Second base
A room of one's own is a necessity, according to writer Virginia Woolf. She was talking about succeeding as a female author in early 20th-century Britain, yet personal space is equally important if you're a male architect in 21st-century Hong Kong. That's according to Kan Sze-king, who has treated himself to not just a room but an entire flat in which he can devote time to his hobbies.
His 760 sq ft apartment in Robinson Road, Mid-Levels, is in the same street as the larger family home he shares with his wife.
'Everybody likes to have a place of their own,' Kan says. 'My other place is very different - bigger with lots of furniture and antiques. I bought this because I want somewhere for all my hobbies, which include cycling, listening to music and cooking, and somewhere I can put my architecture books, art and gadgets.'
When Kan bought the 35-year-old flat in February, it looked like something out of the 1960s, he says, and was 'horrible and dark'. To let in more light, and so he could have an outdoor area, where he could clean his bikes, Kan restored a disused small balcony that extends from the living room. He also gutted the interiors and changed the layout of the flat. 'I flipped everything. [For example], my bedroom is bigger than the living room,' he says.
Kan, whose refurbishment cost HK$700,000, knocked two bedrooms into one, converted one of two bathrooms into a walk-in wardrobe and created an open-plan kitchen that segues into the living area because he likes to be able to talk to guests while he's cooking.
'The plan of this place was like a frog's legs,' Kan says. 'Rooms were set at an angle and they were an awkward shape.'
Kan used the 'awkward' areas as storage space: the interior of a cupboard between the bedroom and the living room is triangular and the walk-in wardrobe is a trapezium. By designing the storage areas in this way the living room and bedroom could be regular rectangular spaces.
'This apartment is more about my lifestyle than it is about design. I'm nearly 50, I've been an architect for more than 20 years and I've realised there's a lot of 'over designing' in many homes. The problem with some people is they like to have each room different from the rest, but I prefer one tone in all the rooms. This is especi- ally important in a small home [because it creates the illusion of space]. I don't understand why some people cram so much in.'
His desire for uncomplicated, neutral decor is evident in his dressing room, which is fitted with a simple clothes rail and fabric storage shelves from Muji for accessories. Not only is this cheaper but Kan says it is also easier to access clothes that way, rather than opening and closing drawers and doors, which also take up space. The result is a neat storage area for clothes, accessories and all the paraphernalia needed for his beloved biking. He admits he likes to be well-organised.
'I'm at the age where I just want something I like and which is functional - not necessarily for what it looks like. I've got a lot of hobbies and I need to put things where I can find them.'
Kan insists the flat is not a bachelor pad because he's married. Instead, he calls it his 'recreational space'.
1 Dining area
2 Sitting area
The chaise longue (HK$9,000, including HK$3,000 for the ottoman) and metal bookshelf (HK$9,999) came from Aluminium.
3 Bike
4 Kitchen
The cabinetry was built by Leicht (2/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2575 8286) for about HK$150,000. The spotlight bar, by Tom Dixon, cost about HK$5,000 from Kitchens + Interiors (1/F, Ruttonjee Centre, 11 Duddell Street, Central, tel: 2810 0295). The champagne cooler (HK$2,100) came from Georg Jensen (IFC Mall, Central, tel: 2868 3800). The Vitra wall pocket cost HK$2,999 from Aluminium. The hand-carved African wooden stool came from Portobello Road market in London, Britain.
5 Fireplace
The ethanol-fuelled fireplace in the bedroom was bought at Design Link (1/F, Ruttonjee Centre, tel: 2868 0991) for HK$50,000. The curved Bookworm book- shelf, by Ron Arad, cost about HK$2,500 from Aluminium.
6 Bathroom
The bath by Philippe Starck cost HK$6,000 from Depot (371 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 3106 6008).
7 Bedroom
The bed cost HK$50,000 from Magazzini (1/F, Ruttonjee Centre, tel: 2814 1663). The bedside table (HK$1,700) came from Aluminium.
Tired + tested
A different light
The uplighter (not including the hanging pendant lamp), by Italian company Viabizzuno, was bought for about HK$12,000 from Lumen Arts (11/F, Block B, Seaview Estate, 4 Watson Road, North Point, tel: 2803 4501). Its ceramic frame was embedded into the kitchen wall and painted the same colour for uniformity.
Styling David Roden
