A Japanese-influenced renovation transformed a dark Conduit Road apartment and provided ample space for its owner's art collection.
One can never get enough of savvy ideas to make the most of compact living spaces. This Mid-Levels apartment offers a host of space-saving solutions in an interior that offers more than meets the eye.
Designed by property development project manager Roger Michaels (tel: 2234 9498), the 800 sq ft unit on Conduit Road was formerly a standard three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. The owner, British businessman George Yates, gave Michaels free rein on the redesign, knowing the latter had plenty of experience in dealing with small residences. 'I have always lived in apartments in expensive cities,' says Michaels. 'I know you have to make the most of your space and find different ways of storage. I lived for eight years in Japan and the Japanese are the masters of small-space living. It taught me a huge amount.'
In a stunning display of poor design, the apartment's original layout had the bedrooms at the front of the apartment, hiding what should have been its focal point: panoramic views of the harbour. 'It was completely crazy,' says Michaels. 'So we switched it around.'
He knocked down as many walls as possible to allow in the maximum amount of light and introduce a loft-like feel. He replaced the bedrooms with an open-plan living and dining area and created one bedroom towards the rear of the apartment. The kitchen walls were removed to create an open kitchen with adjacent study, divided by a wide countertop.
Now, when you come into the apartment, the space unfurls, drawing the eye forwards and making the apartment feel bigger than it is. 'The idea was that you come through the entrance and have a little corridor in front of you that opens out into the bigger space,' says Michaels.