Ok where do I start wtf.  I just went back and looked at my last few posts and they’re all super parenting and baby focused. O_O

I also got do other things with my life la hahaha.  Which is Colony la wtf.

We launched our first location in July, and we’ve actually been doing way better than we’d projected!  Um for details please ask Fatty cos I’m so bad at math I can’t even split a dinner with tax correctly FML.  Anyway it’s led to us scouting around for new locations as early as a few months after we first launched even. We’re also very lucky la cos a lot of property owners and developers approached us to open in their buildings too so we got to slowly look through and decide.

Second location has been decided though! It is…. *drumroll*

KL Eco City!

Eco City is in a prime location – opposite Midvalley and along Jalan Bangsar, and our building is just across the road from the Eco City KTM station!  We’ve secured five floors to make sure we have enough space for our signature facilities plus office space for members of course.

Sneak peek of the space.  Yea nothing has been done yet hahahaha.  But I love this cos of the big windows and lots of natural light, and the high ceilings. <333

So this Colony was a whole new challenge.  I’m still super noob la in building spaces and I realized again that I know nothing Jon Snow wtf.

For example, our first Colony was originally a serviced office, which we took over.  A lot of things were already set up – in fact, the office suites were already all created, and what we did was modify those existing spaces and beautify them.

Eco City is a completely bare canvas.  So I had to start from scratch.  A lot of things that we didn’t do for the first space we had to start doing now.  Like apply for permits from DBKL and the Fire Department to start work (which we didn’t do for the first space cos that was all done by the landlord before).  I had to work with engineers to submit floor plans and technical drawings and I swear I had a brain bleed cos everything was so damn technical!

You know ah people always say I clever wtf and I am … only when it comes to studying wtf *nerd.  But my brain is super not wired for things like math, and technical and mechanical shit so I think I had to ask the engineers and our architect like a billion questions.  And I still think I don’t understand fully LOLOL but luckily our architect and designer is just super competent la so she led a lot of the technical portion.

I was damn scared our permits would take forever cos you know la government bodies in Malaysia. *looks sideways shiftily* but we got approved a few weeks ago!!! *bursts champagne bottle

We’re in the process of a contractors’ tender now and when that’s done, work will commence for real!

In the meantime, I’ve been working on the design of the space with our designer.

I had a couple of themes in mind already from the start but I kept going back to one particular one.  Which you will think is very cliched la when I tell you hahahaha.

Cos the theme is…. Colonial. Hahahahaha.

From the start, we’d decided that every Colony would have a different theme to it.  But all must have a commonality which is that each location must also uphold our basic principle of comfort and luxury.  I also wanted some continuity to all our locations so that while different, you can look at each so you will see some similar elements from the first Colony and Eco City!

So I chose the colonial theme because …. shit I can’t even remember now how I really thought of this concept wtf.  I was probably thinking along the lines of since Colony@KLCC was a blend of contemporary and traditional, which turned out damn beautiful if I may say so myself wtf, I wanted that same balance of old and new for Eco City.

And a Colonial theme would achieve my objective, I felt.  Plus it’s Colony la I have to do a Colonial theme hahahaha.

So I worked with our designers Katrine and Jason to try to turn our vision into a workable space.  The first draft they came back with I can’t find a picture but it was too…. colonial. O_O  It was nice and all but it looked like a copy of E&O in Penang or the Majestic. :X  Very nice but also very beige and brown hahaha.

It needed more character.  And it needed a twist of newness.

I loved the finishings…. so I asked if we could play around with more contemporary and fun colors to switch it up a little. I specifically asked for pink. Lolol.

The second draft also I cannot wtf.

But the third…..

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Behold!

This is our reception area.  We experimented with different pinks but cannot la only this pink is acceptable!

The pink is the doors to the phone booths.

Here’s the opposite side of the reception and lobby.

So when I was researching colonial, I found there’s mainly two kinds – American colonial and British colonial.  American throws back to when America first was colonized, I guess and to my noob eyes, looked rustic, primitive and old. Sorry American colonial lovers wtf.

I’d always been thinking of British colonial though.  Like our Modern Gentleman’s Club theme for Vipod which is a balance of traditional and new, I liked that British colonial is a juxtaposition of European and Asian elements.

Like the vintage trunks used as coffee table, which represents the time period as well as traveling to a new place. Metallic finish so it looks up to date. Dunno if we can find a metallic one though hahaha.

Reed rugs to bring in a more natural element, since the British seemed to really enjoy our local plants and incorporated a lot of those.

I’m planning to bring in really big leafed plants for a tropical feel.

And I asked designer for more botanical prints and animal prints too!

The black and white checkered tile floor is a throwback to our first location. 🙂

This is the coworking area.  Meeting rooms are behind the black grills on the left.

Another view of reception.

We used the wooden shutters below the reception desk quite a lot in the design cos it’s reminiscent of prewar buildings in British bases like Penang, Malacca and Singapore!  But to update it, we’re painting them black.

But this is not the final draft hahaha.  I’m actually gonna remove some of the black shutters to make space for something else I want to add. 😀

Meeting room!  Dark blue shutters to gel with first Colony.  But this room totally not finalized la, might look totally different from now wtf.

A mock up for an office suite cos I told them I want more Safari/African elements lolol.  But office suites probably not gonna look like this either cos it may not be up to client’s preference so the animal pictures we’re gonna keep for common areas.

Another mockup of an office. Also gonna shift the mural to common space wtf.

What would Colony be without the kids’ play area? ^^  This one also not finalized but I want yellow in the room for sure.

And our cafe area!

The other sections are blush pink and black, the cafe is mint green. 😀  Probably gonna remove the ceiling fan la cos white elephant when we already have air conditioning wtf.  Also going to change the square tables and the chairs cos I find them too heavy and install booth seating.

The cushions are not going to be porcelain print although I am planning to add more East Asian elements in too!

Ok thanks for reading wtf.  And here’s where I need to ask for you guys’ input.  We have furniture suppliers contacting us already but if you know any of the below, please let me know:

1. good office chair supplier (ergonomic chairs please)
2. plant solutions – artificial or real plants also can. I actually much prefer real plants but I don’t know what Imma do about maintenance so just hit me up with whatever!
3. decor & accessories supplier – you know, knick knacks, rugs, fabrics whatever, that look like they’re from that time period.  European, Asian, Indian, African welcome. hehehe.

*cracks knuckles*

Thanks for reading!!