A dated Hong Kong apartment gets a contemporary makeover
2017.04.08
Having lived in their Jardine’s Lookout apartment for a decade, Peter and Christina Chan decided late last year that a renovation was in order. They wanted to make the 1,500-sq-ft flat appear lighter, replace the dated décor with a simple, minimal look, and build in more storage.
The Chans, who have two adult sons and a daughter, entrusted their home to Regina Kwok Wing-sum, creative director of Artwill Interior Design House, and moved out for the duration of the five-month project.
“The original apartment was a good size for the family but the layout didn’t make the best use of the space,” says Kwok. “Peter and Christina also wanted a timeless design that would look good and be easy to take care of but would also work for the family’s various needs.”
All but two walls were dismantled to make the communal living areas open plan and the layout more user-friendly. Even though the children no longer live at home, the Chans wanted them to have rooms of their own. Kwok configured the apartment to ensure there were three decent-sized bedrooms and two bathrooms. This meant the “boys” would have to share. Kwok placed two single beds along one wall and separated them with a shelving unit that stretches to the ceiling.
“Peter and Christina’s sons are not often there at the same time. If they are, the shelves give them their own space,” she says. “The shelves are deliberately open to allow light to pass through; otherwise, the two halves of the room would feel dark and poky.”
The colour palette throughout the apartment is neutral, muted and dominated by white, charcoal, black and natural wood. The daughter’s room is a variation on the theme, with lighter tones of grey and accents of pink, while in the master bedroom, the addition of blue bedside drawers adds unexpected pops of colour. Similarly, two dining chairs upholstered in denim blue and lilac break up the Perspex of the other four and stop the space from being too “matchy”. Chic Tom Dixon pendant lights, a Philippe Starck dining table on wheels and wooden wall panelling featuring a diagonal light trough complete the dining area. It is the first room you see as you enter the home and it sets the tone for the rest of the flat.
Kwok uses texture throughout to add interest, often in novel ways. Layers of different materials in the master bedroom, for example – pleated wallpaper, leather wall panels, a pale wood and grey-fabric headboard and an abstract piece of art – give the effect of a collage. Fine black silk fabric has been sandwiched between two panes of floor-to-ceiling glass that enclose the master toilet cubicle; storage cupboards behind the television have soft leather façades.
Jazzing up the master bathroom, with its freestanding egg-shaped bath, is what looks like a photograph of a sunset over the sea but is, in fact, a graphic reproduced onto a sliding glass panel that covers a window and can be moved to one side when required.
“Peter loves watching sunsets so this was a great way to introduce some visual focus and give the Chans privacy in the bath without using a curtain,” says Kwok.
Along with a liberal use of wood and leather, the unusual materials Kwok has incorporated into the interior design – the master bathroom’s matt-black-marble sink and matt-black heated towel rail, for example – lend a luxurious feel to the home. Rose-gold stainless steel has been applied to the surfaces of various units in the living and dining room and also as detailing on the leather storage cupboards. The rose gold gives a warm feel to the home and ties in with the copper-coloured pendant lights.
“The Chans decided to start completely afresh so all furnishings are new,” says Kwok. “As the look is minimal, they went for a few top-end pieces that would stand the test of time. They really give the home an understated ‘wow’ factor.”
Author: Adele Brunner
Source: https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/2082714/dated-hong-kong-apartment-gets-contemporary?fbclid=IwAR0yNtA5yqorDtiLoMSmtK3VV476mJxM9aD-dJpDEHCUSd61jBLIbHPY12g
