MIL Design & Construction

Specialized in Interior Design.

MIL Design & Construction

About MIL Design & Construction

Founded in 2010, MIL Design and Construction is a Malaysia based, full-service interior architecture consultancy and design and build company that is conceived as a 'boutique design studio'. They continue to push boundaries by integrating design, technology and lifestyle. They work closely with their clients to create and rejuvenate lifestyle spaces that exude uniqueness and originality, be it residential, commercial or developers' show flats. MIL Design knows that their clients want to do something different – and they’re passionate about working with them to create spaces that truly reflect their personality and brand. Within the last four years, the company has experienced an onslaught of success and clinched a number of coveted international awards, including one for the design of a Malaysia apartment for Hollywood celebrity Mr Henry Golding of Crazy,Rich,Asian movie fame.

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Interior Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs
  • Interior
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Interview with MIL Design & Construction

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
Yes since young I've taken fine arts and science subjects, went on to major Arts and Technology in high school at Melbourne, Australia and eventually graduating in architecture university.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
MIL Design is founded out of our passion to create lifestyle spaces for residential and commercial. We believe interior spaces should provide unique experiences to a person, be it in line with the brand behind it or personal home. Spaces are designed like choreographed music where a person experiences different moods as he/she walks from one space to another.
What is "design" for you?
Experience, good design should be able to provoke the inner feelings, and creating a sense of connection
What kinds of works do you like designing most?
Boutique hotels, interiors converted from a place which has a story to tell
What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
We were appointed to transform a 32,000sqf of creative learning academy from a 40-year-old abandoned building. There were surprises everyday as site was progressing, due to the restrictive conditions and unbeknownst elements of the site, and such elements gave us even more creative moments to the project.
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
material: too many to mention I love all kinds of material. Its how we payer and combine materials which give us eventually creative spaccestechnology: also...all. Technology changes our lifestyle, the way we work, live, think and this in turn changes the design. So technology changes design which I think is inspiring
When do you feel the most creative?
When it is most unexpected, ideas always come. Like waiting for your meals, sitting in the taxi.Hence I always have my sketch books and sketch apps with me, all the time
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
experience, touch, ambience. Creating a hotel room which reminds you of a cozy home makes you want to come back, a cold room will not. That's the difference I think
What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
Inspired, Learning even for each project. Every project is different
From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
Definitely a designer has a big responsibility....our designs sould be able to respond to the bigger context.
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
I think there are many cross-boundaries now, crossing of trades, technology.I still believe the future of design should be designed more towards the human experience, the person. Boring, mundane stuffs are interesting in view of how technology is eventually taking over
When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
Some of our works were exhibited in A-Award exxhibition Shenzhe. We'll like to increase more awareness of our works
Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
From everyday lives, from the site, from the brand...so you can say it's almost everywhere.I think inspirations are everywhere..we need to listen more and look more intently with our hearts
How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
My design style is very inspired by textures, layering of materiality, and aspiring to create a unique experience in our interior spaces.
Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
I live in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia now. I was in Melbourne for about 8 years, and spent my earlier childhood in a small colonial town called Ipoh in Malaysia. Yes the environment affects my designs, Malaysia is a tropical country and my outdoor/semi-outdoor spaces are crucial in my designs, as well as coolness, ventilation, play of lights. Resort living design is a key element in malaysia so my designs do have many references to resort lifestyle and beach living
How do you work with companies?
I have many projects where our company collaborate with architecture companies and engineer companies abroad. We are the key concept designers and the local company of the country is the project company overseeing all project management. This collaboration provides clients the most comprehensive approach.
What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
Companies can look at portfolios and speak directly to the key design director. Grasping the clients' needs and wishlist is very important and it rrally depends on the design director to be able to do this.
Can you talk a little about your design process?
We start by sketches, looking up references and putting together mood boards based on clients' briefs.
What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
lounge chair, table lamp, rug, chopping board, ceramic plates, fountain pens. Sorry that's six...
Can you describe a day in your life?
Wake up, coffee, check mails, site, office to go through designs, coffee, check on new products, designs from online and social media, work, speak with clients or meetings
Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
Always keep trying and listen to many different ideas no matter where or from who they come from
From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
Positive is definitely the satisfaction to create something. Negative is the endless and irregular hours and less family time
Who are some of your clients?
property developers who range from Cambodia, Maldive, Malaysia, individual home owners
What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
I enjoy all types, but furniture design is one of them. Intricate detailing is more interesting
What are your future plans? What is next for you?
I hope MIL Design is able to expand to more boutique projects abroad especially in resort living designs
Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
Yes, we are designing an urban apartment hotel interiors in Maldive, a lobby and common facilities area for a mixed development in Kuala Lumpur, some individual houses and apartments
How can people contact you?
My email and phone contacts are in our website and social media platforms.info.mildesign@gmail.com,
Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
I also want to mention that budget and design always work hand in hand, and it is crucial to maximize creativity as an interior designer within the client's budget.

Extended Interview with MIL Design & Construction

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I've been sketching ever since 4 years old in growing up in a small town called Ipoh in Malaysia, occasionally using pencil and watercolor on old buildings. Then I moved to Melbourne, Australia majoring in fine arts and physics in high school and then completed a 5 year degree course in architecture in Royal Melbourne of Institute Technology University (RMIT), Melbourne, Australia. After interning in Tokyo with Edward Suzuki Associates and a couple of work stints in construction in Melbourne, I moved back to Malaysia to begin my career in interior architecture
How did you become a designer?
Everything around me. I like to imagine spaces, and create something out of nothing. Textures, Lights, Spaces, colors, forms and people's behaviour are some of the things which motivate me.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
Definitely it has been my dream ambition since young. It is also influenced by my late father, himself an architect, and my mother and uncle who were both fans of carpentry and crafts. You can say I grew up being surrounded by people who loved designs.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
I design spaces, from residential to institutional public spaces to hotels, offices and also furnitures. I wish to design more hotels as I love the idea of designing lifestyles for people to enjoy
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
A great designer always tries to learn from past projects, and listen (to critics, himself, ene-users of the designs). A great designer is always critical of his designs and constantly improving on ti
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
I believe a design is good if it touches your heart, provokes your inner feeling. It should create that unique connection the moment you see it.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
In interior design a good design has that wow effect that could just touch your heart. It suits you, the way you live or use the space. It gives you a connection and gives you comfort, almost like eating good wholesome food. In this day of the modern stressful world, good designs are part of your life and provides you a holistic way of living
What is your day to day look like?
I would like to design my own home if I had the time. An architect's own home is always never finished and one of the biggest challenges to complete.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
I would like to work on a readapted use and refurbished heritage or listed buildings, especially pre-war buildings. It would be my dream to convert the usage to be a hotel cum meditation space
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
My secret recipe is to work very, very hard and keep on trying. Designs can only be perfected by drawing many many variants before selecting the best one. Nobody can achieve good designs at the first attempt of each project
How do you decide if your design is ready?
A few of my university tutors who themselves are award-winning designers, my ex employers Edward Suzuki and Chan Soo Kian who were both acclaimed architects and masters like Mies van der rohe and Peter Zumthor
What is your biggest design work?
For current designers I am now loving a couple of designs by Neri & Hu
Who is your favourite designer?
My greatest design is a little apartment which I designed for Mr Henry Goulding, a movie celebrity actor. He was one of the most adventurous clients we had had and the whole design process was inspiring attempting new design forms, a daring interplay of textures and materials. It was a refurbishment of a 40-year-old apartment and while maintaning the old facade, the interior space was totally stripped and redone in a raw exposed way. I loved the idea of keeping the raw concrete structures and merging the old and new. Materials were treated in an exposed, honest way like almost inspired by Brutalism. The final outcome was a unique mix of kitsch contemporary with chic vintage accents
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
I think people should see and read more, travel more, and teach more. For myself I try to contribute back to university, giving my time whenever i can to internship programs and attending school crit panel sessions. When I teach I learn more and improve more
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
Design is combining form and function. It is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, touches the feelings and fulfills the usage

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