Interior designer Candace Campos and her client Alison Smith immediately saw the potential of three office units in Sheung Wan, with their high ceilings, spaciousness and windows on three sides.
'The space needed to be opened up and renovated,' says Smith. So, with the help of Campos and a contractor, she knocked the units into one, keeping only the original windows. Today the L-shaped apartment has a cool, urban, loft-like feel - a far cry from the cramped office space it used to be.
Campos was given a blank canvas to work with and set about creating a bright, open home to meet Smith's brief: a cool, loft-like, one-bedroom apartment with an office space and enough room to entertain guests.
Converting three units into one meant gutting the space and blocking off two of the three entrance doors. The building's management restricted where the air-conditioning units could go and what could be done with the windows, but apart from that, the six-month renovation process was fairly smooth. 'We worked together on the layout,' Smith says, 'then shared images of other lofts. Candace did all the sourcing of materials and fixtures, as well as managing the contractor.'
The result is a 1,700 sq ft apartment that is unusually airy for Hong Kong.
'People tend to squeeze in as many bedrooms as possible,' says Smith. 'This apartment has only one. All the rooms are generously proportioned as a result, and there is flexibility in how to use the space. Plus the high ceilings and windows bring in lots of natural light.'