Empty nesters’ home renovation with art deco touches exploits tree setting to create restful interior; natural stone, wood, and green accents tie outside and inside together

‘My clients have amazing green views,’ says designer who made the proximity of verdant hillsides central to the renovation of empty nesters’ Hong Kong apartment

Furniture was placed so the couple would always be looking out onto the greenery; practicality wasn’t neglected, with desks and day beds built into bay windows

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The living and dining area of a Hong Kong apartment renovated with art deco touches to make the most of its views of verdant hillsides nearby. The use of wood and stone, and green accents, ties inside and outside together. Photo: Eugene Chan

Published: 1:15pm, 12 Feb 2024

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 exaggerating when I say my clients have amazing green views. It feels as though you’re in a rural area and makes the interior very restful, which is beneficial for well-being,” says Chang, who was introduced to his clients by a mutual friend and started work on the renovation project in early 2022.

“Hong Kong people are too often fixated on harbour views and think the higher floors of an apartment block are better because they are more open. Here, higher up, you see the mountain but you also see other buildings and pylons in the distance, which aren’t as attractive as nature alone.”

Gary Chang Chee-keung created a bespoke vanity area and designed a mirror with integrated LED lighting. Photo: Eugene Chan

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment had not been renovated since his clients acquired it 15 years previously and was consequently looking tired.

Additionally, as the couple’s son had grown up and left home, they had decided that the third bedroom, formerly dedicated to schoolwork, was underused and therefore a waste of space.