An interior designer on the challenge of finally designing for his own home
After hundreds of client projects, an interior designer creates his own retreat, in Sha Tin, infusing local flavour and personal nostalgia with Japanese sensibilities. Kora Kwok pays a visit
After designing more than 300 projects for clients, Keith Chan Shing-hin faced an unfamiliar challenge: designing for himself.
The founder of interior design house Hintegro had competing priorities for his 580 sq ft, one-bedroom apartment in Sha Tin. It needed to reflect his aesthetics and approach to design but, unlike many of his high-profile clients, Chan was working with a far more modest budget.
“Designers don’t necessarily make a ton of money in Hong Kong,” he laughs. “But I remind myself that even cheaper materials can serve a very beautiful place, if we use them wisely.”
The result is a restrained yet personal space, shaped by Japanese influences and the pragmatism of Hong Kong living. Originally open-plan, the apartment was reconfigured with two new walls near the entrance to carve out a small bedroom. This created a short hallway flanked by a workstation and a concealed wardrobe, opening onto an expansive living-cum-kitchen area.
The light-filled living room is dressed like an audiophile’s retreat. A vinyl record player and small army of sound systems sit atop a Hintegro-designed television cabinet, with speakers on custom stands of walnut wood on either side also designed by Hintegro and crafted by Hong Kong-based carpenters MADE.
Two smaller podspeakers are discreetly embedded above the leather sofa, completing the set-up with a note of visual restraint. The arrangement recalls the intimacy of a Japanese listening bar – compact, intentional and designed for immersion rather than spectacle.
