Every home has a heart. A space or the features that define it. At Kylie Chan's home, nestled in a tranquil forest in a historic residential area of Kuala Lumpur, the heart is perhaps the turquoise pool in her lush garden.
Set against a backdrop of frangipani and rambutan trees and lush orchid branches, the pool inspired the interior and exterior designs Kylie and husband Liam Harkness considered when renovating their home. Opening the black-framed accordion glass doors creates a sense of fluidity between the spaces, with the only dividing line being the different patterns of the poured concrete floor. Natural light shines in, creating a sense of well-balanced and clean living.
The seamless connection between protected isolation and the natural environment was not just an aesthetic choice. Kylie and Liam intentionally chose to build their main living space this way, allowing them to enjoy life and daily life, from gardening to swimming to painting while sitting on a large cushion in the low pool with their 4-year-old daughter Louiyah. We've shaped it to suit your activities. -Side table. As I exclaim about the loveliness of the splatters of paint and confident crayon strokes on Louya's “art desk,” Kylie tells me that it has a work by contemporary French artist Patrick Rubinstein called “Pika Pika.” He told me from the wooden box he was holding that it was custom-made for Ruiya. sent to their home. Originally created to protect artworks, this box now serves as the basis on which more artworks are created.
source of joy
“Luiya started swimming when she was one year old. Now she swims every day and goes straight to the pool as soon as she gets home from school,” Kylie laughs. I can't help but think back to Kylie's own childhood when I hear about her daughter's love of playing outdoors, in the pool, in the garden, or with art supplies. The forest surrounding her childhood home in Kuantan, where she lived from the age of two to the age of seven.
Sitting on a low-backed bar stool on a spacious white countertop, Kylie talks about her multitasking childhood with a dry kitchen island, dining table, and conversation hub for friends who came to visit. I am accented with white and green cabbage roses that wrap around the posts, surrounded by Diptyque Filles de Lavande candles, cards sent with well wishes over the years, and a large bowl of soursop. , admire the large flower arrangement made with armfuls of eucalyptus leaves. , papaya, apple. The phrase “effortless tropical life” comes to mind. A platter of fresh fruit – mangoes, melons, strawberries, grapes – and lemon-infused water is quickly placed in front of me. A great snack for a discussion about living well.
One of my roles as a curator is to find threads that run through a body of painting, an artistic practice, a life. Listen to the stories and opinions Kylie shares in her soft, soothing voice, and as you look around her minimalist yet cozy home, you'll discover the importance of the ideas of versatility and coordination woven into many parts of her life. It quickly became clear that it was something. Just as her home is made up of several parts that make up a seamless whole, from rooms to objects, books to plants, so too is Kylie's life journey, which is now part of the Kuala Lumpur lifestyle. It was a series of steps that constituted an essential element: woman. She also got involved in the wellness scene as co-founder of Stretch Clinic.
Text: Zena Khan
Photo: CHUAN LOOI/YIPIEYAYA STUDIO
Styling: Weechee
Styling assistant: SHARNYIA SELVAN
Make-up: Eddie Law
Hair: Juno Ko
This cover story was first published in PRESTIGE Malaysia February 2024 issue.To read the full story, pick up a copy in our store or subscribe below magster.
