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She points out a multicoloured carpet that complements the ’50s vibe of an Eames lounge chair and the clean metal curves of an Arco floor lamp in the living area. “I got that Turkish kilim carpet from Zari Collection. I’m a bit obsessed with them.” Zari Collection, a local husband and wife team that brings in home accessories in jewel-coloured fabrics and rich textiles, is also responsible for the blankets and pillows in Peters’ recreation room and on her deck.

Since moving to Kuala Lumpur, Peters, the co-owner of a pharmaceutical headhunting company based in Belgium, does most of her work through Skype. Some of the furniture at Hijauan was brought over from her family home in Leuven. When she shows us a snapshot of the Belgian house, we see a similar aesthetic in both residences — clean lines, a play of dark wood and light walls and plenty of greenery.

At Hijauan, these elements can be credited to its architects, Teh and Maignan. The pair have worked together for a decade, mainly on commercial housing or corporate structures, so they relished the opportunity to work on a standalone residence. “There was an existing structure here that had been abandoned for eight or nine years,” says Maignan as we sit around a table in the living area, which I am told was once the porch. “There was a mini forest growing in the master bedroom.”

Hijauan feels like a bit of an oddity, a cool compact home with modern lines and subtle colourful accents within. It would be difficult to reconcile the two elements, but you should already have an inkling of what to expect once you spot the banner hanging from the front door, cheerfully exclaiming: “Can lah!”

Cotton pouf, RM1,169, Missoni Home at luisaviaroma.com

Pillow, approx. RM90 at hm.com

Tom Dixon brass table

lamp, RM4,156, Gudang Home

Trumpet chair, RM1,429, Kare

Poster, RM49, Ikea

A painting of a Chinese girl in traditional garb from Ambiance Shop complements decorative pieces from Peter Hoe and Las Tres Marias A Chinese decorative panel from Lasting

Impressions sits above the family piano. In the background are tulip armchairs by Finnish designer Eero Saarinen. Charlotte wears: Dress and heels, her own. Cuff, Midi

Fabric and throws from Zari Collection add colour to a set of Burmese teak chairs from Raintree Accents on the outdoor deck

154 ELLE.MY

LIVING SPACES

GREEN LIGHTAn exciting interior and a calm exterior create a house

of beautiful contradiction, writes Samantha Joseph

Hijauan, the rental where Charlotte Peters and her family have made their home for the past three years, is aptly named. Lush greenery embraces the house on three sides, much of it mature foliage from

when the structure was abandoned many years ago, which the architects, Amanda Teh and Stephanie Maignan of 29 Design, insisted on maintaining.

“This place is amazing,” the slender Peters, clad in a vibrant Mary Katrantzou dress, gushes. “It’s in front of a jungle (the Kemensah Forest Reserve) and you have so much sunshine.” With palm fronds reaching out towards the glass walls of the living room, and two ancient mango trees lining the walkway to the pool out back, it’s easy to see the house and its compound as a self-contained utopia.

If the outside, with its strong lines of wood and solid panes of glass, is calm PH

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and collected, the inside is where the party is at. “The worst thing for a house is for it to look like it came out of a shop,” the Belgian native declares. “You could call my decoration style eclectic,’ she says. “I love the contemporary look, but it has to have some colour.” An heirloom tea set sits atop a contemporary Peter Hoe table in the dining area, while in the kitchen three ceramic elephant miniatures from Cambodia sit on the island, beside hammered metal pitchers and Van Gogh-patterned coffee cups.

Her outlook has resulted in a home that is refreshing — the art on her walls could be from an up-and-coming Indian modern artist or it may just as easily have been purchased from the Annexe at Central Market. In her pursuit for a personal touch, she has discovered several connoisseurs who bring in unique pieces, whether it’s a colourful Indian throw or a cake stand made of shells from the Philippines.

Stephanie Maignan (left) wears: Dress, RM1,700, Max Mara. Shoes, RM2,405, Bally. Necklace, H&M. Amanda Teh (centre) wears: Top, RM950 and skirt, RM1,650, both Max Mara. Shoes, Fendi. Necklace, RM59.90, H&M. Charlotte Peters (right) wears: Dress, RM2,000, Halston Heritage. Shoes, RM4,567, Bally. Earrings, RM139, Midi

François Pompon miniature polar bear reproduction adds quirk to an otherwise demure setting. Artwork from the Annexe, Central Market hangs above