How this sea-view, high-rise flat in Hong Kong was transformed into a private sanctuary for 2
A professional couple’s Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong home features a more functional kitchen, plenty of room for a state-of-the-art hi-fi system – and even a spa
Spending more time at home was a Covid-enforced trend that Leon and Astrid Tsang wanted to continue beyond the pandemic. A 700 sq ft Sai Wan Ho flat they had owned for years, which had been occupied by tenants, seemed like a good place to start. Architect and designer Michael Liu Tsz-yeung was tasked with transforming the former three-bedroom, two-bathroom, sea-view high-rise into a private sanctuary for two.
Although the couple, both finance professionals, needed space to work, they didn’t necessarily want a dedicated home office. Other basic requirements were a more functional kitchen, a large wardrobe and for homage to be paid to their hi-fi system.
Beyond that, the couple had no particular design concept in mind for their home, which was completed last summer. Having redesigned Leon’s previous home, Liu, founder of Millimeter Interior Design, suggested that they simply leave it to him to do the job.
In all of Millimeter’s residential projects, Liu says, the focus is on crafting an interior not only for people to live in, but which can enhance their relationships. For this couple, sole occupants of the apartment, he considered pockets where each could sit independently with a laptop, or chat while one is cooking, always within eye or voice contact of the other.
The ability to demolish almost all internal walls meant that the original series of cramped rooms gave way to an open-plan aesthetic. However, mindful of the overall space, Liu conceived several bespoke elements to do double duty.
The first is in the kitchen, which, even though newly enlarged, didn’t quite satisfy Leon, a keen chef. To avoid going even bigger and risk dominating the living area, Liu designed a remote-controlled, movable island that could be adjusted from 90cm counter height for food preparation, to 75cm dining table height for meal service. On wheels, the island can be pushed against the fixed kitchen cabinetry or moved to seat more people.
