Photographer’s home is designed to fit his lifestyle

A man of many interests, S.C. Shekar loves to cook and garden, he appreciates art, builds and flies model aeroplanes, and holds a private pilot’s license. However, above all, he is passionate about the field in which he’s made a considerable name for himself: photography.

And all these pursuits are reflected in different corners of his house in Section 14, Petaling Jaya, which he shares with his wife and two cute mongrels named (inevitably!) after cameras, Leica and Minox.

Located in a quiet cul-de-sac, the two-and-a-half-storey bungalow is surrounded by 40 tall trees such as busidas, leopard trees and ashokas. A variety of foliage, including creepers, ferns, herbs and also vegetables, dot the area, both on the grounds and in beds on upper floors.

Birds can be heard chirping during different times of the day, some staying to build nests in the serene surrounds.

Occupying 500sqm, the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom property has a built-up area of 400sqm.

Being a photographer, Shekar travels frequently for work and often buys art pieces and home decor items, as does his wife. One day, they realised that there was no space to display or store these items in their former high-rise apartment.

They started looking around for a bigger house, saw their current home online, bought it in 2012, and after about five months of renovation work, moved in on Christmas day the same year.

Designed for work: The workspace on the highest floor has glass walls that give it an expansive feel. Note the desk by the window: it’s aluminium with wood base designed to look like an airplane wing, reflecting Shekar’s interest in airplanes and flying.

The dining room was originally part of the porch area. Glass panels instead of walls allow guests to look out into the side garden.

“The house had largely been remodelled when we bought it, so we only had to do some minor renovation work,” explains Shekar.

The “minor” work has created some stunning spaces: They moved the main entrance to another spot, closing up part of the porch to form a more spacious dining area, creating a veranda they call “The Cage”, and designed a glass-partitioned workspace on the highest floor. The entire house also features double-insulated glass panels and stainless steel woven mesh screens, for security and ventilation purposes.

As Shekar and his wife entertain a lot, they were clear that they wanted a dining area that would be conducive to a convivial atmosphere.

“Before this, the dining hall was just a tiny space. Now, we have a comfortable area to fit a small party. Our guests can also sit along this concrete bench,” says Shekar, pointing to a bench that runs along the length and width of the dining room. Glass panels instead of solid walls allow guests to look out into the side garden and, at the same time, create a more spacious feel.

“It’s always about making the most of the space. Every square foot costs a lot of money, so we might as well make full use of the space we have,” says Shekar, a former photojournalist with The Star whose award-winning work has appeared in various exhibitions and featured in close to 20 books.

The aptly named Cage is a space bound by louvred panels and an overhanging glass panel roof.

The Cage is a great example of making good use of space.

Bright and airy, it is fitted with louvred metal panels and an overhanging glass roof. The 15m x 3m space is minimally furnished with a circular marble-top table and metal and wood chairs. It also features the same concrete bench design as the dining room and provides a conducive space to read or for guests to smoke.

The study – Shekar’s workspace from which he runs his photography and publishing businesses – is on the highest floor under a sloping ceiling and is fully glass-partitioned. The thick glass helps keep noise, and also heat, out while external glass panels block out heat and UV rays.

“As I work from home, I have meetings here all the time so the study area had to be big enough,” says Shekar, who replaced the original staircase railing that led up to this loft space with glass and wood handrails.

“The original railings were visually very obstructive, so we decided to change it to glass,” explains Shekar.

An eye-catching piece of furniture in his home-office is an aluminium table with a wood base, designed to look like an airplane’s wing. Hanging from the ceiling nearby is also a model aircraft.

The second floor of the house consists of the bedrooms and a small TV room, where a row of framed photos themed “Women” are neatly arranged in a recessed wall space.

A door in the TV room leads out to a cosy lanai with an exposed-beam ceiling and a concrete brick wall on the left (see top image).

A retractable teak day bed (salvaged from a Chinese medicine shop in Penang) and a planter’s chair are among the pieces of furniture that occupy the lanai, along with a low-back, woven sofa set.

Over 100 years old, this rosewood easy chair belonged to Shekar’s great-grandfather, who commissioned carpenters from Shanghai to make it.

“In the evening, it’s very nice to go out there and have a glass of wine. We normally have dinner downstairs and then adjourn to the lanai with our friends,” says Shekar.

To the right of the lanai lies a garden patch holding herbs and vegetables like basil, curry leaf, aubergine, bitter gourd and lemongrass in pots.

The high-ceilinged master bedroom looks out to this lanai. The room incorporates a walk-in closet and attached bathroom complete with a longbath, double sinks and tiles sporting the concrete look.

Hanging on the wall above the bed headboard and exuding serenity is a framed photograph taken by Shekar in Bagan, Myanmar, in 2004 entitled Rising Stupas.

Next to the bed is a century-old easy chair which he inherited from his great-grandfather.

“My great-grandfather commissioned carpenters from Shanghai to craft it. It’s made of rosewood and the entire chair is put together without the use of nails,” explains Shekar with pride.

Back down in the living room, two sets of neutral-coloured, low-back sofas and a dark brown leather day bed are among the main furniture items that fill up the area.

Of interest are a pair of Art Deco chairs Shekar bought from a collector which were originally painted in black. Shekar had the paint removed to reveal their original teak wood and veneer embellishments, returning them to their original glory.

On the main wall of the living room is a prominent artwork resembling a wheel which is a photograph Shekar took in Istanbul of an old Byzantine church dome printed on canvas and enhanced with acrylic paint.

Shekar’s work area, seen here at the top of the stairs, has glass walls to maximise light. The original obtrusive staircase railings have also been replaced with glass panels and wood handrails.

Making a statement on the main wall of the living room is a huge artwork resembling a wheel which was actually a photograph Shekar took in Istanbul of an old Byzantine church dome. He then printed it on canvas before enhancing it manually with acrylic paint.

Throughout the entire house, various other art pieces, Shekar’s photographs, ornate items and rustic furniture add interest and work together to create an artful ambience.

Along a wall before the dining area are some sketches of Sarawak longhouses that Shekar did.

“At that time, my camera batteries died and I couldn’t take pictures, so the next best thing to do was draw!” shares Shekar, who is currently working on a project photographing Malaysia from the air, starting with Langkawi island.

Asked if he would like to change anything in his house, he replies, “I wish I could have more land space because I like gardens. I would have liked a pool in too or at least a water feature, but there’s no space, so I guess that’s what’s missing in this place.”

But that would simply be icing on the cake. Because, otherwise, this lovely abode serves the needs and lifestyles of its owners perfectly.

Source : Star2.com