DOTY 2026 Best Residential Design (Landed – Gold): Nevermore Sdn Bhd – Collector’s Reserve

This artsy abode in Penang designed by Nevermore Sdn Bhd was first featured in Designer Concept Issue 91.

PARADED DEVOTION

Balancing gallery neutrality with expressive moments and luxurious comfort, this artistic home turns prized collections into elevated living experiences like no other.

Rising four storeys above its Penang address, the Collector’s Reserve bears its name with unspoken confidence. More than a shelter, this Modern Luxury home has been conceived as a vessel almost exclusively designed to cradle passions accumulated over a lifetime. Fine art, rare vintages and exotic automobiles are not tucked away but are honoured, framed and allowed to shine. The mandate was clear from the very first sketch: to craft a refined, quietly luxurious backdrop upon which the owner’s treasured collections could take centre spotlight, undistracted and unchallenged.

Elegant yet kinetic in its final form, bold gestures all throughout the home are carefully anchored within a tailored language. This balance is perhaps most eloquently expressed in the living room, a study in clean modernism. Its geometry is crisp, its surfaces awash in soft whites and punctuated with metallic accents. Like a gallery awaiting its exhibition, the room is intentionally neutral, ready to host moments of visual drama.

One notable instance is the iconic Mah Jong sofa by Roche Bobois, a modular constellation of low seating that channels the glamour of the 1970s. Upholstered in a hand-stitched Missoni fabric, multiple colours joyfully collide while funky patterns ripple with tons of energy. Nearby, framed works featuring cartoon-like forms by pop artist KAWS inject a cheeky, playful spirit while also adding an unmistakably iconic layer to the home’s evolving narrative.

Descending below ground, the house reveals another star attraction: the basement garage. More than a utilitarian space, it is a futuristic theatre of motion and machine. Gleaming white surfaces set the stage for up to ten luxury cars, each displayed like a sculptural object. Brushed stainless steel wall panels with a delicate hairline texture are perforated, allowing integrated backlighting to illuminate an ultramodern pixelated pattern. Motion sensors awaken LEDs as a vehicle enters, subtly guiding it home in an almost ceremonial way that borders on the cinematic.

Despite these show-stopping moments, the residence reads as a cohesive whole. The designers were first drawn to the generous 7,600-square-foot site where the original structure boasts soaring ceilings, permitting an abundance of sunlight that filters even into the basement—an architectural rarity. Such qualities called for discipline rather than excess for the final design, therefore allowing space and light to speak in their own eloquent language.

Extensive renovation reimagined the home’s spatial flow while preserving its structural shell. Across four levels, eight bedrooms coexist with a rooftop clubhouse, private theatre, music room, entertainment and bar lounge as well as a 100ft swimming pool. Each zone carries its own purpose and personality. The glass and steel incorporated for the rooftop bar contrasts with the bedrooms’ curved furniture, muted tones of taupe and beige and gentle glow of the backlit mirrors. Speaking of opposing energies, the electric vibrancy of the living room gives way to the meditative peace of the zen Japanese garden and koi pond. Last but not least, a convenient bubble lift stitches the vertical experience together.

In conclusion, the Collector’s Reserve is an exquisite portrait of its owner’s inner world. Art, cars and design converge not as symbols of status, but as expressions of curiosity, taste and devotion. What began as a weekend retreat has quickly transformed into a permanent home that exhibits quiet luxury at its finest, and in that evolution lies the truest measure of success: a house that did not merely display a collection, but became one worth living in.

About the Designer of the Year Awards and Best Residential Design

The Designer of the Year Award (DOTY) aspires to discover and honour the exceptional works of talented designers from Malaysia and beyond. It sets the benchmark of excellence in design and is committed to championing them in architecture and interior.

The theme of DOTY 2026, “Celebrating Design Intelligence”, highlights how design has evolved beyond mere aesthetics to encompass functionality and sustainability, where user experience, environmentally-friendly materials and technology integration are essential to well-being and efficiency.

Designers who have transformed mere houses into ultimate dream homes through their ingenuity and attention to detail are awarded Best Residential Design. Their projects, which are either landed or high-rise, are featured in Designer Concept.

Visit doty.com.my for more information.