This luxurious Penang penthouse combines a sense of scale with perfectly-chosen details
For Mixy Ooi, managing director of Vault Design, this project was all about sculpting the space to match the personas and lifestyle of its owners, a married couple who travel widely and who have a predilection for classic designer brands. The residence had to live up, for instance, to the wife’s extensive collection of designer scarves (including pieces by Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Hermes). It became clear, Mixy explains, that she would have to create a home that was “intimate, elegant and sumptuous”.
The penthouse itself made for a breathtaking setting. Located in Tanjong Tokong, Penang, the 5,000 sq ft condominium is surrounded by landed property and overlooks spectacular views. The renovation itself turned out to be a massive but necessary undertaking. In its original state, the penthouse was fully furnished and had heavy teak wood veneers that just did not suit the couple’s aesthetic. The design team would have to strip this all away and start from scratch.
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The Big Picture
One important consideration in the redesigning process was to maximise the space. A deliberate effort was made to establish an easy flow to the layout: walls were knocked down to combine rooms, and the bathroom was extended so it would live up to its use as the en-suite to the master bedroom.
As Ooi explains, it was not just about space for its own sake: everything had to contribute to the “classical theme” and thus had to be “timeless and majestic”. Even the ratios were carefully calculated so that they there was an overall sense of balanced proportionality.
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