Covid-19 has given Hong Kong interior designer Candice Chan perspective – how her Cartier Tank luxury watch keeps the busy mother-of-three on schedule
Design is very much an art form, but balancing creativity, deadline constraints and client expectations can be hard to master.
Besides juggling all the elements of her interior design work, Candice Chan, founder of J Candice Interior Architects, is also a mother of three. Her balancing act is worthy of a spotlight on the Cirque du Soleil stage, and there aren’t many moments in the day she can truly call her own.
“To be honest, being an interior designer and a mother of three young children, it is very difficult to find me-time,” says Chan, for whom days lazing by the pool are long gone. But that’s quite all right by her; she divides her week in order to devote herself to the two most important roles in her life.
“Most of my weekdays are either spent at the studio or meeting clients at construction sites. On the weekends, 100 per cent of my time is dedicated to my family and kids.”
Leading a busy life requires immaculate attention to detail, not to mention a strict schedule. This is especially true for Chan’s line of work, where deadlines are not mere suggestions, and she credits her success to being able to see the bigger picture.
In design, you can come up with a thousand different ideas, but deciding on the right one within a tight time frame all comes down to trusting yourself and following through
“I think being organised – being able to see the big picture and plan ahead – is extremely important when working on tight deadlines. The turnaround time for commercial spaces in Hong Kong is about four to six months, including design, drawings and construction.
You also have to be decisive and be able to trust your instinct. In design, you can come up with a thousand different ideas, but deciding on the right one within a tight time frame all comes down to trusting yourself and following through.”
But not every aspect of life can be anticipated or planned for. Being homebound due to the Covid-19 pandemic has given Chan a new perspective on balancing work and travel in the future.
“In the past, I would refuse to go on holiday with my family if it wasn’t a public holiday. I would feel guilty about leaving my colleagues behind during a work week. I wanted to align my schedule with that of my clients. Since the lockdown, as we spend more time on virtual meetings, the line between work and play has become less distinct.”
She has also come to embrace the freedom that comes with travelling. “As I often work remotely from home, spending quality time with family could be anytime and anywhere, now.”
Candice’s favourite watch
“My mother-in-law gifted me a Cartier 10 years ago, when I first returned to Hong Kong and started my own design firm, which I still wear to work every day.”
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J Candice Interior Architects’ recent jobs include the famous Mandarin Oriental cake shop, the buildout of the Radisson Hotel in Guangzhou and Michelin-starred restaurants at Cotai’s Grand Lisboa Palace in Macau