Italy in Penang
We take a tour inside Lily Fenn’s holiday home in Penang, as she brings the little nuances of the land of La Dolce Vita to Malaysia, writes Kathlyn D’souza
A luxe cross-cultural experience is inevitable when visiting Lily Fenn’s holiday home in Penang
Lily fenn practises law in Hong Kong but unabashedly admits that she admires Penang’s multicultural and historic charm—the good food goes without saying, of course—and after numerous return trips to satiate her unrelenting appetite for the island, she finally set up a holiday home at Legenda@southbay. With a built-up area of over 7,200sqft, Lily considered the interior design of the house back in 2013, when it was still under construction. The years leading up to the completion allowed for Lily to survey around for ideas and visit the showrooms of furniture and lighting manufacturers in Italy for items that would go with the house. Altogether, she made at least six trips to Italy to meet her interior designer who is based there. For a Hong Kong-based solicitor who was planning to build a holiday home in Penang, one must wonder why Italy was the muse? She answered, “As early as 1984, I have already travelled around the world once. And of all that I’ve seen and touched, I love Italian designs best. So, I decided then that if I would have the opportunity to design my own house or holiday home, I would definitely adopt the Italian design.”
And adopt the Italian design she did; she had the entire space lit up by only Flos lighting instruments, the cabinets custommade by Molteni & C, kitchen furniture designed by Dada, and health and wellness equipment brought in from Starpool Sweetspa and Technogym Kinesis. However, with the grandeur that is Italian design, Lily injects a more relaxed element into the space with pops of colours. Her rationale for this was that since it is a holiday home, she wished to make it lively and vibrant, to keep guests and herself happy. A sunny disposition is achieved in the living room with a lemon yellow Edra flap sofa, made even more cheerful with bright cushions complementing it. The dining area leaves a clue to where Lily’s other interests lie—in aviation. She can pilot both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, and had 19 Versace plates in multiple colours arranged to form the pattern of a propeller on the wall. Lily’s Penang getaway is unquestionably aspirational and inspirational, with its Italian touch and a bit of modern dabbling here and there. Her comment on the final masterpiece simply sums it up: “What truly made a difference to the house is the elegant taste and romantic ambience set by the harmony of everything being perfectly knitted together. It gives me warmth and calmness, plus lets me indulge in my passions and hobbies.”