Interior Designer in Petaling Jaya

Petaling Jaya was Malaysia’s first planned satellite city, and you can still feel that intentionality in its layout. Streets that actually form a grid. Sections numbered logically. Generous road reserves and mature trees that took decades to reach their current canopy.

I’m Minal Tejani — a MIID-certified interior architect with over 15 years of experience and a BA in Interior Architecture from the University of Hertfordshire, UK. I’ve designed spaces for clients ranging from IKEA, Firmenich, Axiata, and TNB to private homeowners at Sunway Palazzio and across the Klang Valley.

PJ appeals to me as a designer because it has depth. This isn’t a neighbourhood defined by a single demographic or property type. It’s a city in its own right — with heritage terraces, modern condos, bustling commercial centres, and a population that includes everyone from retirees who’ve lived in Section 14 since the 1970s to young professionals renting in Kelana Jaya. That diversity makes every project here genuinely different from the last.

Understanding PJ’s Sections and Neighbourhoods

PJ’s original numbered sections remain its defining feature. Understanding them is the first step to designing well here.

Sections 1 through 22 form old PJ — the original residential and commercial areas developed from the 1950s onward. These sections contain some of the Klang Valley’s earliest suburban housing, and many of these homes have a quality of construction and a generosity of plot size that newer developments simply cannot match. They also carry heritage character: high ceilings in some older properties, established gardens, and the patina of decades of family life.

Section 17 deserves special mention. It’s one of PJ’s most desirable family neighbourhoods — quiet streets, good schools nearby, and terraces that have been lovingly maintained by families who plan to stay for another generation. Renovation here is often about modernising a home without erasing its character: updating the kitchen and bathrooms, improving natural light, and creating spaces that work for contemporary life while respecting the home’s history.

SS2 is the food destination of PJ, and its commercial energy spills into the residential streets. Homes here are a mix of terraces and shophouses, and there’s a growing number of commercial conversions — restaurants, cafes, and creative studios taking over former residential or retail spaces.

Kelana Jaya brings condominiums and the LRT into the PJ equation. Developments like Kelana D’Putera, Kelana Mahkota, and newer builds along the LRT line offer more accessible price points and attract a younger demographic. Design work here tends toward compact efficiency and modern aesthetics.

Taman SEA and Taman Paramount are solid, established neighbourhoods with good terraces and semi-Ds. Both areas are seeing a wave of renovation as the children who grew up there return as homeowners or as parents decide to update homes that haven’t changed in 20 years.

PJ New Town anchors the commercial side — shophouses, offices, and commercial spaces that serve the surrounding residential catchment.

Property Types I Work With in PJ

Heritage and Older Terraces

PJ’s older sections contain terraces from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s that were built to a different standard than today’s developments. Higher ceilings, thicker walls, larger plots. These homes have character, but their layouts often feel dated:

Formal separation between living room, dining room, and kitchen that doesn’t suit how families cook and eat together today.
Single wet bathroom shared between bedrooms on the upper floor — adding an ensuite master bathroom is one of the most common requests I receive.
Limited electrical capacity — the original wiring often cannot support modern appliance loads, air conditioning on every floor, and the home office setups that are now standard. Full rewiring is usually necessary in homes that haven’t been updated.
Car porch conversions — many PJ terraces have front porches that have been informally enclosed over the years. Rationalising these into proper, well-designed extensions or returning them to their intended purpose improves both function and facade.

The joy of working with these homes is the foundation they provide. Good bones, honest materials, and room to create something exceptional.

Semi-Detached and Bungalows

Scattered across PJ’s more established sections, these larger homes offer scope for more ambitious design. Semi-Ds in particular benefit from professional spatial planning — they’re large enough that poor layout becomes a real problem, but not so large that you can simply add more rooms to compensate. Every space needs to earn its place.

Condominiums

Kelana Jaya, Ara Damansara, and along the LRT corridor, PJ’s condo landscape caters to a more value-conscious market than Mont Kiara or Bangsar. The design approach here focuses on maximising function and creating a sense of spaciousness within compact footprints — typically 800 to 1,200 square feet. Smart storage, multi-purpose furniture zones, and careful lighting make the difference between a condo that feels cramped and one that feels curated.

Commercial and Shophouse Spaces

This is where PJ offers something unique. The concentration of SMEs, professional services, creative businesses, and F&B operators across PJ New Town, Section 13, SS2, and the LRT station areas creates a steady demand for commercial fit-outs.

Shophouse conversions are particularly interesting: taking a traditional double-storey shophouse built for retail and transforming it into a modern office, a cafe, or a co-working space. These projects are full of constraints — structural columns you cannot move, minimum ceiling heights, fire escape requirements, ventilation challenges — and constraints are where good design proves its value.

Common Renovation Projects in PJ

Full terrace renovation — Comprehensive redesign of a Section 17, Section 14, or Taman SEA terrace. Opening up ground floors, modernising kitchens and bathrooms, upgrading all M&E systems, and creating a home that will serve the family for another 20 years. Typical budgets: RM130,000 to RM350,000.

Kitchen and bathroom package — The two rooms that impact daily quality of life the most. For PJ terraces, this usually means opening up the kitchen to the living area, installing modern cabinetry with proper ventilation, and converting at least one upstairs bathroom into a proper ensuite. Budget: RM50,000 to RM120,000.

Condo ID fit-out — Designing a new or resale condo from shell or refreshing an existing unit in the Kelana Jaya or Ara Damansara area. Space planning, custom carpentry, flooring, lighting, and fixtures. For a typical 1,000-square-foot unit: RM70,000 to RM140,000.

Shophouse conversion — Transforming a PJ commercial shophouse into a modern office, cafe, or retail space. These projects demand careful attention to structural constraints, building codes, and the operational requirements of the new use. Budget varies widely: RM100,000 to RM400,000 depending on scope and fit-out level.

Office renovation — Updating or redesigning office space in PJ’s commercial areas. My experience designing offices for Axiata and TNB — where the brief demanded spaces that communicate brand identity while supporting productive work — applies directly to PJ businesses at any scale.

Permits and MBPJ Requirements

Petaling Jaya falls under Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ), one of the Klang Valley’s most established local councils.

Structural modifications — removing or altering load-bearing walls, building extensions, adding floors, or changing the facade require MBPJ planning approval. I prepare submission documents and manage the process.
Setback and coverage — PJ has well-defined rules about how much of your plot you can build on. Rear extensions, car porch enclosures, and ground-floor additions all need to comply. I check permissible coverage before designing anything that might push boundaries.
Commercial conversions — changing a property’s use (e.g., residential to commercial, or retail to F&B) involves additional approvals beyond standard renovation permits. Fire safety compliance, parking provision, and signage all come into play.
Internal cosmetic works — painting, flooring, cabinetry, and fixture replacement generally don’t require council permits.
Condo management requirements apply in addition to MBPJ rules for any condominium renovation.
Processing times — MBPJ is generally efficient, with standard applications processed in 2 to 4 weeks. More complex submissions involving change of use or significant structural work take longer.

Why PJ Makes Sense for Design Investment

There’s a pragmatic argument for investing in design in PJ that goes beyond aesthetics.

PJ property values have held steady because the fundamentals are strong: connectivity (LRT, Federal Highway, Sprint), amenities (established schools, medical facilities, commercial centres), and community maturity. A well-designed home in PJ doesn’t just feel better to live in — it holds and often increases its value in a market that rewards quality renovation.

The value equation also works in your favour during the renovation itself. Contractor rates in PJ tend to be more competitive than in KL city. Material sourcing is convenient — PJ is close to the major tile, hardware, and furnishing suppliers in Shah Alam and Subang. And because PJ homes are typically generous in their proportions, you get more impact per ringgit spent on design than you would in a compact city condo.

Families who’ve lived in PJ for decades and raised their children here aren’t moving because the location is perfect. They’re renovating because the home that worked in 2005 doesn’t quite fit the way they live in 2026. That’s precisely the kind of design challenge I find most rewarding.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does interior design cost in Petaling Jaya?

Renovation costs in PJ typically range from RM50 to RM120 per square foot, depending on property type and finishes. A full terrace renovation in Section 17 or Taman SEA might run RM130,000 to RM350,000. Condo fit-outs start from around RM70,000 to RM140,000. Commercial shophouse conversions vary widely based on scope. PJ offers excellent value — you get more space for your budget than in KL city, and the homes have solid fundamentals to work with. I always start with an honest conversation about priorities and realistic budgets. For detailed numbers, see my interior design cost guide.

Do you handle both residential and commercial projects in PJ?

Yes. PJ’s mix of residential neighbourhoods and commercial centres means I regularly work on both. My residential work covers everything from Section 17 terraces to Kelana Jaya condos. On the commercial side, I’ve designed offices for Axiata and TNB, retail spaces for IKEA, and healthcare environments for Nair Dental — experience that translates directly to PJ’s thriving SME and commercial landscape.

What permits do I need for renovation in Petaling Jaya?

PJ falls under MBPJ (Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya). Structural changes, extensions, facade alterations, and changes to building coverage or setbacks require planning approval. Internal cosmetic works generally don’t need permits. PJ has some of the more established and well-documented submission processes in the Klang Valley, which makes the approval pathway relatively predictable. I handle all submissions as part of my service.

Can you convert a PJ shophouse into an office or cafe?

Absolutely — shophouse conversions are some of my favourite projects. PJ has a large stock of commercial shophouses, particularly in PJ New Town, Section 13, and along Jalan University, that are being repurposed for modern businesses. The conversion needs to address structural constraints, ventilation, accessibility requirements, and the transition from a retail floor plan to whatever the new use demands. My commercial experience with clients like Firmenich and Axiata gives me the design and project management skills these conversions require.

Let’s Talk About Your PJ Space

Whether it’s a Section 17 terrace, a Kelana Jaya condo, or a shophouse conversion — every project starts with understanding what you have and what you want. Let’s have that conversation.

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