Far-Flung Friday: English Cottage-Style in the Tropics

Madhu Ameer lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia but you would think she lives in the English countryside in a quaint cottage! Her condo is decorated in stunning blue and white, inspired by her love for the country cottage style. With pops of duck egg blue and sprinkles of shabby chic, her home is fit for Rachel Ashwell's second coming!

I asked her if we could take a peek inside and she was excited to give us a mini-tour of her home, including her amazing kitchen where she loves to bake. Don't look at her Flickr gallerytream on an empty stomach!

On the right, Madhu updated an old watering can with her own personal touch. After a trip to the hardware store, a simple can of spray paint in duck egg blue makes a big difference. The color, made popular by Tiffany and Martha Stewart, is cool and calming.


Madhu's IKEA kitchen is what first caught my eye. She explained that she planned it all out herself and hired a tiler to install the backsplash. The tiles she chose were discontinued, but the shop managed to find a couple of boxes in the warehouse -- talk about lucky! It's the heart of her home, she says. "I love that the kitchen overlooks the living area as I like being close to the sound of my family whilst I satisfy my passion for baking," she says. Her favorite IKEA find was the LIATORP bookcase (above right). She was inspired by the "Serendipity" pages of her favorite magazine, The English Home. On the shelves are precious memories, gifts and "just had to have it" items that she has collected over the years.

Madhu shows off the beautiful natural light that floods into her home from all directions in the photo above left. This is the view from her kitchen into the living room. The light furniture complements the sunlight, making it seem even brighter. Madhu explained that she needed a calming, serene bedroom space (above right). The soft stripes on the walls make the beige paint pop just enough. The blue photo brings in the rest of the home's color scheme.


Madhu's sunroom with a day bed (from IKEA) and windowseat is one of her favorite places for an afternoon nap. She and her family use this room for reading, crafting, homework and plain old lounging. Tubs, her cat, loves that sunny spot on the window seat so he can keep an eye on the birds in between naps. Every New Year's eve they spend the night in front of the window for the fantastic display of fireworks.