Walking along the streets of Georgetown in Penang Island, one will come across numerous pre-war houses. Unfortunately, a lot of them have been left abandoned or in poor condition due to the high maintenance costs.
This 19th-century house along Irrawaddy Road was one of them, until Chuah Say Yang, founder of design firm NEVERMORE and Chong Su Min, founder of Xcent Design Consultancy, purchased it to be their home. “We used to travel quite often, and we just love our job, designing,” says Say Yang. “This project is a collaboration between both our companies – build by Nevermore, styling by Xcent Design Consultancy.”
To start, they planned to have an open concept for the narrow terrace house and introduce skylights to allow light to penetrate the space. Proper zoning and space planning is the key to the success of the project. “We have to study the structure carefully, and we knocked everything down, rebuilding the house from scratch,” recalls the duo.
“We always wanted a bathtub and a marble feature wall, so we positioned the bathtub to be overlooking the skylight at the cantilever structure sitting above the dining area,” comments Say Yang. “We applied the modern European approach throughout the house, by using French panelling, beading, and gold and brass trimming.”
Another bedroom is blanketed in warm earthy tones, with a gold bed frame and clear glass wardrobe that visually expands the space.
Photos by: Jordan Lye Photography