How this Hong Kong apartment got a chic Parisian makeover
A 1970s seaview apartment in Causeway Bay underwent a sumptuous makeover with a dramatic monochromatic scheme and elegant French accents
Infusing a 1970s Hong Kong apartment with contemporary French decor appealed to design aficionados Eric and Vivian Lee, although the couple didn’t initially know how to describe what they liked.
But when they came across the YouTube channel of Inch. Interior Design, whose signature style is Parisian chic, they realised that was the je ne sais quoi they were looking for.
Most internal walls in the 700 sq ft apartment could be demolished, which is not always possible in newer developments. That was “the fun part” for Minnie Hung Jyn-jen, the project’s lead designer. It meant walls could be realigned and new windows installed, to exploit the Victoria Harbour views
It also allowed spaces to be tailored to the couple’s lifestyle, notably, reducing the original three bedrooms to two – a main bedroom with walk-in wardrobe, plus a home office-cum-guest bedroom.
Eric’s request for a tonal black-and-white palette sat well with Hung’s ideas for the flat, which also called for dainty metal accents, alongside other French-inspired details, such as timber mouldings on cabinetry, dark wood flooring laid in a herringbone pattern and fireplace curves. Most of the furnishings were custom made to speak the same design language.
