ADF Award Winner of the MIID REKA Awards 2025

The Malaysia Interior Designers Association (MIID), the representative body of the interior design industry in Malaysia, has announced the winners of the MIID REKA Awards 2025. Aoyama Design Forum (ADF) has been supporting this award as a corporate partner since 2018. This year’s ADF Award winner is The House On The Peak, a residence located in Batang Kali, Kuala Lumpur. 

An interior shaped not by walls, but by the vastness
of light and horizon.

The House on the Peak is an 11,000-square-foot residence situated on the highest point of a 50-acre site in Batang Kali, at the foothills of Genting Highlands. Surrounded by rolling greenery and commanding 360-degree panoramic views, the house is conceived not as a dominant landmark but as a respectful, human-scaled presence within the landscape.

Because of strong winds and height restrictions at this elevated location, the two-storey structure is embedded into the slope, allowing it to merge seamlessly with its surroundings. The project reflects the client’s deep appreciation for nature, prioritizing harmony, comfort, and restraint over monumentality. The main house forms part of a larger residential compound that includes guesthouses and staff quarters, preserving intimacy despite the scale of the site.

Here, nothing is meant to feel cohesive—the patterned floor, angled brass fireplace, and irregular timber ceiling each assert their own presence, all anchored by the bronze crystal chandeliers. The ceiling, shaped directly by the roof's awkward geometry, is left unapologetically raw to heighten visual tension and drama.

Architecturally and conceptually, the home draws inspiration from the English country estate, reinterpreted through a modern lens. This influence carries into the interiors, where classic references are paired with minimalist lines and carefully controlled, expressive detailing. In response to the vast sky and valleys beyond, the interiors are designed to feel visually light, allowing the emotional quality of the landscape to flow inward.

The feature cabinet details echo the curvature of the windows through a play of circles, while its design
language reflects the barrel-vault ceiling of the adjoining living and dining areas—creating a seamless visual journeyof form, materiality and light.

Full-height windows on all sides, combined with strategically placed skylights, maximize natural light and panoramic views while minimizing reliance on solid walls. As a result, architectural emphasis shifts to ceilings and floors, where sculptural forms and refined detailing define each space. Dramatic, high-pitched roofs enable soaring ceilings throughout the home, reinforcing the intention of bringing the sky indoors. Each ceiling has a distinct identity, while consistent wall and floor finishes ensure visual continuity.

The long, narrow living and dining area is unified by a barrel-vault ceiling with dramatic timber beams, its axis culminating in uninterrupted of the sky beyond.

The approach to the house unfolds as a carefully choreographed sequence. The entry foyer is intentionally dramatic and compressed, featuring bold materials, strong colors, and sculptural elements. This moment of intensity creates pause and intimacy before releasing visitors into the expansive living, dining, and kitchen areas beyond—an architectural expression of “compression and release.”

The dry kitchen is conceived as a
showpiece—embossed brass
panels and bronze glass with brass
pulls add richness, anchored by
dark-stained timber stools that echo the dining furniture.

The long, narrow living and dining areas embrace their proportions rather than conceal them, unified by a barrel-vaulted ceiling with timber beams and punctuated by bold pendant lighting. The kitchen continues this theatrical quality, with the dry kitchen designed as a showpiece and the wet kitchen opening onto one of the site’s most majestic views.

The sun's rays become the main character, while the interior serves as a blank canvas—each passing hour painting a new story in light and shadow.

The family area is the heart of the home, where skylights transform light itself into the main design element. Throughout the day, shifting sunlight animates the interior, while at night, lighting evokes a constellation of stars. The lower-ground-floor office and lounge provide a relaxed, gallery-like setting for meetings and gatherings, reflecting the client’s passion for art and collectibles.

The coffered ceilings is a nod to classic English interior offset by the suspended bar counter

The house reinterprets the spirit of an English country estate through contemporary restraint, emphasizing openness, light, and flow. Every material, color, and detail is carefully curated to create unity, with a muted palette accented by burnt orange tones inspired by sunlight. As the sun moves across the sky, the home continuously transforms—becoming, quite literally, a canvas for the sky.