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An Unorthodox Braveheart | Go Big or Go Home with NEVERMORE’s Chuah Say Yang

August 3, 2023
As the mastermind behind NEVERMORE, Chuah Say Yang is never one to shy away from a challenge. Instead, he valiantly charges headfirst towards it as he continues shattering barriers through bold, nonconformist imaginations that electrify the senses.
 
Text Monisha Sivanesan
Images courtesy of NEVERMORE
LUT Gastrobar
During his mirthful cradle of youth, Chuah Say Yang was gifted one of the many wishlist toys of the century: a colourful set of LEGO®. Little did his folks realise, this particular act of parental love would be the catalyst that forged their son’s destiny in the creative field, having struck an eternal flame of curiosity, passion and drive for design within him upon first play. This little boy soon grew up to become an Interior Architecture graduate from Limkokwing London, although [surprisingly] going down the interior design path may not necessarily have been his first career choice.
 
He then joined Uniplan Projects (M) Sdn Bhd for a couple of years straight after university before eventually deciding to venture off on his own by establishing NEVERMORE – an internationally acclaimed, award-winning interior design practice specialising in residential and commercial projects – when the time felt right back in 2010. But of course, all was easier said than done.
LUT Gastrobar
The Penangite’s adventurous, dare-to-brave-new-horizons attitude is reflected in his design style, self-described as ‘bold’ and ‘experimental’. From raw, gritty yet sensual, sassy cyberpunk to the glitz and glam of Hollywood’s romantic Golden Age, delving into various terrains of ideas is now an automatic reflex to him thanks to a consistent immersion in nature, art and travelling which renews his sense of excitement to conceive stunning spaces. The admirer of world-renowned French designer Philippe Starck is always on the lookout for new materials to improve his own know-how. 
Jumping off that point, he finds the lack of limits for an individual’s creativity in this industry to be the most pleasant surprise. Perhaps this explains why the acclaimed LUT Gastrobar is deemed as his personal favourite to undertake so far as no restrictions were imposed by the client — talk about a designer’s ultimate dream come true. “Both residential and commercial projects are equally challenging, but I enjoy commercial design more as I get to design with different spaces, explore new materials and push boundaries, therefore I would say that this would be my stronger suit,” he exclaims enthusiastically. 
LUT Gastrobar
Much like Drake’s iconic verse “Started from the bottom, now we’re here,” NEVERMORE’s success was built in Say Yang’s bedroom-turned-home office. Thanks to his determined mind and unbreakable spirit, not forgetting the buckets of blood, sweat and tears behind them, a gorgeous mid-century modern office in his birthstate is now home to a dedicated team of ten who revel at the opportunity to break boundaries and try out new concepts and approaches, just like their ambitious boss.
 
As commander-in-chief, or founder and creative director to be more precise, his leadership style can be characterised as respectful, self-aware, courageous, integrous, empathetic and grateful. Each quality is considered as important to him as the next, stating that leaders should be positively influential as well as agile and open minded while communicating and delegating effectively.
Cassis Restaurant
Cassis
Cassis
Talking about the biggest challenges faced in the business, the Penthouse project came to mind as he recollects the arduous renovation process which occurred during the life-altering-global-event-that-shall-not-be-named, making open communication and drawing precision all the more crucial. Fortunately, he had the full support of his devoted, zealous and savvy NEVERMORE family to help him overcome it.
 
On the other end of the spectrum, a long list of accomplishments from near and far colour the company’s profile; its newest addition sees CASSIS nabbing Best Interior Design for the Fine Dining restaurant category at the LIV Hospitality Design Awards 2022 held in Budapest. Other notable achievements include the Best Luxury Commercial Interior Design at Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2022; Bronze Award at Singapore Interior Design Awards 2022; DOTY Asia’s Most Prestigious Design Award 2022 & 2021; DOTY Best Residential Design – Landed 2022; and DOTY Building Transformation Recognition Award 2021 – just to humbly name a few.
LIV Hospitality Design Awards 2022
Touching on his personal life, the man who once played safe with colours is not one to beat around the bush as he admits that “there’s no such thing as a work-life balance.” The designer practically toils away on a 24/7 basis but is most fortunate to find some semblance of harmony between both worlds by having an incredibly supportive spouse who happens to be in the same industry as him. Sharing the same passion and direction, the topic of work naturally wriggles into the pair’s daily conversations which are always met with eagerness on both sides.
 
In fact, she plays a highly pivotal role in his career, having assisted on a few projects such as LUT. Attributing his success to her, he affectionately says, “My very supportive wife has been a good listener and mentor. She also supports me in every decision and helps me to solve problems encountered in projects”.
With a can-do mindset, Say Yang, together with his team, are always ready to tackle any type of project that comes their way. Aiming to continue contributing to the Malaysian interior design industry with exemplary creations, the avid traveller cites “courage, gratitude and integrity” as the top trio of values which have helped guide his career. Believing in the power of hope and perseverance, he advises up-and-coming designers to not rush into things and “always believe in yourself.”
“The best way for me to find inspiration for interior design is to step outside of my normal boundaries of creating and designing. I delve into a new expression through nature, art, or travelling to discover a renewal of excitement to create beautiful spaces.”
CHUAH SAY YANG
Founder & Creative Director of NEVERMORE
NEVERMORE | www.facebook.com/nevermoregroup