The Blayney penthouse

The Blayney penthouse



By Johnni Wong


The penthouse is even more spacious when the walls of one of the bedooms were removed to enlarge the lounge. Note the bold colour scheme
Jules and Terry Blayney enjoy living in Kuala Lumpur so much that they just had to have their own penthouse.

But not any old penthhouse will do as Terry, who is a public relations consultant, entertains a fair bit at home.

The expatriate couple's dream home would have to be fairly spacious, conveniently located, in a secure neighbourhood and offer a spectacular view of the Klang Valley.

Prior to buying their own duplex unit, the Blayneys lived in a rented penthouse at the Wangsaria complex in Bangsar for nine years.


The original entrance is now concealed with a sliding door with green-tinted panes
“Jules looked around for six months before finding this place in Bangsar,” says Terry, who is originally from Wales but have lived in Asian countries like Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and now Malaysia for more than two decades.

The penthouse spans 279sq m (3,000sq ft) and after major renovations such as knocking down the walls of a bedroom to expand the living room, the lay-out on the first level is even more spacious.

“We enjoy entertaining and we wanted an open concept. Much of the pleasure of living on the top-most floor is the view.

"We opened up the walls to reveal the windows for a central perspective especially when a visitor steps through the front door.

“However, we couldn't change the casement windows as the façade of the building can't be altered.


The view - from one of the highest vantage points in the whole of Bangsar - is what makes this penthouse so attractive and exclusive
"But we changed the front door's orientation which now offer a more logical entrance.”

It only took less than four months for the contractor to renovate the whole place.

And Terry is fond of telling guests that the “guys who did the renovations only did low-cost housing before.”

As for the colour scheme, the Blayneys chose primary colours such as red and blue for visual impact. And an interior décorator friend “contributed to the interior design”.


Although the mistress of the penthouse doesn’t cook much, she sure has everything handy should inspiration strike
The couple even flew to Bali to pick up a couple of décorative items such as traditional doors, antiquated wagon wheel as well as “bits and pieces”.

The lounge has “his” and “hers” reclining chairs in front of the TV set and the elevated floor is lined with engineered wood.

Part of the floor space is paved with green slate, as Terry quips, “Wales is famous for slate”.

For Terry, growing in Wales meant mountains, lakes, forests and playing the guitar “then and now”.

But for Jules, who hails from Singapore, growing up on the island meant “HDB flats”.

Says Jules: “The design is contemporary tropical with lots of wood. The décor is a combination of our stuff which reflects our individual personality and heritage.


The well-used masterbedroom painted in lurid red that Terry describes as “seductive”
"I'm from a Peranakan family so the chupu (covered bowl) from my great-grandmother represents my heritage. I love colours and we are not afraid to make a statement with colours.”

Terry lived in Singapore for about nine years in the 1980s. And his prized collectibles include an old counter bought from a Chinese medical hall which now serves as his bar.

As avid travellers, the Blayneys are always discovering and collecting things that appeal to their sense of adventure and history.

Pointing to a potted plant with serrated leaves on the main balcony, Terry proudly mentions that it was grown from a seed that was picked up in central Turkey.


Terry’s antique bar counter where guests get into high spirits.
The balcony is also Terry's favourite spot where he can take a puff or two.

It is apparent that the couple adores staying at home.

While Jules can cook “but not very much”, party food is usually catered.

Jokes Terry: “Singapore girls aren't known for their cooking prowess. The food will turn out to be more of a surprise rather than a culinary dish.”

Nevertheless, the compact kitchen is both practical and functional. But Jules now fancies an island-style central counter.

“Some women spend hours in the kitchen but I'm not like that,” concedes Jules.

The top-level is where the master-bedroom is located. It seems to be the couple's favourite hideaway.

Terry describes the bedroom as “seductive” because of the scarlet colour scheme.

But Jules says the room is also warm and cosy like a “French bordello”.

Don't you mean “boudoir”, points out Terry.