This style controls colour, pattern and finish — timber tone, cabinet finish, stone pattern, metal, glass and hardware. It does not fix your floor plan. Layout, dimensions, openings, circulation, storage and M&E are adapted to your actual property.
What you see · what we specify
Simple Modern Minimalist · KitchenConcept study
04
A look you choose. Details we make buildable.
What you see
PaletteWhite, warm grey and greige · Light or neutral timber accent · Low-movement stone
Wood toneLight or neutral timber accent
Stone patternLow-movement
Aluminium finishMatte Black
GlassClear or neutral grey glass
HardwareMatte black Gola
What gets specified
Cabinet materialby moisture zone — dry to branded P6, wet to ACP / honeycomb aluminium
Lightinglayers and colour temperature, room by room
Sockets & M&Eswitch, socket and appliance positions
Appliance gapsclearances and servicing access
Layout & dimensionsadapted to your actual property
Essential in this collectionConcept studies — not photographs of completed projects.
Kitchen island
Vanity
Wardrobe
Kitchen
TV feature wall
Display cabinetry
Explore more
Entrance
Study
Wet kitchen
Bar
Laundry
Prayer room
Kitchen island
Vanity
Wardrobe
Kitchen
TV feature wall
Display cabinetry
Suitable for
First homes & rental propertiesApartmentsBudget-conscious renovationsKitchens, wardrobes, office storage
Why this style works
This style has nowhere to hide, which is exactly why it survives a tight budget. With no grain, moulding or stone movement to carry the room, every ringgit goes into panel flatness, edge quality and line alignment — the three things that actually read as expensive. It is also the only one that can be extended room by room over several years without the earlier work aging away from the later — there is no veneer batch and no stone slab to re-match. It ages by staying clean, not by developing patina.
Full-house finish schedule
Every trade, in this style.
The fast track for a home with limited customisation: one decision per trade, who supplies it, and the phase it belongs to. Codes are ALUMAX finish-library codes; a specialist row is ELS-specified and trade-supplied; a client row is bought by you to the direction given.
Room shell
CeilingPhase 2Specialist trade
Paint, clean white, mattConfirmed
Wall paintPhase 2Specialist trade
Paint, warm greige, approved against the floor on site, mattConfirmed
Flush or shadow-gap skirting in the wall colour, matte black where a metal trim showsConfirmed
Tiles and groutPhase 2Specialist trade
Matt porcelain in the low-movement white or grey quartz family, 600×1200 or larger, grout matched to the tile — never a contrasting groutConfirmed
Cabinetry
Main frontPhase 1ALUMAX supplies
light or neutral timber accent, one system of white across a sightline22-08Confirmed
Feature frontPhase 1ALUMAX supplies
One feature front by default: light timber, on the island, the tall run or the display niche; a second only by a documented exceptionConfirmed
Exposed carcass / interiorPhase 1ALUMAX supplies
Carcass interior in the main-front tone where it is seen (open shelving, glass fronts); white elsewhereConfirmed
Edge treatmentPhase 1ALUMAX supplies
Matched edge on every visible edge; laser or PUR edging wherever humidity is constantConfirmed
Wet-zone cabinetPhase 1ALUMAX supplies
Aluminium honeycomb in the main-front tone, code YQ017YQ017Confirmed
Work surfaces
CountertopPhase 1ALUMAX supplies
Quartz, low-movement white or grey quartzConfirmed
BacksplashPhase 1ALUMAX supplies
Same quartz as the countertop, run up to the wall cabinet; one stone by default, a second only by a documented exceptionConfirmed
Stone featurePhase 1ALUMAX supplies
One stone by default — the style spends its budget on the one countertop stone; a second only by a documented exceptionNot applicable
Doors and windows
Door leafPhase 1ALUMAX supplies
Flush leaf in the light or neutral timber accent tone; white where the wall is whiteConfirmed
Door framePhase 1ALUMAX supplies
Matte Black aluminium door frameConfirmed
Entrance doorPhase 1ALUMAX supplies
Aluminium entrance door (D-series) in Matte Black; a timber leaf is the design intent — confirm a timber door with ALUMAX before it replaces the aluminium oneTo confirm with ALUMAX
Window framePhase 1ALUMAX supplies
Matte Black aluminium window frameConfirmed
Casing / architravePhase 2Specialist trade
Minimal square architrave in the wall colour, or a shadow-gap revealConfirmed
Glass
Door glassPhase 1ALUMAX supplies
clear or neutral-grey glass — check the glass tint before the paintConfirmed
PartitionsPhase 2ALUMAX supplies
Matte Black slim aluminium frame, clear or neutral-grey glass — check the glass tint before the paint; manifestation band in a neutral frostConfirmed
Angle valves, traps and drain covers in matte black or brushed stainless, one choice per room; linear drain covers tile-insert where the floor allowsConfirmed
CCTV, alarm and intercom housingsPhase 2Specialist trade
White housings on white surfaces, black on dark; placed to the joinery module, never centred on a feature wallConfirmed
Conditional exterior
Façade / claddingPhase 3Specialist trade
Render in the wall tone family; matte black expressed joints where cladding is usedConfirmed
Exterior framesPhase 3ALUMAX supplies
Matte Black aluminium exterior door and window framesConfirmed
Gates and fencingPhase 3ALUMAX supplies
Matte Black aluminium, matched to the exterior frames — range and finish to confirm with ALUMAXTo confirm with ALUMAX
Exterior shading and screensPhase 3ALUMAX supplies
Matte Black aluminium louvres and screens, matched to the frames — range to confirm with ALUMAXTo confirm with ALUMAX
Glass balustrade on matte black channel outside as inside; metal-only railing in the same finish where glass is not wantedConfirmed
Exterior coatingsPhase 3Specialist trade
Exterior-grade matt coating in the wall tone family, one step deeper than inside; matte black trimsConfirmed
Product Specification Levels
Same look, Essential to Bespoke.
Final materials depend on technical suitability, moisture zone and current availability.
01
Essential
Starts with FLYHOME — ALUMAX's preferred standardised, ready-to-assemble P6 cabinet platform for appropriate dry-zone applications — with other materials specified where the room, exposure or product requires them (wet zones step up to ACP / honeycomb aluminium).
FLYHOME P6 platform for appropriate dry zones
Cost-controlled approved finishes
Practical, reliable hardware
Standard glass and aluminium selections
Substrate by moisture zone — wet zones use ACP / honeycomb aluminium at any level
Curated SPC and WPC samples, each matched to this design language and to the surface it was chosen for — so the finish direction above resolves to a real code you can raise in an ELS+ enquiry.
Confirm colour, grain, gloss and profile depth against a physical supplier sample before ordering — these are application references, not exact colour proofs. ALUMAX supplies, installs and prices these products.
Cabinet platforms available through ALUMAX
Best ValueFLYHOME — Ready to AssembleP6 · Appropriate dry zonesAppropriate dry-zone kitchens, wardrobes, living storage and whole-home cabinetry.
FLYHOME is marketed, priced, supplied and installed by ALUMAX. ELS specifies the platform that fits the room and moisture zone — wet zones step up regardless of level.
Style specification
The technical layer, in full.
Palette
White, warm grey and greige · Light or neutral timber accent · Low-movement stone
Wood tone
Light or neutral timber accent
Stone pattern
Low-movement
Aluminium finish
Matte Black
Glass
Clear or neutral grey glass
Hardware
Matte black Gola
Lighting
3000K–4000K by task
How it is built
Lighting strategy
This is the only one of the residential languages that mixes colour temperature, and it must split by task rather than by room: 4000K over the work surface, 3000K where the eye rests. White fronts amplify any tint, so CRI matters more than lumens — a cheap strip turns a white door green. Conceal the diodes; flat fronts reflect a visible strip as a row of smears.
Industry standardColour-rendering behaviour is established lighting science, not one product's test.
Windows & curtains
White and grey have no colour of their own — they take whatever comes through the glass. A green-tinted low-E unit, or a window facing dense foliage, tints an entire white kitchen, and no lighting fix corrects it. Check the glass before the paint. Prefer a flat roller blind to gathered drapery: folds add the visual mass this style spends its budget removing, and hold dust.
ELS field guidanceHow fabrics and finishes behave in Sarawak's unconditioned humidity — ELS field experience.
Furniture language
The joinery deliberately gives nothing, so loose pieces carry all the texture: one woven, boucle or leather item per room, in a tone warmer than the doors. More white and grey furniture does not read as more minimal, it reads as unfinished. Buy the loose pieces before the joinery colour is fixed — in this style the sofa is the only warm object in the room, and the door white must be chosen against it, not the other way round.
Handles & hardware
The finish follows the palette, so the choice is only Essential or Bespoke.
Essential
Matte black Gola
Bespoke
Matte black premium Gola — continuous profile, concealed joints
Why Matte black: Black aluminium windows · Black-framed sliding doors · Black appliances, sink or tap · Black lighting · Dark stone countertops
Depth & layering
After the style, we match the depth.
Simple Modern Minimalist decides colour, pattern and finish. Depth is separate — it is built, not chosen — so ELS matches it layer by layer against your actual ceiling height, walls and floor.
The one rule
Depth comes from a plane change — shadow does the work — or a material change — contrast does the work.
Plane changeshadow does the workMaterial changecontrast does the work
Do both at one junction with no functional reason and they cancel: the eye stops reading either.
Plane ✓Material —
Sculptural depth
One material, a level change — the shadow reads the form.
Plane —Material ✓
Graphic depth
Two materials on one plane — contrast draws the line.
Plane ✓Material ✓
Reserve for a hard boundary
Different material AND a level change together — only where a real boundary changes: wet/dry, indoor/outdoor, public/private.
CeilingSame material — depth from drops & coves
Default to one material and earn depth from drops, coves and shadow gaps — never a busy patchwork overhead. Height is the hard constraint: services claim the void before the design does.
Clear height≥ 2,500 mm (UBBL) · hold 2,600 mm under any drop
The habitable-room legal minimum, with comfort headroom kept below every dropped feature.
Industry standard
Slab to slab2,900–3,200 mm typical
What you start with — before any services are run.
ELS field guidance
AC plenumCassette/FCU 250–350 mm · ducted 300–400 mm
Air-conditioning claims the void first; the design works with what is left.
Industry standard
Condensate fall1:100
The gradient the AC drain line needs to run — it sets where the ceiling can sit.
Industry standard
Cove cavity150–200 mm
Depth to hide the light source and throw an even wash, not a hot line.
Design recommendation
Shadow gap20–30 mm
The reveal that separates ceiling from wall as a crisp, intentional line.
Design recommendation
Board for humidity12 mm gypsum at 400–450 mm centres
Sarawak's high humidity sags thin board on wide centres; this spec holds flat.
ELS field guidance
We askOnce air-conditioning and services are in, how much ceiling height can we spend on a dropped feature?
WallSame material, broken by a reveal
Default to one material broken by a reveal or shadow gap. A material change must land on a plane change or a shadow gap — never stop mid-plane, where a finish that just ends reads as unfinished.
Reveal / shadow gap20–40 mm
Enough shadow to read as a deliberate line, not a gap that looks like a defect.
Design recommendation
Where material changesOn a joint — never mid-plane
A reveal or a corner gives the change a reason; a finish that stops in open field looks unfinished.
Design recommendation
Socket box depth47 mm behind the finish
A flush socket sets the minimum a wall build-up can be — thinner reveals will not clear it.
Industry standard
We askWhere do the material changes fall — and does each one land on a joint we can detail?
FloorDifferent material, one flat level
Default to a single flat plane and zone with material, not level. A level change is either zero or a proper step (≥ 150 mm) — nothing in between, which trips.
Level changeZero, or ≥ 150 mm
Anything in between is a trip hazard; keep it flat or make it a proper step.
Industry standard
Screed load50 mm screed ≈ 110 kg/m²
A raised zone adds real dead load — the structure has to carry it.
Industry standard
Raised sub-frameSteel or aluminium — not timber
Termite country: a raised timber floor is a liability here.
ELS field guidance
Kerbless wet zone20–40 mm slab recess
Holds water in a level-threshold wet room without a step to trip on.
Industry standard
We askDo we zone this floor by material alone, or is a real step justified — and where does water need holding back?
Figures are planning guidance, not warranties. Real performance depends on the product, its installation and the site's exposure; the product datasheet and site measurement confirm it.
These are the standard rules and typical Sarawak figures. The exact heights, falls and build-ups are confirmed by your designer against the real slab, services and moisture zones on site.
Construction notes
Entry-grade fronts arrive flat and go out of flat as the board takes up moisture — specify balanced construction on any door over 900mm tall, because a bowed white door is visible from across the room and a bowed timber one is not.
Edge banding is the whole style on a white door — a PVC glue line goes grey in a wet kitchen, so specify laser or PUR edging wherever humidity is constant.
White fronts are the one finish where a replacement door years later will not match the originals — order and store one spare of each door size at the time of the run.
ELS field guidanceClimate-durability timeframes ELS has seen on Sarawak sites; not a manufacturer rating.
Common mistakes
What goes wrong, and what to do instead.
Choosing the grey from a chip rather than against the floor
Warm grey joinery over a cool grey tile turns pink, and the fault appears only after both are installed — approve the two together on site.
Specifying high-gloss white to make a small room feel bigger
Use a fine matte or low-sheen supermatt; gloss reports every hand mark on a surface touched all day.
Reading minimalist as fewer cabinets
Minimal means less visible, not less storage — otherwise the clutter lands on the counter and undoes the style.
Final materials, finishes and availability depend on technical suitability, moisture zone, load and the current ALUMAX stocking strategy, confirmed on site measurement and approved scope.