Modern designs from recycled material

Modern designs from recycled material
Digg this story Add to your del.icio.us account

The oversized coffee table, made from mild steel and recycled merbau wood, fits comfortably with the cream-coloured sofa, armchairs, floor cushion, curtains and lampshade. Note the modern charcoal drawing by architect Peter Mohammad
Story & Photographs by Johnni Wong

Although architectural consultant Perry Tang, loves to work with recycled material like architectural salvage items, his own home is an exercise in modernity.

Despite growing up in Hong Kong and having lived 10 years in London, the designer has chosen to settle down in Penang with his wife and two daughters in a spacious apartment.

His Cantonment Court home spans 176.5sq m (1,900sq ft) and visitors will not fail to notice the expansive white marble flooring upon stepping through the front door aligned at an uncommon angle.

“I like Penang because of the island’s spaciousness … and its colonial architecture and of course, the food,” explains Tang, as I sounded incredulous at the word “spaciousness”.

Tang's workroom also reflects his preference for linearity
After graduating from the Architectural Association in London, Tang worked with the firm Foster & Partners for several years, both in London and Hong Kong.

Since living in Penang for the past eight years, Tang has dabbled in furniture design and retail.

However, his works proved a bit futuristic for the “conservative” Malaysian market, known for preferring cheap imports like pseudo Javanese Colonial furniture and Balinese design knock-offs.

He has also been commissioned for private projects including residential and commercial properties - of which, some owners have quirky ideas of their own.

The doorway to the kitchen has been widened. Note the strip of stainless steel floor covering that hides the exposed concrete
Says the 43-year-old consultant diplomatically: “I think any person who is devoted to design and has the training in design, should be willing to take up any kind of design projects.

"I take it as a challenge and I enjoy the process of designing.”

As for his own dwelling place, it is apparent that Tang has a good sense of proportion, an eye for soothing colours with a dash of drama and a feel for what’s innately stylish.

The two stainless steel cabinets were found in a scrap yard and promptly bought for about RM300 each
His 1990 spider-like Mesa Aracnida table by Spanish designer Pete Sans could only have been chosen by an artistic person.

“We didn’t do very much when we renovated,” says Tang modestly.

“Firstly, we knocked down the wall between the balcony and the kitchen and replaced it with a folding glass door.

"This is to let in more light and air into the kitchen.

“We also made the kitchen opening a lot wider.

"We replaced the old door with a giant sliding timber door to separate the dining area from the cooking area.

The apartment has two balconies with this one opening from the dining room and the other opening from the lounge

"The kitchen became a semi-open space.

“All the bathroom tiles have been replaced with 5cm by 5cm (2-inch x 2-inch) beige-coloured mosaic tiles to brighten them.

"All the bedroom floorings have been replaced with laminated flooring which is scratch-resistant.

“We tried to keep the budget within RM50,000.

"I think we saved a lot on the furniture.

"Most of the furniture were designed by myself and I used a lot of recyled material found in scrap yards.

“I would call my furniture design as ‘tropical contemporary’.

Close-up look at the timberand-glass folding doors

"For example, I designed a shoe rack with mild-steel legs matched with bamboo strips and recycled merbau wood.

“The coffee table also has mild-steel legs topped with solid planks of recycled merbau wood.

“The book shelves were designed with powder-coated mild-steel frame and MDF wooden boards.

"Even the bed is made from recycled teak floorboards.”

So, what kind of style would the London-trained designer regard his home?

“In the beginning, I didn't set up any particular style or theme for my own home.

"It was just a spontaneous response to the particular place at that particular moment.

The highly useful but inexpensive shelves made from powder-coated mild steel and MDF boards

“For design, I don't think there is a particular formula to achieve an end product like mathematics.

"The most important thing is whether you can capture the people's heart at the end.”

Feng shui

And being from Hong Kong, does he believe in feng shui or geomancy in his design philosophy?

“In my apartment, I did implement feng shui principles in my design.

“I think it is important to make feng shui blend with the design and not just dump in something that is totally out of place or alien to the scheme of things.”

The shoe rack designed by Tang with mild-steel matched with bamboo strips and recycled merbau wood
And who among the international design gurus does he most admire and hope to emulate?

“I admire architects like Alvaro Siza (Portuguese), Carlo Scarpa and Gio Ponti (both Italians).

"And of course, classic European architecture and modern designs."

What Tang’s ultimate dream house?

“ A caravan!” quips the designer, probably betraying his wanderlust personality or a Freudian slip on married life, perhaps.