Modern masters
The designers let the art do the talking in one Repulse Bay family house
Art is often, unfortunately, an afterthought in interior design. That could never be said of Reiko Tokoyoda’s home in Repulse Bay, however: paintings and other works of art were used to determine the look of each room from the outset.
Some pieces were keepsakes brought to Hong Kong last year when Tokoyoda left Singapore with her family, all of whom are originally from Japan; others were chosen specifically for their new townhouse. One, a mobile that hangs above a grand piano, was created especially for her.
“We wanted each space to have a character so they felt like their own entities,” says JAR Design’s principal architect, Juliana Rotmeyer, who worked with JAR designer Amy Sledge to turn the rental property into a family home.
Tokoyoda, her husband – who works in finance – and their two children, eight-year-old son Lynn, and Ann, six, now inhabit a stylish abode infused with colour and furnished in a modern, playful way.
“[Tokoyoda] felt compromised by the white walls,” says Sledge, recalling how impersonal the 2,800 sq ft, three-storey house felt to begin with. “She wanted it to feel inviting, like it was her home, and requested contemporary furniture with a vintage twist.”