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Sep 01, 2023

Contemporary, timeless but also cosy: Hong Kong home of 30 years was ‘hard to leave’

Three decades is a long time to live in, and love, a home. So, even though their four-bedroom flat in Tai Tam, on the south side of Hong Kong Island, was no longer quite fit for purpose, the Leung

Three decades is a long time to live in, and love, a home.

So, even though their four-bedroom flat in Tai Tam, on the south side of Hong Kong Island, was no longer quite fit for purpose, the Leung family could not bear to leave. Designer Jessica Lee Yi-chi was enlisted to perform a rescue mission.

“We moved in in 1991, when our son was five and our daughter was one year old,” Ching, a housewife, says of the 1,700 sq ft (158 square metre) flat, which was new at the time.

Many times since their children graduated, the couple “seriously considered” moving.

“However, despite having viewed many potential properties, some indeed quite promising, there was always something that made it hard for us to leave,” says Chi, a retired accounting professional.

“After calling it home for so many years, we have really grown to appreciate the environment in this part of Hong Kong Island, especially with the views of Tai Tam Bay right outside our windows.”

Lee, design principal at JLA, had her work cut out. The original kitchen was literally falling apart. Despite its size, the flat felt dark, but because of the constraints of structural walls, there was little scope to change the internal layout.

The clients’ wish list was for a contemporary, timeless but also cosy aesthetic, with long-lasting and easy-to-maintain finishes that were also low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

They wanted smart-home functionality, and to make the bedroom arrangements more accommodating for their now adult daughter, who recently moved back from the United States.

The plan was to strip out the interior, replacing the dark, high-gloss flooring with light-coloured contemporary oak, and introduce subtle wallpapers for texture, but stick to a palette of green and blue to reflect the colours of nature outside.

The issue of brightening the interior would be resolved by a layered lighting scheme enhanced by mirrors.

Before, the door from the lift lobby opened directly into the dining room. To create a semblance of an entrance foyer, Lee designed a translucent partition made of fluted glass in a brushed, champagne bronze frame.

She also sourced a “just right” console, with green-hued wallpaper behind it, and a round mirror reflecting the sea view it faces.

Captivating 180-degree views of Tai Tam Bay to the Stanley Peninsula extend across the L-shaped living/dining room.

Previously, the living room seating was positioned to face this vista. But when the owners wanted to switch things around to suit their empty-nest lifestyle, their perfect view was diminished. Lee saved the day with a clever solution (see Tried + tested below).

The kitchen, literally propped up with a temporary wooden frame, was long but narrow, the only natural light coming from a solitary window at the end of its odd boomerang shape.

To brighten the space, Lee replaced the old timber swing door with a fluted-glass slider; fitted pale-toned cabinetry; and as part of the lighting scheme, added LED strips below the overheads and along the kick plate.

“Introducing the [double-door] fridge also helps,” Lee says. “Even though it’s black, its mirror finish captures and reflects light and views from the window.”

The fourth bedroom, which was always used as a television snug, was one place where an internal wall could be removed. Lee took advantage of that by replacing it with a sliding fluted-glass screen, and refitting the interior as a study-cum-social space for their adult daughter, whose bedroom is opposite.

“When their daughter is at home, the owners wanted her to feel she could work or have friends over with a degree of privacy,” Lee explains.

All the bedrooms and the two bathrooms were gutted and remodelled, a small section of the parents’ en suite being carved out to create a cupboard to house bulky objects.

Italian designer brands make up much of the furniture because, Lee says, the owners appreciate European craftsmanship. And as Chi wanted, a Lutron RA2 Select smart-home system allows him to control the blinds, lighting and air conditioning when away from home, via a mobile app.

The Leungs credit Lee with making their home feel more spacious and airy “in a way we didn’t think was possible”.

The renovation was completed in October 2022, and the owners are particularly delighted with the extra space provided for their daughter, and the way the bespoke mirrors bring in the scenery to the rearranged living room.

“Lee’s design has captured everything we’d envisioned,” says Ching. “She even seamlessly incorporated what we love about our neighbourhood. We could not be happier living in this lovely home.”

Filtering sunlight from the sea-facing side of the living room are Pirouette automated window shadings by Hunter Douglas Window Fashions Gallery (87 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, tel: 2527 4321, controlled by remote and mobile app. Zodiac Lighting (zodiaclighting.com) supplied the Lutron RA2 Select smart home system.

The Royal sofa was bought from Ditre Italia Hong Kong (ditreitalia.com); the two Maxalto arm chairs from colourliving (colourliving.com) and the Porada console table from ITAL Design (porada.it).

The coffee table made from a curved piece of glass, kept because it is timeless and classic, was bought by the owners in 1998.

Jessica Lee, design principal JLA, (jessicalee.com.hk) designed the television cabinet and feature wall in light oak veneer and the mirrors flanking it. Both were installed by her contractor Hang Wai Decoration Co. (tel: 9490 5544).

The speakers on either side of the television wall are Bang & Olufsen (bang-olufsen.com). Schotten & Hansen oak timber flooring was supplied by Holz Selection & (holzselections.com).

With only one window at the far end, the boomerang-shaped kitchen is brightened with pale green cabinetry with white quartz benchtops made by Patata Kitchen (patata.com.hk).

The fluted-glass sliding door was designed by JLA and made by the contractor. Big format stone-look ceramic tiles by ABK Italy were sourced from MOXA Design Arts (moxa.com.hk).

The mirror-finish black Hitachi fridge, bought from Broadway (broadwaylifestyle.com), further reflects the light from the far window.

The twin gas and induction hobs are by Miele (miele.hk); the sinks by Franke (franke.com) and the tapware by Grohe (grohe.hk).

Jessica Lee Yi-chi, design principal at JLA (jessicalee.com.hk), turned a bare entryway into a stylish entrance with a Porada marble-topped hall table from ITAL Designs (Champion Court, 67 Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley, tel: 2892 1339) and a B&B Italia mirror from colourliving (colourliving.com).

Behind them, the Lichen textured wallpaper, from Casamance’s Argile collection, came from Wallpaper Plus (wallpaperplus.com.hk).

The Maxalto stool and the glass-topped Allure O’ dining table by B&B Italia were also bought from colourliving. The leather dining chairs were from Poliform Hong Kong (poliformhk.com). The chandelier, Heracleum III Linear in light copper, came from Moooi (moooi.com).

The bed, featuring a headboard and base upholstered in synthetic leather, with lift-up hydraulic access to under-bed storage, was designed by Lee and manufactured by Today Furnishing.

The walls are papered with Casamance’s Goa series wallpaper from Wallpaper Plus. The bench at the foot of the bed is a vintage leather piece bought by the clients in the 1990s.

In the left-hand corner, the Swoon ottoman in olive green suede leather by Fredericia came from Manks (manks.com). The Delta ceiling lights came from Zodiac Lighting.

To integrate the adult daughter’s work-cum-social space with her bedroom opposite, a former wall was replaced with a sliding, fluted-glass screen designed by Lee and made and installed by the contractor.

The Royal Soft Sofa and the round coffee table with leather surround and wood veneer top came from Ditre Italia. The television cabinet, made of timber with a marble-patterned sintered stone top, was designed by Lee and manufactured by Today Furnishing (today-furnishing.com).

The Denon sound system and KEF speakers were supplied by KEF Music Gallery (hk.kef.com). The wallpaper is from the Casamance’s Tatami series bought from Wallpaper Plus.

Replacing a 1990s-style sunken bath, the parents’ en suite has a large modern shower. It is tiled in travertine-like large format ceramic tiles supplied by ABK Italy and sourced from MOXA Design Arts.

The Gessi brushed-copper-finish tapware was supplied by colourliving, with matching finish ironmongery and shelves from Kawajun (kawajun.com.hk). The cupboards are made of textured timber-pattern laminate by Lamitak, manufactured by the contractor.

The sofa no longer faced the sea view directly after the living room furniture was rearranged, so Jessica Lee came up with a simple solution.

You’ll have to look closely, but a set of mirrors on both sides of the television wall now reflect the view so it can be enjoyed from the new sitting position in the room. Hint: it is to the right of the timber wall panelling, behind the Bang & Olufsen speakers.

Styling: Christie Simpson