From Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu, Metaphor Interior reimagines the timeless Chinese courtyard into a contemporary cultural experience.
Bringing its design expertise beyond Indonesia, Metaphor Interior continues to expand its international portfolio through Dolly Dim Sum, a celebrated Malaysian restaurant brand with outlets at Suria KLCC, Elmina Lakeside, Sunway Carnival Penang, Tebrau City, and Imago Kota Kinabalu. This cross-country collaboration highlights Metaphor’s global design sensibility, combining heritage influences with modern aesthetics to craft dining spaces that are immersive, elegant, and culturally rich.
A Re-Imagined Courtyard for the Modern Era
At the heart of Dolly Dim Sum’s design narrative, Metaphor Interior brings forward a Chinese courtyard reinterpretation, one that celebrates heritage, spatial harmony, and cultural storytelling through a modern lens.
The design merges the poetic rhythm of traditional courtyard architecture with a refined contemporary sensibility, creating an atmosphere that feels both familiar and current. Here, the courtyard becomes the centerpiece, envisioned as a main attraction that visually connects two dining zones: a casual dining area and an intimate VIP enclave.
Each area carries its own personality, the casual dining space evokes an open-air ambience with terracotta tiles, tropical plants, and gentle daylight, while the VIP zone embraces a more private, composed mood with tactile finishes and soft lighting.
At the entrance, heritage-inspired façades featuring louvre screens and graphic Chinese pattern lattices reflect Dolly Dim Sum’s identity as a brand rooted in culture, yet refreshed for modern audiences.
Design Excellence Beyond Borders
The Dolly Dim Sum Malaysia collaboration stands as a clear testament to Metaphor Interior’s capability in translating cultural context into contemporary design expression.
It reflects the firm’s strength in balancing aesthetic refinement, functional flow, and brand storytelling, qualities that allow Metaphor to execute projects with precision across diverse environments and international markets.
To discover more of Metaphor Interior’s projects, visit our website and explore how we translate distinctive design narratives into every space we create.
