Feng shui and hi-tech work in perfect harmony in 492 sq ft flat that accommodates five
Peacefulness meets practicality in this carefully considered apartment with storage solutions that include platforms to accommodate smart-home gadgetry
Living in a flat before you renovate it means you know exactly what needs to be done.
Originally from Taiwan, Eric Lin Sin-han and Lory Chen Li-wen had been in their two-bedroom, one-bathroom Tung Chung apartment for six years when they decided it was crying out not only for an update but some serious rearranging, too.
More storageand accommodation for two extra people were top of their list. The sticking point? They had only 492 sq ft to play with.
“The design phase took six months because even the smallest details have to be carefully planned in an apartment this size. There is no room for error,” says architect Patrick Lam Kwai-pui, founder of Sim-Plex Design Studio, who the couple drafted in to help.
“There were a lot of structural walls so I mostly stuck with the original layout. I moved only the bathroom door, to install a larger shower stall, and also reconfigured the kitchen.”
The couple’s son, Kai Kai, six, had been sharing his parents’ bedroom because the other one was devoted to storage, so their first requirement was to give him a space of his own. Allowing the boy to reclaim his room, Lam designed and built wooden platforms throughout the apartment, with easy-lift trapdoors and abundant space for the family’s belongings.
Because Eric, who works for a bank, is frequently away on business and Lory is a flight attendant, Kai Kai’s grandmother often looks after him in the apartment. The couple felt she should also have a space to call her own.
Lam designed a television cabinet that hides sliding, bi-fold doors. These can be pulled across the width of the living room to block it off from the rest of the apartment and create an extra bedroom when needed. The doors feature louvres at the top for ventilation and embossed glass panels that allow natural light to pass through.
“It is a simple of way of creating an extra private space that isn’t permanent. The breaks in the flooring that are due to the platform doors camouflage the sliding-door track,” says Lam.
Eric and Lory also wanted to employ a live-in domestic helper so Lam borrowed part of the old kitchen for her room and installed a platform bed. Although that made the kitchen area smaller, he managed to fit in appliances, a bar-style table for food preparation and dining, and custom-made chairs with nifty drawers below the seats. Thanks to fitted cabinets virtually everywhere, all glassware, crockery, utensils and food can be stored but easily accessed.
Like many urbanites, Lory and Eric lead busy working lives and smart-home devices make everything more manageable
In addition to storage, the platforms hide a number of smart-home devices. These include voice-activated lighting, curtain and air-conditioning systems as well as an intelligent coffee table that rises out of the floor on command. The well left by the table creates legroom. Similarly, in Kai Kai’s room, the platform acts as a desk “chair”.
“Like many urbanites, Lory and Eric lead busy working lives and smart-home devices make everything more manageable,” says Lam. “The coffee table in particular is a practical solution for this small space because it can be put away when it isn’t needed.”
While technology makes the Chens’ lives easier, tradition makes it calmer. Feng shui principles have been incorporated into the design to balance the smart-home gadgets, form a connection with nature and create a Zen-like environment. The family also missed the Taiwanese homestay experience and wanted to recreate that vibe by making the most of the green landscape beyond their windows. Beanbags trumped a sofa and chairs, which would have blocked too much of the view.
“There is almost a complete lack of free-standing furniture in this apartment, which increases the flexibility of the space, particularly in the living room, and makes it feel very tranquil and uncluttered,” says Lam. “Eric knows a lot about feng shui and I had to change my initial renderings to ensure that everything was symmetrical to promote the family’s luck.”
Although seemingly contradictory, the apartment’s feng shui aesthetics and smart technology work symbiotically to give the Chens a peaceful and highly practical home.
Dining/kitchen The quartz-topped kitchen/dining table and the seats are plywood topped with ecological melamine and maple-board veneer (HK$9,000 for the table and two seats). The kitchen, which cost HK$30,000 to build and install, was designed by Sim-Plex Design Studio.
Living room The platform (about HK$50,000) in the living room and the built-in cupboards (HK$20,000), both designed and built by Sim-Plex Design Studio, are also made of plywood topped with ecological melamine and maple-board veneer.
Kai Kai’s bedroom The platform (HK$7,000) supports the bed, offers storage and acts as seating for the built-in desk (HK$6,000). The wall-mounted shelves and cupboards cost HK$6,000. All designed by Sim-Plex Design Studio.
Main bedroom The bed (HK$9,500 including the wooden additions to the bay window) and cabinetry (HK$22,000) were all designed by Sim-Plex Design Studio.
Tried + tested
Mirror, mirror In the main bedroom, Patrick Lam, of Sim-Plex Design Studio, designed a wall-mounted dressing table (HK$2,000) with a flip-top mirror and compartments for jewellery and make-up. It is positioned at a height so that Lory Chen can sit on the bed and get ready comfortably. When not in use, the mirror folds down.
