When Minako Lee, senior interior designer at award-winning Hong Kong-based architecture and design firm Muse Studio, met the owners of this Clear Water Bay abode, the brief she received was simple. Basically, the clients wanted their home to be more than just a place to stay, she explains. They wanted a relaxing environment that they could enjoy every day.

To achieve this, Minako and her team first sought to identify the primary role of each area of the 3,800sqft house before addressing how they might open it up, bring in more light and elevate the aesthetic to one that is clean and elegant with a masculine edge. We had to make use of the different levels and create different functions of space, she continues.

The challenge came with ensuring that every square inch was utilised and assigned a specific purpose. For example, Minako says, there was an awkward narrow corridor on the dining floor, so we converted that space into a guest bathroom and designed stepping stones that appear to float on a bed of pebbles to disguise the shower area.

The fruit of Muse Studio’s labour is an exercise in chic, restrained refinement that remains undeniably warm and welcoming. We are very happy with the overall design, adds Minako. But we would have to say that the first floor is our favourite space. We succeeded in bringing the outdoors inside and enlarging the space by extending the sliding doors on both sides.

Shades of red and dark wood endow the bar with the ambience of a contemporary gentlemen’s club.

Clean lines, white walls, wood panels and structured sofas create the impression of a contemporary conversation pit.

A hand-assembled flight simulator stands proudly at the entrance to the family’s home.

The artwork above the bed was purchased by the home owners at the Affordable Art Fair and chosen for its fluid lines.

Cherry blossoms, light wood and sinuous shapes imbibe the bathroom with a Zen-like atmosphere; the guest bathroom features a cleverly concealed shower area.

Natural light floods the living room, illuminating a framed wooden carving and inviting the outside in.

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