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Peta Tomlinson

Who hasn’t gone on holiday to a place so beguiling they toyed with the idea of moving there?
One Hong Kong-based Malaysian family felt that way about the soothing, otherworldly bamboo forests of Kyoto, Japan.
But since it wasn’t practical for Daniel Tan, a stay-at-home dad, and See See Ooi, who works in finance, and their adult children Jieh Jia “JJ” Tan and Shuen Shuen Tan, to uproot and relocate, a solution was to bring the forests to them – at least, in spirit.
A new 1,200 sq ft four-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment in Lohas Park, in the New Territories, would provide the starting point; boutique design studio Canter & Gallop Design (CGD) the impetus.
“When we travel to Japan, we find it very serene, peaceful and connected to nature – it’s almost healing for us to spend time together there,” says JJ, a designer. “Hong Kong is known for using bamboo scaffolding, so there’s a bit of storytelling, too. It’s nice to reference these two things in our home.”

Jonathan Ng and Rafael Pardo, co-founders – along with David Kung – of CGD, based their concept on mindfulness and simplicity.
“The clients’ brief called for a harmonious blend of earthy materials, subtle textures and thoughtful design elements curated to reflect a shared love for nature and spiritual sensibilities,” Ng says of the project, completed in January 2024.
The decision to adopt a restrained material palette, he adds, achieves a simple yet intentional focus on the architecture.
First impressions of the tall, willowy bamboo groves that inspired the home’s decor appear at the entrance in the form of bright green, narrow ceramic tiles, laid in a repeating vertical pattern on the shoe-cabinet doors.
Moving on, the living room is entirely clad in oak veneer, creating the impression, Ng says, of being in a pavilion inside a forest.
“We wanted to express the sense of sheltering, so designed the ceiling to feel like a gable roof, slightly curved to resemble the bending of bamboo [plants],” he says.
A series of horizontal wooden slats hide lighting tracks that, when illuminated, appear as sunbeams peeping through a canopy of foliage.

Avoiding overt digital intrusion into this serene space, the designers concealed the television behind slatted timber sliding panels. All loose furniture is custom made to echo the organic, sculptural forms of nature – including a dining tabletop melded from two types of marble, set on solid timber legs.
Architecturally, all the details are connected. Door frames, window mullions and skirtings have refined round edges, which, Pardo says, “connect the bamboo idea in a subtle way”. Cohesively integrating the varying alignments required precision, he adds. “For instance, in the living room, the skirting transitions into a platform in the corridor leading to the private quarters, creating a fluid connection between spaces.”
With four adults sharing the home, it was important to consider the requirements of each.
Shuen Shuen’s bedroom has a desk for work and a sofa for relaxation, beneath an overhead platform double bed. JJ’s room is smaller, so his bed sits on a raised floor with storage underneath. A curved ceiling, concealing beams and light sources, is finished in light coloured textured paint to create a feeling of looking up at the sky.
The fourth bedroom is used as a study. Alongside the desk sits a sofa upholstered in rich green velvet representing the moss on a forest floor. “We tried to make things as practical as possible,” says Ng, “bringing in the different textural elements that give a space its soul.”
To capitalise on an existing curved window in the main bedroom, the designers envisaged their clients “moving out of the forest, to the edge of a cliff, and gazing out over the ocean”. A custom-made desk “floats” on the window ledge, and a bedhead upholstered in bouclé extends up to the ceiling.
JJ says CGD “absolutely” delivered on the family’s wish for a peaceful sanctuary. “The design team did a great job in telling that story, but also making us feel it.”
Living and dining area
Dining table, wool rug and coffee table, designed by Canter & Gallop Design and made by contractor Milehouse. Artisan Neva chairs in oak finish, from Nature Evolution. Astep pendant, Audo sofa and ottoman, from Wool. Cesta lamp, from Santa & Cole.
Daughter’s room

Desk, loft bed, round wardrobe and ladder, designed by CGD and built by Milehouse. Offset Sofa by Audo, from Wool.
Study
Moss-green sofa, designed by CGD, upholstered in velvet Kvadrat fabric.
Main bedroom

Headboard upholstered in bouclé from Master Resource Group. Floating solid wood desk, designed by CGD and built by Milehouse. Sconces, hand crafted in Mexico by David Pompa.
Foyer

Shoe cupboard, clad in Mutina Rombini green ceramic tiles, from Anta.
Corridor

Atelier Plateau artwork at the end of the corridor, from Wool.


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Japan’s bamboo groves inspire serene makeover of a Hong Kong flat

The study and corridor of the Canter & Gallop-designed bamboo home in Hong Kong’s Lohas Park. Photo: Common Studio

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Son’s bedroom. Photo: Common Studio

Daughter’s bedroom. Photo: Common Studio

Main bedroom. Photo: Common Studio

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Corridor. Photo: Common Studio

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A corner of the living area. Photo: Joshua Lee

The dining room. Photo: Joshua Lee

The living room of Ella Bridgland’s flat. Photo: Joshua Lee

The main bedroom. Photo: Joshua Lee

The child’s room in Ella Bridgland’s Pok Fu Lam flat. Photo: Joshua Lee

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The master bedroom. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

The daughter’s bedroom. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

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Ceiling detail. Photo: Steven Ko

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PostMag

Design & Interiors

The tranquil essence of Kyoto’s ethereal bamboo groves has been transported into this New Territories family home


The tranquil essence of Kyoto’s ethereal bamboo groves has been transported into this New Territories family home.


Hong Kong interior design

Japan

Hong Kong

Japan’s bamboo groves inspire serene makeover of a Hong Kong flat

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The tranquil essence of Kyoto’s ethereal bamboo groves has been transported into this New Territories family home

The tranquil essence of Kyoto’s ethereal bamboo groves has been transported into this New Territories family home