Apart from shelter, traditional houses were built to accommodate the spiritual factors such as religious, cultural values and way of life. Thus, it tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural, technological and historical context in which it exists. This paper discusses the development of architectural style on the Malay traditional houses in Perak. It is based on data collectively gathered from KUTAI researchers conducted since 1997. More than 400 houses were observed. Architectural transformation found in the roof design, spatial organization, architectural elements and decorative elements within the period of 150 years. Findings of this study strengthening and establish the Perak Malay architectural style.

Malay Traditional houses were classified based on roof design, spatial organization, construction method, geographical setting and decorative elements particularly at every state in Malaysia. This article analyzes decorative elements on the traditional Malay houses in two states; Perak Limas' House (PLH) in Perak and Johor Limas' House (JLH) in Johor. The research aim is to establish the architectural characteristics of both PLH and JLH. This can be achieved by identifying the existence of decorative elements and carrying out a comparative study on both PLH and JLH on the decorative elements as the main architectural characteristic. Twenty-five of PLH and JLH were selected for the study.  The study found similarities and dissimilarities that contribute to the extension of aesthetical theory of the Malay traditional house in Malaysia. The findings established the architectural attributes of traditional houses in Perak and Johor through decorative elements.