a young couple living with a baby and a maid. Zan Azlee said he’s been there and done that.
Zan, who is perhaps best known for his critically acclaimed documentaries such as I’m Muslim Too! and Pandang Ke Timur (The Look East Project), is a filmmaker and writer par excellence.
Currently working on his book entitled Operation Nasi Kerabu: Looking for Life in Muslim Insurgency, the 33-year-old never fails to offer thought-provoking discussions in his works.
But where home design and décor is concerned, he has no clue – until he met his wife TV news anchor Jasmine Abu Bakar.
The story started four years ago, when Zan, who was a bachelor, bought a 1,200sq ft condominium in Kuala Lumpur. With three bedrooms, a balcony, a kitchen and a living-cum-dining, Zan reckoned that he had enough space for his future family.
“But when I finally got married – and eventually have a baby – I realised that the space wasn’t sufficient,” says Zan.
His wife Jasmine shared the same concern. But she knew that the problem wasn’t the size of the unit. The real problem, she insists, was the ineffective use of space and the dullness of the interior. Therefore, their first mission was to create spatial clarity based on function and redecorate the unit.
“It wasn’t easy, as Zan and I have completely different taste. But we have to compromise and make do with what we have,” Jasmine says.
With a budget of approximately RM4,000, the couple turned their compact living space into a cosy and charming condominium unit. Zan and Jasmine shared their smart and practical makeover with StarProperty.my recently.
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Left, centre and upper right: Converting the study room into a simple and comfortable nursery. Lower right: the study area is now located between the living and the balcony.
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Bachelor turned family man
“Marriage proved to change the way I view home design and décor. This unit was bare when I was a bachelor. I only had a sofa and a television in the living area. I was practical – or lazy – to decorate the house,” says Zan with a chuckle.
Despite looking practically empty, Zan reckoned that the unit did not look or feel spacious. He reckoned that adding furniture would cramp the already compact unit.
But with recommendation from his wife, he finally agreed to add practical and functional furniture and finishing.
“To my surprise, when decorated wisely, a compact unit actually feels more spacious than an empty one. I suppose a simple but thoughtful renovation makes a big difference, as this unit actually felt and looked bigger once the furniture and finishing were in place,” he says.
Admittedly, it was an eye-opening experience for the carefree bachelor turned family man. To add pizzazz to the unit, Zan and Jasmine tossed some colours to the interior – red carpet, brown sofa and black dining table.
As Zan and Jasmine learnt that adding harmonious colours helped create a cosy living space, they went further by painting some walls red while keeping some others white.
The kitchen, which is located next to the entrance, is the epitome of small space well used. According to Zan, in order to have enough space for stove, oven and refrigerator, unnecessary knickknacks have to make ways for important kitchen utensils.
He shared that the secret to solve the space crunch in the kitchen is a wise storage system.
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Budget Makeover: As a rule of thumb, the couple advises, buy only what you need and when you need it
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Compromise is key
Maximising the use of space to accommodate the homeowners, their newborn baby and a maid was the goal of Zan and Jasmine’s home makeover.
As a rule of thumb, the couple only buys “what we need and when we need it.”
They also believe that it is important to “take time and not to rush” when doing renovation or makeover.
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Quaint balcony located next to the study area
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“You and your partner may have different taste in home deco, but you will be amazed with what you can achieve when you combine your taste. The key word is compromise,” Jasmine says.
Jasmine’s statement gets a nod from Zan, who draws a practical example: “Jasmine decorated the sliding door with butterfly stickers, which isn’t exactly my aesthetic. But she has to live with the mess I create in my study room, which is located next to the living area. Then again, she has her kitchen to mess around with,” he adds before bursting into laughter.
For her part, Jasmine threw in an interesting mix of decoration. There are two Oriental lanterns (in yellow and green) and multicolour cushions. To create a more spacious feel to the living area, Jasmine decided to hang a large framed mirror on the wall.
For his part, Zan added a masculine undertone such as the black dining table and a wooden bookshelf that separates the living from the study, where Zan spends most of his time working.
When asked to give advice to young couples looking to renovate their houses, Jasmine is quick to point out that “cheap does not mean ugly”. She advises other young couples to experiment with their taste and creativity.
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