In a chic, urbane Hong Kong studio apartment where even the light switches are luxe, clever work-from-home and storage solutions stand out
- A studio flat was all a Hong Kong beauty executive needed. Her interior designer found clever storage solutions to let the 470 sq ft Tai Hang home shine
- Everywhere the emphasis is on practicality – the dining table doubles as a work-from-home bench – and high-quality finishes to create a jewellery box of a home
Even the smallest jewellery box can hold precious gems.
That thought bubble hovered above early discussions involving the renovation of a newly bought seventh-floor flat in Tai Hang, on Hong Kong Island. With a footprint of only 470 sq ft (about 390 sq ft – 36 square metres – net), the unit might have been lacking in space, but, it was hoped, it could shine from inside, especially with an upgrade of the good number of windows.
That the stand-alone, roughly 30-year-old building had one flat per floor held instant allure for buyer Dany Stomborn, who appreciated her private lift lobby. Even better was being able to personalise this area to make a statement entrance.
A studio flat was all Stomborn, a frequently travelling executive in the beauty industry, needed for her Hong Kong base. But a number of ad hoc, internal partitions had been added over the years, seemingly to provide storage. For help, Stomborn turned to interior designer Britta Butler, whose first move was to remove the partitions.
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When designing such a small space, says Butler, design director and founder of B Squared Design, taking out as many barriers as possible is key. However, clutter is also the enemy.
“The challenge is coming up with ways to provide enough storage so as not to have stuff everywhere,” she says. A walk through the flat reveals Butler’s clever solutions.
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Step inside, from a lift lobby stylishly designed with black and white floor tiles, and the first thing to greet the eye is an elegant bar-height table in marble, paired with sapphire-blue and gold chairs. The quality of the interior finishes is also immediately apparent.
When the required quantities are low, Butler reasons, splurging on materials is a manageable investment, and one that makes all the difference. It explains why, apart from pricey marble, details such as the light switches, sockets and even the door stopper are luxe.
“In a small space you get up close and personal with everything, without meaning to,” Butler says. “We were careful to ensure that all materials are beautiful, and beautifully applied, working with the contractor to make sure all the lines are straight and clean.”
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The blue and gold palette, Stomborn’s choice, pops against the white walls and pale wood flooring. It is repeated in the sofa, and in the upholstered bedhead and bed base, with subtle nuances in tone.
“Having different colours everywhere would make the space feel chopped up,” Butler says. “But you don’t want matchy-matchy, either.”
The table is bar height for functionality: apart from dining, it is also a handy work-from-home bench, and a hub for cosy drinks parties. Nearby, a drinks trolley stands beside a sideboard custom made in contemporary Chinese style.
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The partial wall behind it, newly added, and panelled in white-painted moulded timber, forms the back of a custom wardrobe facing Stomborn’s open sleeping area. Butler also provided under-bed storage in a hydraulic lift-up arrangement.
Once removed, the former maze of back-of-house cupboards made room for an impressive new kitchen, replete with marble benchtops, a retro-style fridge, and filled with light through windows whose frames, formerly a grim black, are now painted white.
Even in the tiny bathroom, the vanity was custom made from the same marble, and the tapware, right down to a non-standard sink stopper, is in brushed gold. “We wanted everything to feel cohesive and special, like the jewel box we’d envisaged,” Butler says.
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She managed to hide the water heater inside a bespoke mirrored cabinet. The idea of looking at a toilet roll holder, also a necessity, yet typically “not beautiful”, didn’t appeal, either, so Butler suggested something she’s never tried before (see Tried + tested below).
Stomborn feels her bijou jewellery box of a home reflects her personality: chic, urbane and not too feminine.
“It’s exactly the way I like to live,” she says.
Living area and bedroom
The large artwork, Tori-Fleur, is by Australian artist Jai Vasicek (jaivasicek.com). The chandelier made up of three suspended bulbs, each with its own customising hook and matte rubber detailing, was from Buster + Punch (busterandpunch.com).
A sculpture from Tequila Kola (tequilakola.com) sits on a white painted Chinese cabinet made by contractor Him Lee, of Project Montage (Hong Kong), tel: 6203 9976.
The drinks trolley came from iDecorate (idecorateshop.com).
Dining area
The bar-height table in Arabescato white marble was made and installed by Jes Stone (jesstone.com). The four chairs in Jewelry Blue upholstery with gold legs, along with the matching sofa, came from ModernDesign100 (moderndesign100.com).
The Italian natural oak wood flooring in herringbone pattern with brushed lacquered finish was supplied and installed by Tat Ming (tatming.com). The lights above the bar table came from Buster + Punch and the window blind was made by Bricks & Stones (10/F, Keen Hung Commercial Building, 80 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, tel: 2520 0577) in white and night-blue trim blackout linen.
Lift lobby
The private lift lobby was personalised with black and white floor tiles from Omega (31A Fleming Road, Wan Chai, tel: 9879 8784).
Bedroom
The hydraulic-lift storage bed upholstered in blue velvet was made by the contractor. The bamboo bedside table came from Dany Stomborn’s previous flat. The throw and cushion with circles were from Inside (inside-store.com).
Bathroom
The globe sconce lights in brushed gold finish came from Shades of Light (shadesoflight.com). The contractor made the mirrored cabinet.
Kitchen
The kitchen in a moody blue hue was designed and installed by ProKitchen (prokitchen.hk). The worktop and splashback made of Calacatta Gold stone was supplied and installed by GL Marble (glmarbles.com) and the tapware came from Acqua.
The oven and induction cooktop were bought directly from Electrolux (electrolux.com.hk) and the retro-style fridge was from Smeg (smeg.hk).
Tried + tested
In her interior schemes Britta Butler, design director of B Squared Design (bsquareddesignhk.com), likes to hide any ugly bits. And in this small bathroom, there “literally was no good place to locate the toilet paper roll on any wall that wouldn’t get in the way of movement”.
The design solution was to tuck it neatly inside the vanity cabinet and make a slit on the side through which the paper is pulled, thereby solving the space problem as well as making it more aesthetically pleasing.
