The beauty of marble is featured prominently in the living area – in the flooring, bookmatched Arabescato marble of the TV wall, and the framed Lamitak Bianco Marmo Adriano laminate on the opposite wall.

Laminates are available in a wide range of natural materials, and are often used in place of these materials for more durable surfaces that need little maintenance. However, in this luxurious Four Seasons Apartment in Kuala Lumpur, designer Mr Boo of Japanese interior design firm Aqua White Home did more than use laminates for function, he created stylish art pieces with them too!

“The Four Seasons Hotels is one of the world’s leading ultra-luxury hotel brands and our client wanted his home to match the design style, quality and standard of the Four Seasons’ branding,” explained Mr Boo. His Japanese client also preferred light colours as well as clean uncluttered lines, with materials that have simple and uncomplicated patterns and textures. This resulted in the contemporary classic look of the 3,843sq ft four-bedroom apartment, with its palette of earthy hues and low key but upscale design made with a concoction of exclusive Arabescato- and Carrara marble, veneer, stainless steel and laminates.

The Brushed Mercury laminate (pictured right) has been used in place of actual stainless steel for the skirting of the apartment as it resembles the material but is far more durable.

The main challenge the designer faced was to create a sense of contrast with the use of limited colour and textures, while having to reflect the look and feel of the Four Seasons Hotel. He began by exploring various materials that have lighter tones and clean textures, without cluttering the overall look and feel of the space.

Italian marble features extensively in the living room, a standout being the dramatic bookmatched Arabescato marble panels of the feature wall behind the TV set. Veneered wall panels echo the exclusive Four Seasons branding while tinted titanium stainless steel at most wall edges protect them from damage and add a touch of shine. Mr Boo prescribed the Brushed Mercury (MTA 1402XL) stainless-steel-look laminate from Lamitak along the skirting of the entire apartment as the material has the desired look with superior durability as compared to actual stainless steel.

Lamitak’s Bianco Marmo Adriano laminate (pictured left) is horizontally framed up in the living room. Custom-built furniture as well as pieces from well-known brands such as Poliform and B&B Italia were chosen to create the classic chic style of the apartment. 

However when it came to selecting artwork for the project, the designer faced a problem. “We wanted to find something unique and artistic which also harmonised with the space, but after a long search, we couldn’t find suitable pieces.” Then he had a stroke of luck. “One day, I received a booklet on Lamitak’s new bookmatched marble laminates. They looked like works of art to me, and inspired me find out more,” says Mr Boo.

Large framed panels of the Lunigiana Uno laminate line the walls of this corridor, alternating with reflective coated stainless steel panels which create the illusion of a wider space.

Framed up, the Blu Marmo Adriano laminate (pictured right) becomes a piece of nature-inspired art that adds just the right amount of colour and texture to plain walls.

The designer then decided that instead of using conventional pictures and paintings to jazz up the walls of the apartment, he would put laminates in frames as if they were art pieces. Balancing out the quiet aesthetics of the interiors, Mr Boo chose marble-look laminates with dramatic veins for the art pieces, such as Bianco Marmo Adriano (DXP 1372XM), Blu Marmo Adriano (DXP5342XM) and the bookmatched marble-look designs of Lunigiana Uno (ART 1009XM) and Montignoso Due (ART 11011D) and Uno (ART 11012D).

Large framed laminate panels line corridor walls to visually open out the passageways, while smaller pieces are displayed on bedroom and living room walls in order not to overwhelm the space.

Two frames, each containing a close crop of the marble-look Lunigiana Uno (pictured left) laminate, adorn the dark walls of the master bedroom.

A pair of picture frames containing the bookmatched dark marble-look Montignoso Uno (pictured right) and Due laminates contrast with the light-hued walls of this bedroom.

“Lamitak does not only have wood grains or common designs. They also have an art range which makes them stand out from other brands,” says Mr Boo, referring to the artäk laminate collection. Based on graphic design trends, this family of unique laminate designs caught his eye and he selected Montessori Mono (ART 1002D) to take pride of place in the study area. He explains, “It is placed right behind the study desk above the chair as the design resembles the creative imagination of the person using the space.”

The black-and-white geometric design of the artäk Montessori Mono laminate (pictured left) was chosen to add a playful creative vibe to the study area.

This swish 52^nd floor apartment doesn’t just look good, its functions have also been carefully thought through by Mr Boo, who says being detail-orientated and customer-focused is part of how the company approaches all their projects. “It’s important to focus on details and be considerate to user experience, for example, designing rounded instead of sharp edges for more comfort,” he states.

The designer also looked at details such as the placement of the power socket in relation to the location of the client’s laptop, and the placement of light switches beside the bed to make them easy to reach. The client was very appreciative of these thoughtful touches, says Mr Boo. For the designer and his team though, what they are most satisfied with is the balance in the overall design, as he says, “the harmony between the various materials, forms and shapes.”

Walk through the apartment in this video below!

All photos courtesy of Aqua White Home. Follow their Facebook page to get inspiration and updates!

See the Lamitak laminates featured in this post at the Lamitak Studio at 114 Lavender Street, CT Hub 2 #01-61, Singapore 338729. For more information, contact the studio at 6592-5200 and studio@lamitak.com; or drop by during the opening hours below:

Monday to Thursday: 10.30am–6.30pm
Friday: 11.30am–6.30pm
Saturday: 10.30am – 4.30pm
Sunday and Public Holidays: 12.30pm – 4.30pm
Click here for directions!

Like what you’ve read? Subscribe to our blog by adding your email address to the form on the right. You’ll be the first to hear about our updates!

Download and experience the Lamitak App:
App Store for iOS
Google Play Store for Android