A night in Sekeping Sin Chew Kee, Kuala Lumpur

Rows of beautiful old colonial houses lined the street. Nothing seemed to look out of the ordinary…that is until I came to this one particular house. It had a little bell on the outside, with a stencilled that read ‘Barlai Pudu’.

It seemed rather ordinary from the outside with trees poking out from over the walls. Seemed like someone’s home but some how it looked different. Curious, I walked around the corner and behold a beautiful courtyard with a few mixed matched chairs and beautiful lounge music playing in the background.

Before I could investigate any further I see someone running down from the top floor.    

*Shit! So I did really walk into someone’s home!!!

Looking all innocent, “I’m sorry I wasn’t sure if this was a bar or…”

   “Oh don’t worry, we’re just renting the top floor from the Sekeping group. The bar is down here”.

*Phew, thank god… 

Looking through the bar.

Sekeping Sin Chew Kee is one of the boutique accommodations that is owned by the Sekeping group and designed by architect Seksan. They have a variety of choices but most of their rentals are old salvaged homes that are given another life and Sekeping Sin Chew Kee is one of them.

*Fast forward a few months… A good friend of mine decided to throw an intimate birthday party and upon recommendation she rented Sekeping Sin Chew Kee.    

As I walked up the stairs and opened the old creaking doors, it felt as if I was taken back in time, even for just a little while, with the barren walls and simple reclaimed furniture. Metal stools and wooden planked floors remind me of my childhood days, visiting a grand aunt on the countryside. It has that homey feel to it with a touch of class of course.   

I made my way down the corridor, past the open planned kitchen I come across a makeshift room, nestled into a large niche covered in beautiful black and white photographs and a book shelve to one side. The mosquito netting covering the bed adds a glint of romance to it against the soft demure lighting. The raised floor and natural lighting in here is just perfect!

Walking down to the end of the corridor is a two-bedded room, covered from wall to wall in shutter windows. These shutters make up the walls of the room and all of them open! Part of it opens to form a balcony facing the bar’s courtyard down stairs. Like a child, I had to explore – I opened almost off the shutters; just because. 

The bathroom attached to this room is rather small if not claustrophobic. Its just enough space for one person to move about… for obvious reasons, this is most likely the extension of the original house. Although the room is spacious the bathroom’s space has a ‘no-nonsense’ air to it. You go in, get your business sorted and get out.

The second bathroom just outside this room is slighter larger and beautiful. Nothing is spared from detail, as the pipes in the bathroom are rather quirky in shape and has an old shower head fixed to the end of it. Even the faucet fixtures are rather intriguing.

Simple, clean and industrial.

The top floor however has only a bedroom, which opens up to a top floor green patio. This has to be the best part of the house as when you walk down the short corridor to get to the patio, you can look out and over the corridor below. The patio on the other hand is beautiful with metal furniture and an open space that is bliss during the cool night breeze.

The high ceiling in the place keep it rather cool and the open floor plan makes the place look larger than usual. 

A dramatic corridor leading out to the patio.

Before anyone arrived, I got myself a Lemongrass G&T from the bar below, and sat on the frame of the large shutter doors. It reminded me of long summer days I used to spend in France, in a small seaside country home, sitting by the large French windowsill sipping coffee and reading the clouds. This little hosue was my run away sanctuary where I come too to recollect my thoughts and run away from the madness and dullness that is England. The clear blue sky, against the backdrop of the city combined with the solitude of soft bossa nova tunes humming from below, I secretly knew I’ve found another sanctuary in Kuala Lumpur – Sin Chew Kee.

One of the featured walls has old road signs pinned up.

As for the party, it went well. It was a small group of friends, chatting through the night, playing games and having a ball. It was perfect. And having a bar right below made things easier.

*The only thing missing was a dumbwaiter. It would be easier to list down the drinks we wanted, put the bill through and get the drinks sent up via the dumbwaiter. Better than walking up steep steps with a handful of drinks in the idle of the night!

For a night in the city, and still feel like you’re taken back in time, this place is perfect. 
Just for one or two nights in the city, it did feel a little nostalgic. 


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Apsy, hope you had a wonderful birthday!
xo