Note from the editor, Diana Khoo:
With no solution in sight to the pandemic that is crippling the globe, many of us are forced to look within. After all, when things around seem to be spiralling out of and beyond our control, seeking peace within is the most plausible recourse. As a result of the sudden imposition of the Movement Control Order (MCO), clarity has also been achieved. As things get pared down to their bare minimum and with limited access to many freedoms and luxuries once taken for granted, it is easy to see what is most important and why.
It is with this point of view that we present the Autumn 2020 issue of Haven. All the homes featured are by no means monolithic mansions (lovely though those might be, in terms of vastness of interior space and, more importantly, garden); they are abodes of modest size but maximum character.
From a newly-restored townhouse whose charm is in its strict adherence to the owner’s way of life and determination to make the most of whatever furnishings have been collected over the years versus buying new things willy-nilly, to a rented link home that spills over with thoughtful, quirky details and another terraced house that was chosen over a bungalow so its occupants could be closer to family and friends, all three underscore the ultimate importance of a home.
More than four walls and a roof or a showpiece, the home should be a place of refuge, a space where loved ones can come together and make memories, a place where peace, laughter and joy can be shared and experienced. In short, the home should be a haven.
As we continue to navigate the headwinds — economic, physical, mental — we have not forgotten the little liberties life has now accorded us. Given the revenge holidaying that is taking place in most parts of the country, we are also pleased to be able to profile the cool new KLoé Hotel in downtown KL, two WOHA-designed rooms on Pulau Tengah’s Batu Batu Resort and, last but not least, Hijjas Kasturi’s artistic paean to the East Coast of Malaysia.
Enjoy the issue — preferably in a place you consider your personal haven — and continue to stay safe and well.
Haven is complimentary with every copy of The Edge Malaysia (Sept 7 issue). Get the Autumn 2020 edition at your nearest newsstands now.
