This is the tale of how King Living turned Awal Ashaari into the king of his castle… 

Malaysians know Awal Ashaari not only for his work as an accomplished actor, model, and television host but also as the other half of the Malaysian sweetheart duo, Schawal, with his wife, Scha Alyahya. Off-camera, Awal spends much of his time at home as a devoted father to his two girls – Lara Alana and Lila Amina. Undertaking the task of transforming their house into a home was a challenging effort for Awal and Scha, made easier by King Living.

Jasper Outdoor and the Calypso Coffee Table transform Awal Ashaari’s outdoor space into an inviting haven.

Creating an outdoor haven

“After living in a townhouse for so long, the idea of a landed property with our own garden space was one of the most exciting aspects of moving from the old house to the new house,” the actor shares. The celebrity couple leaned into curating King Living furniture for their new outdoor space, including the Jasper Outdoor Sofa, Quay Dining Table and Chairs, and Calypso Coffee Tables in the round and square tabletops. 

“When selecting these pieces, I had it in mind to lounge with the family over the weekend and spend more time outside. Now that we have a lawn, I want to enjoy the art of outdoor living,” Awal explains. He admits the challenge was difficult in seeking patio pieces that didn’t feel outdated, uncomfortable, or overly cheap and plastic. 

“I found that with King Living, the outdoor pieces are similar to the indoor sofas, substituting materials to give it appropriate durability for the outdoors.” Considering the Malaysian climate of intense heat and rain throughout the year, King Living’s decadent outdoor solutions were perfect for Awal and his family. “My tip for furniture hunting is always to pay close attention to materials. You can’t expect to use indoor materials outside and not have them spoil quickly!” 

The Quay Outdoor Dining Table and Quay Outdoor Dining Chairs offer refreshing charm. 

Finding a united vision

When it came to addressing interior spaces, the challenges were vastly different. “When we decided to work on the interior design of this house, Scha and I had an understanding. We wanted to make our home as luxurious as possible,” Awal mentions. It was the common denominator between two clashing visions, as the couple differed on their ideas of what defined the perfect home. 

“I liked the idea of replicating the feeling of checking into a nice hotel room with scattered statement pieces,” Awal says. His vision was to create a home that delivered the same charm as waking up on holiday abroad, mimicking a premium luxury suite with focal point statement pieces. Scha preferred a straightforward approach, clean-cut, and minimalist. “It was quite difficult to get our ideas to gel together at first,” Awal admits. 

Mood boards on Pinterest and magazine spreads on interior designs gave the couple a means to communicate their vision. “Slowly, my ideas crept into her thoughts and hers into mine. We started finding a middle ground between individual styles that would make us both happy.” After considering what aspects of hotel living deliver the warm and cosy atmosphere, the pair agreed on a vision of a classic contemporary interior, carefully curating well-made furniture for an elegant and sophisticated space. 

Awal adds colourful pillows to soften the modern feel of the King Living Max Sofa.

A harmony of details and styles

Although Awal’s preferences trend towards traditional classic styles with ornate details, colour and texture, Scha leans into the beauty of austerity. “Finally, we agreed on a mixture of modern and classical influences. While we have some spaces with furniture that fits my traditional aesthetic, we have also created spaces to feature more contemporary pieces like the ones from King Living.” 

The actor is the first to admit that although ornate classical-looking pieces are charming, the emphasis on aesthetics often comes at the cost of comfort. “With King Living, you find comfort pairs with clean-cut, minimalist designs with timeless appeal. These modern pieces feature in the rooms we use the most often as a family to spend time together.” 

The father of two refers to the King Living Max Sofa that resides in the family room. “We softened the modern feel of this piece by rearranging the cushions and adding in some colourful pillows. I believe accessories can change the feel of a home instantly. This way, we inserted our style to complement the sofa, unifying the room and perfecting the ambience.” Awal admits to making the final decisions on interior design as Scha stepped back to focus on her then-pregnancy with Lyla. 

When Awal showed his wife their completed home, her reaction was mixed. “After a while, she warmed up to it,” Awal says before continuing, “There were some areas that were more her style, like our family room and bedroom, while our living room and dining area fit my preference. Our personalities harmonise when you walk through these different sections of our home. The longer we stay here, the more we appreciate each other’s style and ideas.” 

Featured: Jasper Outdoor and the Calypso Coffee Table.

Completing the space

The pair enjoy peaceful nights on their King Living Sleep+ Mattress and are looking forward to the arrival of a new Jasper Bed as they continue to add finesse to their inviting yet showroom-worthy home. Awal admits the process took a lot of thought, pleased to share his thoughts on where to find a starting point. 

“You need to invest in larger furniture pieces for each room first. If you don’t have a feature piece, you won’t easily be able to visualise a room,” the actor says. He cautions against the pitfall of investing in smaller pieces ahead of sofas, beds, and dining sets. “You need to know what your feature pieces look like before you can pick your smaller statement pieces to complement and fill up the space.” 

Awal also upholds the comfort and functions of rugs and carpets in setting the tone of a room and handling open-concept floorplans. “Carpets can help you section off your spaces. A rug can indicate the difference between the living and dining areas. It was my approach to decorating our home – section off your areas first and lay the bigger pieces down. You can’t go wrong.” 

For more interior design inspiration, explore articles on how to make a house a home or discover expert styling tips to create a home you love. 

Original article published by Prestige.