Our Story
Where Calico Dept began
Calico Dept began as a small practice in Mont Kiara with a clear idea — that interiors work best when they reflect the people who live in them, not a trend or a portfolio. We started with residential clients who wanted more than a decorator: they wanted someone who could listen first and design second.
Over the years, that approach shaped how we do everything. We take on a limited number of projects at a time so each client gets our full attention. We ask a lot of questions. We visit your space before we sketch anything. And we stay involved through the entire process — not just the design phase.
Today, Calico Dept works with homeowners, young families setting up their first proper home, and boutique business owners in the Klang Valley who care about atmosphere as much as function.
Our studio is in Solaris Mont Kiara — a space that, naturally, we designed ourselves.
Founded
2016
Location
Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
Focus
Residential & boutique commercial
Projects Completed
180+
Service Area
Klang Valley & selected Malaysia locations
What Guides Us
Our values in practice
Listening before drawing
No design starts until we understand what matters to you — your daily routines, your aesthetic instincts, and what you want the space to feel like.
Honesty over enthusiasm
We won't tell you something is a good idea when it isn't. If a constraint exists — budget, structure, lighting — we name it and work around it constructively.
Cohesion over collection
Beautiful individual pieces don't make a room. We design for the whole — how materials, light, proportion, and furnishings work together across the space.
Continuity of care
We don't hand off a design document and disappear. Our involvement continues through the renovation so the original intent is carried through to completion.
Restraint in aesthetics
More is rarely more. We favour considered choices and deliberate simplicity over surface decoration — spaces that hold up well over time.
Respectful of your pace
Renovation decisions shouldn't feel rushed. We work to your timeline and create space for consideration at every stage of the process.
The People
The studio team
Nadia Roslan
Principal Designer & Founder
Architecture background from UTM, nine years in residential and boutique hospitality design. Believes strongly that a space should feel lived-in from day one.
Amos Yeoh
Senior Interior Designer
Specialises in material curation and lighting design. Spent four years with a commercial interiors firm in Singapore before joining Calico Dept.
Syarifah Tan
Project Coordinator
Manages contractor relationships, procurement timelines, and site communications. The person clients rely on during the renovation phase.
Our Standards
How we maintain quality
Professional Membership
Our lead designer holds membership with the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID), maintaining regular professional development.
Documented Deliverables
Every project results in a structured design document — plans, schedules, material specifications — so decisions are traceable and clear.
Site Quality Reviews
During renovation, regular site visits are conducted to catch deviations early and ensure workmanship aligns with the design intent.
Client Confidentiality
Project details, home layouts, and personal information are kept strictly private. We do not share client work publicly without written permission.
Clear Communication Protocol
All major decisions are confirmed in writing. Clients always have a record of what was agreed and why a particular direction was chosen.
Responsible Material Sourcing
We prioritise suppliers who meet sustainability and ethical sourcing standards — better for the environment and for the long-term quality of your space.
Expertise
Interior design in Kuala Lumpur's residential market
The Kuala Lumpur residential market presents particular design challenges — high-rise apartments with fixed structural elements, shared corridors, and specific building management constraints. Working within these parameters over nearly a decade has given us a detailed knowledge of what's achievable, and at what cost, in developments across the Klang Valley.
We understand the local supplier landscape well — which furniture studios carry genuinely quality pieces, which contractors are reliable for fine finishing work, and where to source materials that hold up in Malaysia's climate without sacrificing appearance.
Beyond the technical, we also understand that Kuala Lumpur homeowners often live in their properties while designing them, or are working against a move-in date. We've built our process to accommodate this reality — keeping decisions sequential so you're never overwhelmed, and keeping timelines honest so nothing catches you off-guard.
Interested in working with us?
A brief initial conversation is usually the best place to start — no commitments, just a chance to understand your project and whether we're a good fit.
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