[PHOTOS] Check Out How This Malaysian Transformed His Duplex Into A Gorgeous Sanctuary

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Though his Instagram feed is filled with urban and street photos, the full-time commercial photographer, better recognised by his work moniker, Heartpatrick, specialises in architecture and interior spaces.

Inspired by Sekeping Retreats' industrial style, Patrick transformed his duplex SoHo (small office, home office) into a brightly-lit space that'll make you never want to leave.

Located on the third floor of Centrio @ Pantai Hillpark, his home is made up of the main floor with a garden, a spiral staircase that connects to the upper floor, and another stairway that brings him to his car on the lower floor.

"It can be a little difficult sometimes to describe the concept of my place and this development in general, and to get people to imagine how this maze of a hanging garden interlocked unit concept comes together. So I usually just tell them to drop by for a visit (not during COVID of course) to appreciate the place."

"The developer kept the unit open to allow for the flexibility of the space to be used as either offices or residential units. 

"For me, I turned the main floor into the living and dining area. I then partitioned one part of the garden into a room for mum, and another part into the kitchen area. And I made the upper floor into my room."

Aside from taking inspiration from the brainchild of Sekeping, Ng Sek San, the photographer observed various Airbnb apartments he stayed at during his travels.

"I love all the transitional areas the most, these are the areas where the indoor transitions to the outdoor. For my unit, that would be the glass box extension between the living and the garden, where I could sit and watch and smell the rain, or just admire the sun as the light shifts across my plants and furniture on a beautiful afternoon," he shares, hoping to create more photo spots in the unit in future.

"Renovation was done in stages, as I needed to visualise the result after each stage to be able to decide what I wanted to do next. It took us eventually two years for the final transformation," he reveals, adding that the total cost came up to around RM150,000, including furniture.

"The items are made out of salvaged wooden sleepers from our KTM tracks, and discarded metalwork materials from my handyman workshop," Patrick explains, adding that his furniture venture, Heartifacts, began when he'd receive ID (interior design) requests from people who saw what he did with his space.

However, he adds that he no longer runs that as it's been too taxing on his time.

To make a home cosy, his one tip is to always aim for a space with plenty of natural light.

"Natural light is really the single most important thing that will make or break a space, and there is only so much clever ID tricks that can be used to salvage a space if it's dark and dull."

Like many in the creative industry, Patrick's career has been hit hard due to the pandemic and forced to be put on hold.

To pass the time now, he dabbles in miniature photography using everyday objects around the house, which helps him express how much he misses outdoor adventures and exploring.

You can check out his Instagram and website to see more of his cool projects.