An open shelf in the dining area filled with an eclectic mix of decor items and greenery enhances the overall aesthetics of the space. Photos: @livingspace_rohana
If one were to ask Rohana Mat Ali what she loves best about her house, it would be the open shelves and the view of her backyard.
The decor items that she places on shelves found all over her house are mainly photo frames, vases, books, candle holders and candles.
She has also added textured wooden or rattan storage boxes to create a mix of shapes in neutral colours, layering some of them to enhance the aesthetics.
Rohana carefully chooses the items in different heights, shapes and colours, grouping them in combinations of one, three or five.
“I absolutely love the open-shelf concept as I get to showcase pretty decor pieces, not forgetting greenery or simple flower arrangements to add pops of colours.
“I also like to add storage boxes that are made of seagrass, wood or rattan to get the textured feel,” she said.
The living area has a soothing neutral and earthy colour palette that includes off-white, black, grey and brown shades.
Rohana changes the arrangement of the decor pieces quite regularly to get the look that she finds aesthetically pleasing.
“Having sufficient storage space is crucial to any home but for us, we don’t mind sacrificing some parts of the space to showcase the decor pieces specifically for visual interest, but still while creating a balance. We have open shelving in almost every area of our house,” shared Rohana, who lives in Tropicana Aman in Kuala Langat, Selangor with her husband and two children.
Her home was featured on @ighometourmalaysia for best representing the theme #ightmshelfie. The shelves that were selected were the open shelves in her dry kitchen as well as the one in the dining area.
@ighometourmalaysia is a local home tour group on Instagram hosted by a small group of home decor enthusiasts to inspire one another and share ideas on home design and decor.
Rohana describes the theme for her double-storey semi-D home as modern English for the downstairs living spaces and modern contemporary for the upstairs.
“I am a big fan of British interior designer Sophie Paterson and that has somehow influenced me in how I style my home,” says Rohana, who shares her journey on Instagram (@livingspace_rohana).
Her favourite part of the 40ft x 85ft (12m x 25.9m) house – which has a built-up area of 3,670sq ft (340.95sq m) – is the living area.
“I absolutely love the colour palette in my living room which is a blend of earthy colours such as off-white, black, grey and brown, which is very soothing and calming.
The gallery wall exudes a vintage-modern look with the wainscotting and the black-and-white photo frames.
“I also love the gallery wall as it’s a combination of vintage and modern – the wainscotting gives out an old interior feel, while the black-and-white photo frames are modern. The plus point of this room is the backyard view that we enjoy,” said Rohana, who helps her husband run a family business.
Rohana is also fond of the layout of her home.
“I really love the overall layout as the entrance is similar to an apartment’s whereby our entryway is from the kitchen area and the main entrance is from the side of the house.
“This gives a sufficient level of privacy when we are lounging in the living area. We had the buy-in to purchase this home back in 2017 due to the living area that overlooks our back garden, which is adjacent to the public garden and playground.
“I love the ambience when natural light illuminates the panels of our living area, especially in the evening. That’s the reason we always push our curtains to the sides so that we can enjoy the view of the back garden while chatting in the living area,” said Rohana.
Her kitchen space also exudes aesthetic appeal, with creative backsplash designs and complementary materials.
“I love clean lines, hence our kitchen design is simple. The dry kitchen cabinet doors are made of 4G glass in pure white and the countertop is quartz stone in a marble design. The backsplash is also made of glass in grey colour. I used glass as it’s evergreen.”
4G glass material is made of spray-painted glass which is then enhanced with a hidden aluminium frame profile.
The kitchen features a creative backsplash design and cabinet doors in different colours – pure white 4G glass and greyish-blue spray-painted solid wood.
“The 3ft x 7ft (0.9m x 2.1m) waterfall design island also uses the same material – quartz top and 4G glass. The island has cabinet doors made of 4G glass too, where we store our dinnerware and it’s accessible from the back of the island.
“As for the wet kitchen, we used two tones, the tall cabinet doors are 4G glass in pure white too but the other doors are made of spray-painted solid wood in greyish-blue colour. The counter top is also quartz stone but in terrazzo design. I tried to experiment with non-neutral colours in our wet kitchen as it’s separated from the dry kitchen by a pocket door,” she said.
Rohana has these tips to share on putting up attractive shelf decorations.
“First, choose decor pieces that you like in different shapes and heights. Then, select pieces in neutral colours such as brown, grey, beige, off-white/white, black and green.
“Lastly, arrange by grouping them in odd numbers but leave some empty spaces in between so as not to feel too crowded (negative spaces for the eyes to rest).”
She went on to share three decor tips.
“Do not rush to decorate your home; take your time to get the furniture and beautiful decor pieces that will make a statement.
“Ensure the size of your furniture is proportionate to the size of your specific area, i.e. not too big or too small.
“For furniture selection, get a variety of materials so that it won’t look flat and boring. For instance, if you’re decorating your living room, you may furnish it with a fabric sofa, a rattan/wood accent chair(s) and a marble design coffee table.
“Add throw cushions and blankets in textured materials and finally add some greenery like faux or real plants to complement the look,” said Rohana.
An open shelf in the dining area filled with an eclectic mix of decor items and greenery enhances the overall aesthetics of the space. Photos: @livingspace_rohana
An open shelf in the dining area filled with an eclectic mix of decor items and greenery enhances the overall aesthetics of the space.
The gallery wall exudes a vintage-modern look with the wainscotting and the black-and-white photo frames.
The living area has a soothing neutral and earthy colour palette that includes off-white, black, grey and brown shades.
The quartz top and 4G glass waterfall design island is a key feature in the kitchen.
Another shelving unit seen on the first floor that contains interesting display items.
The open shelves in the dry kitchen feature a combination of decor items including vases, candles, photo frames and a rattan basket.
It’s nice to relax in the backyard, which is next to a public garden with lush greenery.
The laundry area also sees an open shelf design on the right.
The kitchen features a creative backsplash design and cabinet doors in different colours – pure white 4G glass and greyish-blue spray-painted solid wood.
