Architect couple create a spa-like retreat amid Hong Kong hubbub
Winnie Ling and Scott Findley love the vibrancy and convenience of Wan Chai, but needed to feel relaxed at home in their 670 square foot walk-up flat, writes Jo Baker
Leaving the urban clatter and chaos of Wan Chai for the home of architects Winnie Ling and Scott Findley is to enter a serene refuge.
"We love this part of town, we just like the vibrancy of it, plus the materials shops downstairs make a great resource library," says Ling. "But I wanted [our flat] to be almost spa-like; a place I can come home to after work and feel like I can relax and be pampered."
Together they turned a cramped, three-bedroom 670 sq ft walk-up apartment into a contemporary, Asian-inspired, one-bedroom haven for two.
Although Ling acknowledges that married architects - both former directors at architectural practice RMJM - are bound to knock heads when designing their own home, the doubling up on expertise was a clear advantage.
On buying the flat four years ago, the pair agreed they would need to restructure the space. Working with a contractor, they opened it up into one long, narrow studio, with only the two bathrooms concealed. The living spaces are defined by partitions, furniture, light and mirrors.
"We gutted the whole thing," says Ling. "Opened it up to space and light, but with flexibility and privacy, too."
