A leafy and lovely tree was part of the inspiration for this easygoing home in Ho Man Tin. “When I came to see the place, I saw the tree outside,” says Tony Wong of A Square Ltd. “The owner had told me he wanted lots of wood in his apartment,” he adds, explaining that the tree is visible from the living room and bedroom windows, and therefore became a natural starting point for the home’s design.
There’s something very woody about this home, that’s for sure. Oak floors mix with wood veneers on the kitchen cabinetry, and much of the furniture in this home has a wooden element – the Scandinavian-style dining table and chairs, the kitchen bar stools, and the petrified wood stool in the living area. To keep the look from being overpowering, Tony mixed this with plenty of white on surfaces and walls, and darker features, such as the touches of iron on space dividers and the smoky grey sofa. In another nod to the tree outside, a leafy green strip adds a colourful, decorative touch behind the sofa.
Stroll through the gallery below (Photography: Edgar Tapan; Styling: Anji Connell) to see more of the space:
The simple, natural palette helps to lighten up the home, which doesn’t receive a lot of sunlight. It also gives the rooms a very comfortable, easy feel – one that is echoed by Tony’s clever spatial planning. “They wanted more space,” says Tony of the owners.
So he created an open kitchen, dining and living room, designing it in such a way that you can view the whole space from almost anywhere in the room. “When you’re cooking in the kitchen, you can easily see the whole living room, and you can also take care of the baby,” says Tony, pointing to a space to the side of the kitchen, which is the owners’ baby boy’s bedroom. His room features a large sliding door panel – it shifts into the wall, allowing people in the living and dining area to see into the kid’s raised room.
Tony also maximised on space in the master suite. Here, you’ll find a bedroom, a study, and a bathroom, all separated by glass walls. The glass lets natural light from the bedroom window reach through the study area into the bathroom. “If we’d made a wall here, the room would look quite small, and so would the bathroom. Because of the glass, you can see into every part of the room,” says Tony. The toilet, meanwhile, is hidden behind a column, so this part of the room remains private.
The owner, Kenneth, is a big fan of the master suite, and the study in particular. He often works from home and he likes having this light-filled space. “The real thing came out just the way we planned it on paper,” he says of the whole space.
Tony is also very happy with the outcome. He particularly loves the kitchen – “You normally don’t get a kitchen this big in an apartment of this size” – and the fact that Kenneth trusted him implicitly. Clearly that trust was justified: this home is a fresh, green haven in Ho Man Tin.
Looking from the kitchen into the dining and living room; white composite surfaces provide a smooth counterpoint to the textured wood cabinets
The view into the warm, cosy bedroom.
Glass walls divide the master suite into bedroom, study and bathroom.
The little boy’s room.; hidden behind the panels on the left is another bunk bed.
