A MODERN GENTLEMEN DECOR
INVESTING DOWN UNDER
THE ART OF ECLECTICISM
ST.JAMES HOUSE LONDON CALLING
PRIVATE AIR LUXURY HOMES
Volume 3
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Issue 1
Sterboul’s Exclusive
Malaysian Residence
Carré d’Art
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CARRÉ D’ART Sterboul creates an exclusive residence that showcases the Superb style of Modern day European architecture in the Prestigious, Country Heights Damansara in which Forbes Top 25 wealthiest Malaysians reside.
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- By: Gina Samarotto, Samarotto Design Group
COVER FEATURE
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COVER FEATURE
A City Oasis In the heady, exotic wonderland that is West Malaysia, an ancient past brilliantly collides with the gleaming future in a breathtaking spectacle. Nestled between Thailand’s southernmost borders and extending north to Singapore on the peninsular tip; this Southeast Asian land is rife with mystery, imbued with culture and vibrantly alive with a population that is as diverse as the ever-changing landscape. Holding court as queen over those mesmerizing vistas is the orphic, indisputable jewel of Malaysia’s crown, Kuala Lumpur. Saliently, magnificently marked by the Petronas Towers, whose twin spires stretch towards the heavens like jewel encrusted scepters; Malaysia’s capital city has evolved into an impossibly glamorous pearl, enticing glitterati from all corners of the globe to come and experience her bewitching allure. A visionary standout among the myriad developers vying for a coveted foothold in that Southeast Asian market is Sterboul. Quick to recognize the magnetic seductiveness of Kuala Lumpur and her surrounding areas, Sterboul compiled their
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dream team and initiated work on the Malaysian masterpiece known as Carré d’Art. Despite a trend towards constructing homes to order, the developer chose instead to create their modern masterpiece on spec and in doing so, gave their international design faction the freedom to birth the most creative of modern concepts. Having set out to create a private residence with enough perquisites to sate even the most ravenous of luxury appetites; the resulting progeny is 20,000 square feet of glass and steel. A monument that, through its very presence, pays exalting homage to modern design. A mere thirty minutes from the decadent frenzy and unabashed opulence of downtown Kuala Lumpur, Carré d’Art sits securely in the privileged, gated community of Country Heights Damansara. The exteriors of Carré d’Art are startlingly sleek, her minimalist lines no doubt an unspoken tribute to her architectural namesake - the iconic, Sir Norman Foster-designed art museum tucked half a world away in the south of France. In her Malay homeland, the cacophony of lines and angles that comprise her form create a vivid foil for the lush surroundings of this exclusive, tropical Eden.
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With a barely perceptible whoosh, the weighty entrance door of Carré d’Art opens into a deliciously cool, minimalistic foyer that delivers blissful quiescence from the sultry air outside. Dominating the center of the space is a staircase that brazenly reveals itself down four stories through a series of sweeping gyrations. A delicate mass of optic thread cascades through her core, illuminating the structure with a fountain of kaleidoscope color. A masterwork of Sterboul’s design engineering, the staircase seems to swirl in a perpetual state of suspended animation; gleaming Indonesian hardwood treads winding down until reaching an end where they spill across the floor like an elegant fan discarded after a provocative dance. Commanding your attention and spilling natural light into the space are the floor to ceiling windows that frame 128 Private Air Luxury Homes
the tropical landscape beyond, creating vignette after vignette of peregrine beauty. At Carré d’Art, though, vast expanses of glass and engaging views extend far past the windows. The formal dining room is beguiling; anchored by a stunning glass dining table surrounded by a collection of perpetually chic, Philippe Starck-inspired ghost chairs. Seductive as the elements are, the whole of the space is dramatically greater than the sum of her parts. In this production, it is the floor that demands top billing. Featuring an all but invisible glass floor, the dining room elegantly hovers above the crystalline Koi pond below. Bringing all new meaning to the phrase ‘Dinner Theater’, guests literally walk on water; supping atop the posh pool while being entertained by the glinting, glimmering fish that dart underfoot. www.private-air-mag.com 129
“Our head designer for Carré d’ Art has a family home in a town called, Nime, located in France. In that town, there is a rather well-known building, also called Carré d’ Art, which is both a museum of contemporary art and a library. The museum sits facing the Maison Carrée, an incredibly beautiful, classic and perfectly preserved Roman temple dating back to the 1st century. All three of these iconic buildings share a history, a namesake and a reverence for the arts. And they breathe their art into the community. They give it life.” – Ryan Blair of Sterboul 130 Private Air Luxury Homes
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After dinner, guests of Carré d’Art may gather at the grand piano in the formal salon, engage in a friendly game of billiards or simply adjourn to the rooftop terraces – accessible by privaate elevator or by ascending the stunning staircase. Here they will find 2,500sf of patio space offering vantage points from which to drink in the majestic, panoramic views of the area. Dominated by a 67-foot, infinity-edge pool that seems to spill into the city below; the rooftop terrace is an oasis that serves up Kuala Lumpur’s glittering skyline as if it were a strand of precious stones presented on an inky, velvet pillow. Orchestrating such grand style is simplified through the ability to effortlessly direct each note of the home’s symphony. From security features to entertainment choices, cutting edge Crestron technology allows full user control through a smartphone or tablet. The intuitive system recalls preferences for light, music and temperature to create an ambience within each room that is as personal as it is luxurious. For the true movie dilettante, Carré d’Art offers a state of the art matrix switch system that affords media streaming from eight different sources to the home’s luxury theater or any of the televisions located throughout. www.private-air-mag.com 133
Such indulgent conveniences are afforded with a conservatively green approach. From the nearly silent, centralized air conditioning – a system made famous by Marc Rutenberg’s ‘Zero Energy America’ project - to the Swissma clad exterior walls, the eco-friendly Carré d’Art is as dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of her Malay homeland as she is to displaying it. At the end of the day, Carré d’Art welcomes and beckons her masters to a bedroom suite that sprawls across 2100sf. With the turn of a switch, the expansive windows that blur the line between indoors and out delicately frost to provide privacy. At the touch of a button, lights dim and shades lower gracefully to create an intimate cocoon. Replete with secluded balcony gardens, a tranquil study and a luxuriously appointed master bath as lush as the Malaysian rainforest beyond, the suite is a poetic missive to privacy – an ode to relaxation. To reside in this Western Malaysian marvel is to revel in a bounty of staggering natural wonder while indulging in the most innovative, luxurious creature comforts. It is an invitation as melodious as a traditional Malay blessing. Dialu-alukan untuk Malaysia...Welcome to Malaysia. 134 Private Air Luxury Homes
Carré d’Art is now available for approximate $7M USD. For more details contact Sterboul Tel: +60 3 7732 7732 www.sterboul.com www.private-air-mag.com 135