Art deco meets contemporary design in a Hong Kong home that marries Roaring Twenties style with the 21st century practicalities of a family

Art deco interiors are not for the faint-hearted. The style that became popular in Europe and America in the 1920s is characterised by opulent fabrics, luxurious furniture, elegant geometric patterns and decadent detailing.

For Hong Kong couple Ashok Daswani and Karen Wong, who have a young son and two sheepadoodle dogs, an art-deco-inspired design concept wasn’t an immediate choice for the 2,500 sq ft (232 square metre) flat they bought in Mid-Levels East on Hong Kong Island.

“Art deco was not even on the horizon. We initially envisaged something more along the lines of modern classic but when we were given design options by YC [Chen, founder of interior design studio hoo], we were wowed by the possibilities of going art deco without being gaudy and over the top,” says Daswani, a teacher and former school vice-principal who now runs his own tutoring business.

Daswani describes the original apartment as “a visual mess”, with a maze of compartmentalised rooms that had not been renovated since the 1980s. He and his wife bought it in 2017 with tenants in situ but after they vacated the property, Daswani’s in-laws moved in for a year while their own apartment was being renovated.

The couple finally reclaimed it for themselves in 2021 and decided to renovate. Chen and his lead designer, Lam Wai-kin, took the property back to its bare bones and started again.

Large communal areas were top of the couple’s wish list. Because they love entertaining, they wanted a good-sized kitchen – Wong is an accomplished cook – and a lot of open space to accommodate frequent gatherings of family and friends.