Designing the 6,500 sqft Menerung Bangsar: A Family Home for Living, Not Showing

We’re currently designing a 6,500 sqft apartment at Menerung for a returning Malaysian

family. They’ve just relocated back from abroad, and this home will be their base — a place

to settle, raise their young children, host friends, and reconnect with KL.

The brief is clear:

Comfort over flash.

Lifestyle over trend.

Real life, not just a magazine page.

The Entrance Sets the Tone

The home opens from a private lift lobby — a feature many might overlook, but we didn’t.

It’s a threshold that sets the tone: calm, clean, welcoming. We’re creating built-in storage

right at the entrance — not just for shoes, but for golf bags, school gear, and family

essentials that don’t belong out in the open.

Because let’s be honest — no one wants to roll golf trolleys through the living room after a

weekend game.

A Home That Understands Zones

We approached this layout by zoning it into public, semi-private, and private areas.

The living, dining, and open bar-kitchen are where the family comes together — and where

guests will gather too. But further in, we’ve carved out quieter spaces.

There’s a music practice room, acoustically softened and tucked away — a space for the

children to learn and rehearse. But for special moments — family dinners, weekend

brunches — there's also a music lounge integrated into the main flow of the home. It’s

where the piano sits in soft spotlighting, ready to fill the space with sound and memory.

Practice happens in private. Performance happens in warmth.

Storage That Supports

This home is designed with storage everywhere — but nowhere visible.

We’ve layered in:

- Hidden cabinetry along walls that would otherwise be wasted space

- Soft-close drawers and low-height pull-outs for the elderly parents

- Dedicated storage for instruments, hobbies, toys, and things the family doesn't use every

And then there’s the gallery wall — not for generic art, but for family photos. We’re crafting

it along one corridor stretch — with custom lighting to celebrate the memories without

making it look like a museum.

Designing with the Architecture, Not Against It

Menerung is known for its stunning wraparound KLCC views — and we made sure to

celebrate that. The lounge area is positioned to take in the skyline, with seating framed to

catch the fireworks on festive nights.

But it’s also a 20-year-old building — with bulky columns, structural beams, and strong

sunlight exposure.

So this is what we ddud:

- Managed solar heat with tinted films, layered drapery, and deep-set glazing

- Softened bulkheads through tone-on-tone finishes and subtle lighting details

- Used lighting coves, wall recesses, and aligned joinery to absorb or redirect visual weight

Everything has a purpose. Even the quiet walls are intentionally left calm — to let the

family’s energy fill the space, not compete with it.

Real Luxury Lives in the Details

For this family, luxury means clarity. Knowing where things go. Letting the space support

them — not overwhelm them.

We’re not designing for Pinterest. We’re designing for:

- After-school chaos

- Weekend entertaining

- Grandparents dropping by

- Late-night chats at the island

- Piano melodies on a Sunday morning

It’s a big space. But every corner has intention.

Because the best homes don’t try to impress.

They hold the people who live in them — with grace, flexibility, and quiet joy.

IDr. Mak Mil Yung

Interior Architect | Founder of MIL Design & Construction

Artist impression of our design at Menerung Bangsar with a natural color concept of Living area with TV feature wall - a space for family gathering and entertaining

Dining and feature wall cum hidden storage cabinet example that we designed at Serai Bangsar

Dining and feature wall cum hidden storage view of folding doors to review display shelfs inside- owner gets to decide when to close up walls or open to feature displays when entertaining

Artist impression of our design at Menerung Bangsar of the piano lounge overlooking the balcony with panaromic KL views.

A small but comfortable and stylish reading nook at the home office cum library room designed with a lounge chair in deep tan orange velvet and chic lamps - designed at Jadehills Semidee

Home Office cum library designed at Jadehills Semidee with dark musculine greys and timber accents. Storage cabinet and book shelfs are maximized across the wall with an ash wood study desk.

Kitchen Display shelfs, and wall with hidden storage cabinets and a hidden door to the powder room - designed at Jadehills semidee