Way too many slippers, so hot until can die, and an embarrassing amount of snack containers lying around the house. If these sound like descriptions of your home, then you’re confirm Malaysian. This coming Merdeka Day, let’s embrace our Malaysian home habits and explore the ways in which to manage, and even enable them!
Certain habits are just so undeniably Malaysian: Complaining about the weather, having way too many slippers, and parking our cars like our grandfathers own the road.
We embrace 5 typical home habits that are “confirm” Malaysian, and dish out tips on how to solve them!
The look of scattered slippers and other footwear at the entrance or foyer is a standard in every Malaysian home. Since we love convenience, we like having our slippers (all 10 pairs of them) displayed right inside or outside the door so we can quickly slip into them when we’re heading out.
The Fix: A bench with bottom drawers or shelves in the foyer. Let’s face it, stowing away slippers into individual cabinet slots like we would our sneakers or dress shoes is an unrealistic ideal.
https://atap.co/malaysia/en/ideas/a-residence-contemporary-scandinavian-exterior-garden-1
Since we’re going to conveniently dump them by the door anyway, why not add a bench with storage? Whether it’s a loose furniture piece or a built-in feature, benches with storage are the way to go.
The lush rugs, fluffy pillows, and knit blankets on Pinterest are super cute, but in reality, they’re a sweat fest. Unfortunately, cosy and comfortable materials tend to be thick and warm. So how do you increase your home’s comfort level while keeping it cool?
The Fix: Windows with thick curtains, indoor plants, and steel or rattan furniture. Don’t avoid those lush materials; instead, balance them out with ventilation and cooler materials. Large windows allow for air circulation while thick curtains keep the hot air out, especially when drawn at nights.
Indoor plants, on the other hand, purify the air and keep temperatures from soaring too high. As for living room furniture, try steel or rattan furniture instead of tufted armchairs. You can make them feel more cosy via throw pillows.
Everything revolves around food for us Malaysians. You’re probably familiar with last minute suggestions to hold birthday dinners or celebrations at your home. Even if you give excuses like how your apartment is too small, you don’t have enough seats, or most of your guests will probably have to use plastic cutleries, resistance is futile.
The Fix: Preparation is half the battle here. Got a small dining space? Make the most of it by getting a dining set with a bench. Optimise your space further by adding a kitchen island which can be used as a buffet table or extra dining area.
Even small kitchens can afford a kitchen island – ask an interior designer for advice on the best island design for your kitchen.
Take a drive around Malaysian neighbourhoods (in the Klang Valley, anyway) and you’ll notice one or two cars parked in each compound, and a mysterious number of cars parked around playgrounds, at blind corners, and at back alleys.
Some of us have too many cars to fit into our own compounds. Others just don’t want to park behind our other cars, lest we block them and have to spend an extra 2 minutes to move them around when we drive out.
The Fix: Not all compounds are optimised as car porches. An interior designer can design a better layout or recommend a strategic extension to fit all your vehicles.
Muruku at the dining table, ground nuts on the coffee table, and leftover pineapple tarts from Chinese New Year under the sofa. Us Malaysians just can’t get enough of our tidbits and if we’re being honest, they’re becoming clutter.
The Fix: A beautiful built-in pantry that blends into the kitchen or living room walls is a good place to hide all that snacks while keeping them accessible.
Feel inspired by these designs? Click on the ‘Request Quote’ button on any of the images to receive free quotations from Malaysian interior designers.
You can also check out other local interior design portfolios.
Way too many slippers, so hot until can die, and an embarrassing amount of snack containers lying around the house. If these sound like descriptions of your home, then you’re confirm Malaysian. This coming Merdeka Day, let’s embrace our Malaysian home habits and explore the ways in which to manage, and even enable them!
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