A minimalist, Japanese-inspired home in Hong Kong is all about hidden storage spaces, ‘nature, wood and Zen’ vibes
- A 1,700 sq ft home with dark-wood cabinetry, Japanese-inspired touches and concealed storage also has no light switches, favouring remote controls and apps
- A Japanese tatami room can be used as a guest room, study, massage room, entertainment area and for mahjong or hotpot sessions
A modern luxury development on a forest-clad hilltop between Sha Tin and Tai Po, in Hong Kong’s New Territories, might seem an unlikely place for a Japanese washitsu, or tatami room. Yet once inside this 1,700 sq ft (158 square metres) flat, this versatile space makes perfect sense.
Open to the living area, but able to be screened off by sliding shoji doors, it is a key element of tech investor Robert Lau’s elegant home.
Primarily a study, with a desk installed in front of the window and its glorious mountain view, the space can also be used as a guest room, massage room, entertainment area and, thanks to a table that pops up from the floor (see Tried + tested below), for mahjong sessions or shabu-shabu hotpot.
“I spent at least half of my time in here during the pandemic,” Lau says of the washitsu. “From my desk, all I can see is the mountains, trees, monkeys and butterflies. It’s very peaceful. And when I’m not in here, my favourite place is on the living-room sofa, looking in here.”
The developer had conceived the space as a main bedroom – the largest of four in the original layout – but interior designer Rebecca Chan, of Simplex Interiors, had other ideas.
“I convinced Robert he only needed one bedroom,” she says. “Then we could open up this space to create a big living room and study. You don’t need a view like this in a bedroom.”