https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/277499/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Adele Brunner Adele Brunner Would you trust your husband to fully renovate your home, without any design input from you? Rachel Tong did. She did not even visit the flat, which took 10 months to redo, until a few days before completion. Fortunately for her, designer Nicole Cromwell of Nicole Cromwell Interior Design was a major factor in the concept, guaranteeing that the 1,000 sq ft (93 square metre) flat, with an equally large private terrace, would be a stylish affair. Tong and her husband Paul had lived in their... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/homes/article/3370821/hong-kong-flat-reimagined-open-layout-and-natural-light-couple-and-their-two-dogs https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/homes/article/3370821/hong-kong-flat-reimagined-open-layout-and-natural-light-couple-and-their-two-dogs Wed, 14 Oct 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner It is almost impossible not to remark on the view from Rebecca Chan’s one-bedroom, one-study, two-bathroom flat in Hong Kong’s Mid-Levels. Directly opposite the entrance to her 1,300 sq ft (120 square metre) home are French doors that lead onto a balcony and frame a lush vista of what feels like at least 50 shades of green. Architect Liz Lau Win-wa was so captivated by the nature on Chan’s doorstep that she used it as the starting point for the design concept after being commissioned to revamp... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/article/3369403/hong-kong-flat-gets-stylish-scandinavian-inspired-makeover-and-sewing-room https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/article/3369403/hong-kong-flat-gets-stylish-scandinavian-inspired-makeover-and-sewing-room Fri, 02 Oct 2026 04:45:05 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner Just when they thought life could not possibly become more chaotic – full-time jobs in finance, the whirlwind of a toddler and the imminent arrival of a second child – William Li and Sara Browne decided to add one more variable to the equation: buying a 1,500 sq ft (139 square metre) flat in Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Wanting to craft a permanent home for their growing family, they were drawn to the property’s generous bones, its coveted location and its proximity to Li’s mother. On paper, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/homes/article/3367553/hong-kong-home-was-designed-be-family-friendly-without-feeling-immaculate https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/homes/article/3367553/hong-kong-home-was-designed-be-family-friendly-without-feeling-immaculate Thu, 17 Sep 2026 04:45:05 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner What do you do when your feng shui master declares that your front door sits in the wrong place – but moving it is impossible because of strict building rules? Such was the dilemma facing Suki Tai, the young director of her family’s textile business. Her new 1,400 sq ft (130 square metre) flat in Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, was her first solo home, and when she bought it she had not anticipated that good fortune would hinge on a door. For help, she turned to her friend, interior designer Quinn Wong of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/homes/article/3365974/feng-shui-and-art-guide-1400-sq-ft-hong-kong-apartments-redesign https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/homes/article/3365974/feng-shui-and-art-guide-1400-sq-ft-hong-kong-apartments-redesign Thu, 03 Sep 2026 04:45:06 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner When Laura and Richard Choi arrived at their new 1,615 sq ft (150 square metre) duplex in Repulse Bay, they had little more than four suitcases of possessions – a reality of lives spent criss-crossing the globe on business. They had never felt particularly anchored to any of their previous flats, but this time they wanted Hong Kong to be home rather than just a base. Enter their long-time friends Radovan Macak and Him Liu, co-founders of Prague Design Hub (PRAGDH), which has studios in Hong Kong... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/homes/article/3364308/making-1615-sq-ft-hong-kong-rental-beautiful-home-reversible-design https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/homes/article/3364308/making-1615-sq-ft-hong-kong-rental-beautiful-home-reversible-design Wed, 19 Aug 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner French artist Elsa Jeandedieu has never been afraid of change. Having moved nearly a dozen times in the past 17 years, she has now spent three years in her current Mid-Levels apartment – a 1,266 sq ft, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home she shares with her husband, Joseph, and their son, Noam, now four. The combination of a great location, light and the character of this particular block and its other residents has persuaded her to stay put – at least for now. “My son used to be in the main... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3347246/elsa-jeandedieus-hong-kong-home-canvas-constant-flux https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3347246/elsa-jeandedieus-hong-kong-home-canvas-constant-flux Tue, 24 Mar 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner Some spaces, like people, are simply waiting for their second act. For a rundown unit in Tsim Sha Tsui, this meant a total transformation into a modern pied à terre. Frank Chan first lived in the 500 sq ft space as a boy soon after it was built in 1959. Although the property remained in his family, he had long since moved out, creating a life in Canada with his wife, Mary (who is also from Hong Kong). When the couple, now retired, decided to spend more time in the SAR with friends and family,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3342675/origami-apartment-how-washi-paper-and-precision-design-reshaped-tsim-sha-tsui-flat https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3342675/origami-apartment-how-washi-paper-and-precision-design-reshaped-tsim-sha-tsui-flat Thu, 19 Feb 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner On a defunct 1960s cargo pier in the Zhoushan archipelago, Zhejiang province, the temporary Seaside Pavilion, built in 2024, stands with a deceptive grace that belies the extreme logistical coordination required to place it there. Prefabricated parts had to be transported to the remote Chaishan island via a multi-stage journey of cargo ships, small trailers and often sheer human effort. The construction team was also frequently forced to perch on surrounding rocks and work with basic handheld... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3336425/can-architecture-be-fleeting-check-out-these-transient-structures-and-see https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3336425/can-architecture-be-fleeting-check-out-these-transient-structures-and-see Fri, 19 Dec 2025 07:15:11 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner Some people discover their dream home by chance. For Jeff Chan and Liz Leung, it took two patient years. Living in a rented flat in Jardine’s Lookout, they were determined to stay in the neighbourhood and had even pinpointed the building they longed to call home. Yet, week after week of scouring estate agency windows yielded nothing, and they nearly gave up hope. At the end of last year, however, their persistence paid off: a 1,200 sq ft apartment in their coveted block came onto the market. “We... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3333073/inside-hong-kong-flat-where-everything-carefully-curated-even-cat https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3333073/inside-hong-kong-flat-where-everything-carefully-curated-even-cat Mon, 24 Nov 2025 02:00:12 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner Few spaces are as captivating as those belonging to passionate collectors, where every piece tells a story. Yet what happens if you enjoy collecting but aren’t sure how best to display your treasures? Enter Quinn Wong of Studio Quinn, a designer with a passion for objects and how things fit together. She was enlisted by young couple Matt and Jess Chung to renovate their four-storey, 2,600 sq ft home in Chung Hom Kok, and help them place their collections of contemporary art, vintage furniture... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3330424/how-hong-kong-family-home-became-art-laden-haven https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3330424/how-hong-kong-family-home-became-art-laden-haven Tue, 28 Oct 2025 07:15:08 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner Frenchman Vincent Sahuc is living proof that one can never say never. Having renovated a ground-floor flat on Lamma Island in 2018, he swore he wouldn’t go through the process again. And yet … fast forward to today and he’s just completed the refurbishment of another 700 sq ft flat in a village house on Lamma, complete with a similarly sized rooftop. Dubbed “The Lookout” by Sahuc and his partner, Jerome Sozzi, an arts logistics professional, also from France, the 1980s-built apartment had never... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3329760/how-le-corbusier-and-french-bubble-houses-inspired-lamma-island-renovation https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3329760/how-le-corbusier-and-french-bubble-houses-inspired-lamma-island-renovation Tue, 21 Oct 2025 08:00:09 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner It is never too late for reinvention – even when you’re more than a century old. Last year, the Kam Pek Community Centre, a 1920s building on Macau’s historic Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, aka San Ma Lo, shed its outdated skin for a sleek, new identity. Reborn as Kam Pek Market, the 23,142 sq ft, three-storey protected building officially opened at the end of December as a stylish food hall, with phase two, the third floor, due to be completed by the end of the year as an events venue. Guiding the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3327768/1920s-macau-community-centre-gets-contemporary-makeover-kam-pek-market https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3327768/1920s-macau-community-centre-gets-contemporary-makeover-kam-pek-market Sun, 05 Oct 2025 06:15:07 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner In 2022, when Kenzo and Lynn Ng met woodworker Filip Winiewicz and asked him to make “everything” for their new 2,100 sq ft, two-storey home, they weren’t joking. The facade and basic shell of the three-bedroom house in the northern New Territories had been finished when a developer sold it to them but still to come were most of the interior details. Together with Winiewicz, of Hardwood HK, the Ngs stepped in and altered the trajectory of the home’s design, departing from the developer’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3314700/how-handcrafted-wood-creates-rustic-vibes-hong-kong-home https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3314700/how-handcrafted-wood-creates-rustic-vibes-hong-kong-home Tue, 17 Jun 2025 10:15:07 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner While 1980s interior trends are having a moment in fashionable circles, the original design of Scott Austin and Craig Stevenson’s Happy Valley home wasn’t the sort of retro you’d want to revive. Instead, the 581 sq ft space that hadn’t been updated for more than 30 years, with its two-toned bathroom, myriad grilled partition windows and three tiny bedrooms, was gutted, paving the way for a complete transformation. “We’ve renovated apartments in the past and are good at looking beyond the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3306093/how-hong-kong-flat-got-large-new-lease-life https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3306093/how-hong-kong-flat-got-large-new-lease-life Tue, 15 Apr 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner Although designer Ella Bridgland conceives beautiful interiors for a living, she confesses that she and her husband, Damian Chandler, an arts and culture consultant, never consciously designed their 1,200 sq ft apartment. Instead, she says, their home, which they share with their four-year-old son, five-month-old daughter and cat, has evolved organically over the past five years, and is as much an expression of themselves as it is a testament to their love of art and design. The British couple’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3303730/how-art-heart-soon-be-demolished-hong-kong-home https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3303730/how-art-heart-soon-be-demolished-hong-kong-home Wed, 26 Mar 2025 08:00:08 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner If you think it’s impossible to give rental apartments a personality, step inside Cinda McClelland Reynolds’ 2,345 sq ft apartment in Mid-Levels. The colour-drenched living and dining area is a masterclass in the transformative power of interior design, with rich golden-yellow walls radiating sunshine on even the cloudiest day. “The apartment was a white box when I moved in but I am a maximalist and prefer to have colour where I can,” says McClelland Reynolds, an American expatriate who moved... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3302787/how-give-bland-rental-flat-personality-drench-it-bold-hues https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3302787/how-give-bland-rental-flat-personality-drench-it-bold-hues Tue, 18 Mar 2025 06:00:14 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner Interior trends, like clothing fashions, come and go, but when Hong Kong couple Paul Siu and Coria Mok hit upon modern-rustic style for their new 2,110 sq ft apartment in Braemar Hill in 2023, little did they know they were ahead of a major curve for 2025. According to home design predictions from social platform Houzz and Elle Decor magazine, this year will spell the demise of sharp angles and stark minimalism and see the rise of custom-made furniture, curved elements and earthy neutrals such... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3297163/modern-rustic-hong-kong-home-was-ahead-2025-design-trend-curve https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3297163/modern-rustic-hong-kong-home-was-ahead-2025-design-trend-curve Mon, 03 Feb 2025 10:15:12 +0000 It’s not always easy changing the interior of a long-standing family home. Sisters Charlene and Sophie Marrié, who jointly own and run a landscape design business in Hong Kong, describe how their mother would frequently try to restyle their 3,230 sq ft Discovery Bay duplex while their father couldn’t understand why perfectly good pieces ever needed to be swapped out. Meeting French interior designer Iman El Zeky, who runs the eponymous Iman El Zeky Studio in Hong Kong and Paris, gave them all... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3290155/do-long-standing-family-homes-really-need-periodic-makeovers-two-sisters-find-out https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3290155/do-long-standing-family-homes-really-need-periodic-makeovers-two-sisters-find-out Tue, 10 Dec 2024 10:15:11 +0000 Landlords who have bought to let tend not to expend huge amounts of time, effort or money on renovating their properties. However, interior designer Debi Yeung-Salansy’s client, who had invested in a village house on Lamma Island, commissioned her to come up with a hotel-standard concept for the 2,100 sq ft property, complete with interior furnishings, fittings, and even plants. The house is divided into three flats – one per storey – and although they share the same design DNA, the 700 sq ft,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3288529/makeover-village-house-hong-kongs-idyllic-lamma-island https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3288529/makeover-village-house-hong-kongs-idyllic-lamma-island Thu, 28 Nov 2024 10:15:10 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner Lucas Sam Si-long hasn’t always been a coffee drinker – let alone an aficionado. Involved in sponsorship sales and marketing for Spanish football club FC Barcelona, he took a serendipitous turn, career-wise, on a visit to Milan, Italy, where an encounter with Antonio Biscotti, founder of the Torrefazione Il Griso brand, caused an idea to brew. “I fell in love with authentic Milanese coffee and the city’s coffee culture, and was inspired to bring the concept to Hong Kong,” says Sam. “However, I... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3286239/hong-kong-coffee-shop-evokes-retro-milanese-bar https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3286239/hong-kong-coffee-shop-evokes-retro-milanese-bar Tue, 12 Nov 2024 10:23:35 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner When the school run starts at 5.30am every weekday, eventually something has to give. For Marc and Vanessa Wang, making the morning routine more palatable meant relocating their family from a spacious beachside duplex in Discovery Bay to a 1,340 sq ft apartment in Pok Fu Lam. “We loved living in Discovery Bay but the early commute was exhausting,” says Marc Wang. “We decided to buy somewhere closer to my children’s school [the Wangs have a son, 10, and a daughter, eight] to give ourselves a more... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3283864/what-happened-young-familys-home-after-innovative-designer-got-free-reign https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/design-interiors/article/3283864/what-happened-young-familys-home-after-innovative-designer-got-free-reign Fri, 25 Oct 2024 08:54:52 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner Straight lines and right angles dominate in most homes so when designers Christina Standaloft and Jay Jordan, founders of design studio Craft of Both, presented their curvilinear concept to their clients Mayra and Praf Ellis, they expected a degree of resistance. “The design concept represented a departure from the original apartment’s angular lines and the creation of a more sensory experience through softly curving walls and rounded furniture and motifs,” says Jordan, who, along with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3279241/how-huge-hong-kong-flat-received-fully-rounded-revamp-curved-walls-arched-furniture-and-wavy-columns https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3279241/how-huge-hong-kong-flat-received-fully-rounded-revamp-curved-walls-arched-furniture-and-wavy-columns Sun, 22 Sep 2024 04:45:08 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner In a world where the pace of urban life can be overwhelming, the need for sanctuary can become increasingly important. For one couple, the desire to lead a more mindful, contemplative lifestyle took on a tangible form – the purchase of a village house on Lamma Island with impressive ocean and mountain views. The original property was dark and uninhabitable, with no air conditioning, an odd layout and an electrical supply stuck in the 1990s, without sufficient power to run multiple appliances and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3276518/how-atelier-shan-transformed-gloomy-hong-kong-village-house-chic-minimalist-home https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3276518/how-atelier-shan-transformed-gloomy-hong-kong-village-house-chic-minimalist-home Sun, 01 Sep 2024 00:15:10 +0000 Adele Brunner Adele Brunner Hugo Busbridge and Michelle Ng’s 1,100 sq ft Clear Water Bay apartment stands as a testament to extremely well-planned design and intentional living. The British couple, who have lived in Hong Kong for 11 and 14 years, respectively, had been renting in the area for several years and loved its peace and quiet, so when the chance came to put down more permanent roots, they went all out to create a streamlined family-oriented home. Designer Emma Maclean, of Emma Maclean & Co, and her associate... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3273849/how-interior-designer-emma-maclean-revived-hong-kong-home-clever-english-inspired-modernism https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3273849/how-interior-designer-emma-maclean-revived-hong-kong-home-clever-english-inspired-modernism Sun, 11 Aug 2024 02:45:09 +0000 An elegant, if somewhat strange-looking piece of wood lies on a windowsill in interior architect Sean Dix’s 4,000 sq ft space in Wong Chuk Hang. A blade from a vintage ceiling fan? Guess again. It is in fact a leg splint, designed by Charles and Ray Eames for wounded sailors in World War II and made from what was back then experimental moulded plywood. It also characterises the style of Dix’s Southside unit – quirky, unexpectedly beautiful and filled with curios that have fascinating... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3272438/vintage-finds-blend-industrial-chic-interior-architects-hong-kong-home https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3272438/vintage-finds-blend-industrial-chic-interior-architects-hong-kong-home Tue, 30 Jul 2024 06:31:09 +0000 It was a leap of faith for Bianca and Jonathan Williams to make the move from a convenient flat on Hong Kong Island to a village in the hills above Sai Kung in the New Territories. But once there, the couple and their dog became hooked on the relaxed pace of life and a living space almost four times what they had been used to – so much so that when the opportunity arose in 2022 to buy the 2,250 sq ft (210 square metre) house they had been renting for a couple of years, they jumped at it. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3264803/spa-bathroom-gym-room-rooftop-oasis-outdated-hong-kong-village-house-has-major-overhaul https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3264803/spa-bathroom-gym-room-rooftop-oasis-outdated-hong-kong-village-house-has-major-overhaul Sun, 02 Jun 2024 03:15:17 +0000 A property featuring peeling plaster, floor-to-ceiling mould and an interior devoid of character would deter most potential buyers. Add to this a comparatively remote, rural location on Lantau Island and any long-term urban dweller might break out in hives. Yet when DanNi Zhao and Frédéric Rolli, former residents of upscale Mid-Levels on Hong Kong Island, discovered the abandoned 700 sq ft (65 square metre) flat, with a rooftop of the same size, in a village house in Mui Wo, they saw treasure... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3262853/traditional-chinese-design-turns-abandoned-rural-hong-kong-apartment-quirky-home-full-character https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3262853/traditional-chinese-design-turns-abandoned-rural-hong-kong-apartment-quirky-home-full-character Sat, 18 May 2024 05:15:12 +0000 Having weathered several tough years, Hong Kong bars and restaurants are trying hard to bounce back. Drinking establishments in particular are keen to raise the bar from a design perspective to entice customers through their doors. While a fancy interior will eventually mean little if the drinks are not up to scratch, Tiana Ludhani, co-founder of hospitality group Singular Concepts, believes that bar-goers today are after immersive experiences in wallet-friendly venues that embody a sense of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3260269/art-deco-vibes-dystopian-film-set-jazz-theme-3-bars-hong-kong-offer-more-just-drink https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3260269/art-deco-vibes-dystopian-film-set-jazz-theme-3-bars-hong-kong-offer-more-just-drink Thu, 25 Apr 2024 23:15:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s split personality – so urban and yet so close to nature – is one of the things that make the city special. These contrasts, and the balance between them, inspired the design concept for British designer Ella Bridgland’s latest project: transforming a 1,100 sq ft apartment in Mid-Levels from outdated to outstanding. Her client, a young professional, wanted a tranquil home environment to offset his busy lifestyle and a welcoming space for entertaining friends. Although the property had... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3257978/chic-urban-pad-thats-also-comforting-and-inviting-its-mix-textures-invoking-nature-hong-kong-high https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3257978/chic-urban-pad-thats-also-comforting-and-inviting-its-mix-textures-invoking-nature-hong-kong-high Sat, 06 Apr 2024 03:15:13 +0000 Having a home on a high floor with a harbour view is the holy grail for many a Hongkonger but architectural designer Gary Chang Chee-keung, founder of EDGE Design Institute, believes you should never underestimate the charm of a mountain view. When asked to redesign a 1,800 sq ft (167 square metre) flat on a low floor in a complex in Jardine’s Lookout in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island, he took the intense vegetation, which the property overlooks, as the central theme for his design. “I’m not... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3251563/empty-nesters-home-renovation-art-deco-touches-exploits-tree-setting-create-restful-interior-natural https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3251563/empty-nesters-home-renovation-art-deco-touches-exploits-tree-setting-create-restful-interior-natural Mon, 12 Feb 2024 05:15:11 +0000 Great things often stem from simple beginnings. American interior designer Jocelyn Liipfert Lam, of LIIPSTIIK, adopted a line as the driving force behind the design concept for her most recent project, a 2,100 sq ft (195 square metre) village house in Shui Hau, on South Lantau in Hong Kong. While spending time getting to know her clients and discovering the type of interior they envisaged for their home, she was struck by one of their art pieces – a single-line drawing by Aung Myint, the father... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3249579/hong-kong-village-house-given-balinese-vibe-japanese-wabi-sabi-touches-and-scandinavian-style https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3249579/hong-kong-village-house-given-balinese-vibe-japanese-wabi-sabi-touches-and-scandinavian-style Sun, 28 Jan 2024 03:15:08 +0000 The renovation of Chris Yim’s two-bedroom Mid-Levels flat, on Hong Kong Island, was a bit of a chain reaction. One idea led to another and what started out as a fairly restricted brief for interior designer Amy Butler, of House of Butler, eventually snowballed into a full-blown makeover – and a wonderful friendship. After Yim’s tenants vacated the 760 sq ft (71 square metre) flat, he decided to move back and enjoy a quieter side to Hong Kong than his then location in Central district. He felt... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3247226/white-white-minimalist-hong-kong-home-dream-living-space-two-bedroom-flat-both-designer-worthy-and https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3247226/white-white-minimalist-hong-kong-home-dream-living-space-two-bedroom-flat-both-designer-worthy-and Sat, 06 Jan 2024 03:15:10 +0000 You might assume it would be easy for an architect to design his own home, but the way Georges Hung Huai-che describes it, he had so many ideas it was hard to settle on a final concept. He and his wife, Page Richards, an academic and artist, even lived in the 500 sq ft (46 square metre) apartment in Discovery Bay on Lantau Island for three months before renovating so they could play around with various schemes and work out what to prioritise. “By living here first, we were able to see how we... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3244061/he-made-minimalist-airy-hong-kong-home-tells-story-architect-wanted-authentic-timeless-design-and https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3244061/he-made-minimalist-airy-hong-kong-home-tells-story-architect-wanted-authentic-timeless-design-and Fri, 08 Dec 2023 04:45:11 +0000 The saying about good things coming to those who wait could have been coined with Cindy and David Lee in mind. In 2003, after trying without success to buy a flat in a Mid-Levels development they particularly liked, the Hong Kong couple (who have two sons, aged 11 and 14), decided to keep renting until something comparable came up. Fast forward almost two decades and the Lees, who still had not stepped onto the housing ladder, heard that a 2,600 sq ft (240 square metre) unit in that same complex... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3235397/mid-century-modern-meets-retro-style-hong-kong-home-marries-masculine-minimalism-colourful https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3235397/mid-century-modern-meets-retro-style-hong-kong-home-marries-masculine-minimalism-colourful Fri, 22 Sep 2023 04:45:13 +0000 When the two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment directly above her own identical flat came on the market, Joanna Lau felt it was too good an opportunity to ignore. She, her husband, Christopher, and two daughters (aged 12 and 14) had been looking for a larger property but nothing matched the stunning Repulse Bay location they had called home for several years. “We like the unit mainly because it is so close to the coastline and we are privileged to have direct, private access to a small beach. “It... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3233584/hong-kong-beachfront-apartment-adds-second-floor-duplex-thats-all-about-sea-view-minimal-decor-and https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3233584/hong-kong-beachfront-apartment-adds-second-floor-duplex-thats-all-about-sea-view-minimal-decor-and Thu, 07 Sep 2023 04:45:09 +0000 Wilson Fung has a knack for spotting the potential in rundown properties and transforming them into spectacular homes. He has renovated multiple apartments and houses for himself and his friends – several of which have graced the pages of Post Magazine – but what began as a hobby has recently become a new career direction for the retired strategic planner. He is now a contract design consultant for Leadfaith Design Engineering, the contracting company he initially employed to execute his ideas... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3226712/bali-his-mind-luxury-villa-garden-and-pool-soft-mood-lighting-and-man-cave-hong-kongs-new https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3226712/bali-his-mind-luxury-villa-garden-and-pool-soft-mood-lighting-and-man-cave-hong-kongs-new Thu, 06 Jul 2023 04:53:09 +0000 After Ralph Southampton was released from a three-week stint in a quarantine hotel in Sai Ying Pun in 2021, he stayed in the old Hong Kong Island neighbourhood for his first meal of freedom. Despite having lived in Hong Kong for 21 years, he was not familiar with the area, but a brief wander around was enough to motivate him to return for a second visit. A 1960s corner building, a fast-disappearing example of Hong Kong vernacular architecture, piqued his interest, so when he spotted an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3224958/stylish-studio-apartment-mid-century-modern-and-colonial-touches-tiffany-blue-kitchen-and-jewel-box https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3224958/stylish-studio-apartment-mid-century-modern-and-colonial-touches-tiffany-blue-kitchen-and-jewel-box Thu, 22 Jun 2023 04:45:09 +0000 If the thought of sharing a home with your parents, brother, spouse and adult son brings you out in a rash, talk to Elaine Choi, who has enjoyed multi-generational living for years. With the help of interior designer Clifton Leung, of Clifton Leung Design Workshop, she even managed to navigate the often choppy waters of a full-home renovation, ticking everyone’s boxes in the process. “We had been living in two adjoining apartments here in Pak Shek Kok [in Tai Po, in the New Territories] for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3221675/how-3-hong-kong-apartments-2-levels-became-1-8-bedrooms-and-over-5000-sq-ft-space-provide-plenty https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3221675/how-3-hong-kong-apartments-2-levels-became-1-8-bedrooms-and-over-5000-sq-ft-space-provide-plenty Thu, 25 May 2023 03:25:09 +0000 There’s no denying the benefits of fresh air, but overexposure to Hong Kong’s subtropical climate isn’t always the best option for a home. Because the previous occupants of this 1,700 sq ft (158 square metre) Pok Fu Lam flat had kept their windows open almost constantly for 30 years, humidity had damaged the walls, cracked the ceilings, and given mould and mildew free rein to grow. “The flat was in a dilapidated state,” says Bruce Harwood, British architect, interior designer and founder of BHI... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3220026/family-took-leap-faith-dilapidated-hong-kong-home-now-its-minimal-aesthetic-good-lighting-and-rich https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3220026/family-took-leap-faith-dilapidated-hong-kong-home-now-its-minimal-aesthetic-good-lighting-and-rich Wed, 10 May 2023 23:15:10 +0000 When James and Olivia Liang first viewed what would become their 1,400 sq ft (130 square metre) flat in Tin Hau on Hong Kong Island, it was a mess. Not only was their future home more than 50 years old, it had multiple architectural problems, such as awkward structural beams and columns as well as leaking windows. But the Liangs so loved the views and location of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom property that they managed to look beyond its faults and felt that, with professional help, it could... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3217572/mid-century-modern-vibes-fill-renovated-hong-kong-home-bought-mess-studio-charge-fixing-it-called-it https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3217572/mid-century-modern-vibes-fill-renovated-hong-kong-home-bought-mess-studio-charge-fixing-it-called-it Thu, 20 Apr 2023 04:45:14 +0000 Hong Kong-born Chi Wing Lo is indubitably a design superpower. But when the owners of the Regent Hong Kong came calling about renovating the Tsim Sha Tsui hotel – rebranded the InterContinental in 1980 – he was shocked to be asked, he says. “My initial meeting with [hotel owners] the Gaw family in August 2019 went a bit like this. Client: ‘Have you ever designed a hotel before?’ Me: ‘Never,’” recalls Lo, whose humorous self-deprecation and infectious giggle are instant icebreakers. “I recognised... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3214277/ocean-liner-hitting-iceberg-architect-regent-hong-kong-hotel-renovation-having-go-back-drawing-board https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3214277/ocean-liner-hitting-iceberg-architect-regent-hong-kong-hotel-renovation-having-go-back-drawing-board Wed, 22 Mar 2023 23:15:15 +0000 When Australian James Reynolds mentioned to his friend Eugene Wong in November 2021 that he wanted a pandemic project, the timing was almost too good to be true. Wong’s flat was in dire need of a makeover and he proposed that Reynolds help him with the design concept and execution. Reynolds, who works for a global retail brand, had done up several properties in the past and interiors are his passion. Located in a 1960s Mid-Levels building on Hong Kong Island and nestled between two residential... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3212780/modern-meets-minimalist-japanese-inspired-makeover-hong-kong-home-swaps-bedrooms-office-media-room https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3212780/modern-meets-minimalist-japanese-inspired-makeover-hong-kong-home-swaps-bedrooms-office-media-room Thu, 09 Mar 2023 04:45:10 +0000 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... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3208944/art-deco-meets-contemporary-design-hong-kong-home-marries-roaring-twenties-style-21st-century https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3208944/art-deco-meets-contemporary-design-hong-kong-home-marries-roaring-twenties-style-21st-century Fri, 03 Feb 2023 04:45:09 +0000 Many Hongkongers feel they can never have too much home storage. Not Kenneth Yuen and Sabrina Jensen, who were happy to reduce cupboard space in their new flat after buying an apartment smaller than the one they had been renting. A larger living area was the reward. “We didn’t really have to downsize as we seem to have fewer things compared to other people,” says Jensen, who works in the beauty industry. “We also don’t like clutter.” The couple had been living in Wan Chai and loved the location... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3207928/we-wanted-lighter-more-airy-place-micro-apartment-hong-kong-remodelled-maximise-space-and-let-more https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3207928/we-wanted-lighter-more-airy-place-micro-apartment-hong-kong-remodelled-maximise-space-and-let-more Wed, 25 Jan 2023 04:50:08 +0000 Scottish-born inventor Alexander Graham Bell once said that preparation is the key to success, and business owner Theodore Lam and his wife, Amy, would agree. Aided by award-winning interior designer Wesley Liu Yik-kuen, they took a year to plan the design concept for their Happy Valley flat and another year to implement it, eventually moving into their new home about a year ago. The Hong Kong couple bought the 1,500 sq ft (139 square metre) apartment with an existing tenancy and reclaimed it... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3202329/everything-its-place-form-follows-function-elegant-curves-and-made-measure-storage-hong-kong https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3202329/everything-its-place-form-follows-function-elegant-curves-and-made-measure-storage-hong-kong Wed, 07 Dec 2022 05:15:09 +0000 American-born Jennifer Margolin had just completed the finishing touches on her apartment in Old Peak Road, Hong Kong, when she was notified that complex-wide renovations were imminent. Although she and her family initially thought they could stick it out, constant jackhammering for months on end eventually defeated them and Margolin, her husband, Andrew (a financial services executive), and their now 14-year-old daughter, Madison, decided their only option was to move. The silver lining to this... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3201493/running-farfetch-homeware-her-goal-her-familys-hong-kong-apartment-showcase-her-eclectic-tastes https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3201493/running-farfetch-homeware-her-goal-her-familys-hong-kong-apartment-showcase-her-eclectic-tastes Wed, 30 Nov 2022 04:45:08 +0000 When award-winning architect and artist William Lim set up his multidisciplinary studio CL3 in 1992, he says he positioned the firm as “being good at doing East meets West – combining Eastern aesthetics with Western comfort”. Fast-forward three decades and Asian design has become an established style in its own right – which is what Lim’s new book, East Meets East: Contemporary Asian Design, sets out to highlight. “I am Asian and most of our clients and users are from Asia. We design in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3195788/asian-design-celebrated-hong-kong-architects-vivid-new-book https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3195788/asian-design-celebrated-hong-kong-architects-vivid-new-book Thu, 13 Oct 2022 23:15:09 +0000 A contemporary European vibe tinged with luxurious elements of Hong Kong style might sound somewhat incongruous, but business owner Cheung Lok-lam would beg to differ. This is what he had in mind when he collaborated with design studio LAUD on his 900 square foot (84 square metre) penthouse in Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, and a little bit of magic happened. “You can imagine this place in Italy or France because of the special textural paint treatment on the walls and the use of rattan, whereas the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3194854/east-meets-west-luxury-hong-kong-homes https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3194854/east-meets-west-luxury-hong-kong-homes Wed, 05 Oct 2022 04:45:11 +0000 Moving home is considered one of the most stressful things in life, but not if you’re Aviva Duncan. The interior designer almost relishes the prospect of packing up and starting again in a new space, and recently moved home from Mid-Levels in the northern part of Hong Kong Island to a 2,000 sq ft (186 square metre) flat in Stanley on the island’s south side for a lifestyle change. “I have moved a fair amount, so I have it down to a fine art,” says Australian-born Duncan, who has lived in Hong... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3185100/eclectic-art-upcycled-furniture-hong-kong https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3185100/eclectic-art-upcycled-furniture-hong-kong Wed, 13 Jul 2022 04:45:21 +0000 Many small businesses have floundered amid the coronavirus pandemic, so it’s uplifting to learn that some are not just surviving but expanding. Step forward fragrance product factory and creative lab BeCandle, set up by product designer Xavier Tsang in 2012. Tsang and his team produce small-batch artisan candles, the scents for many of which have been developed by fragrance houses in Singapore and Switzerland. The company recently moved the customer-focused aspects of its business – its retail... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3179233/bruce-lees-be-water-inspired-name-candle-brand-hong-kong https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3179233/bruce-lees-be-water-inspired-name-candle-brand-hong-kong Mon, 30 May 2022 04:45:23 +0000