Incorporating a child's dream bedroom into the clean lines of your home can be a nightmare, but clever partitions disguise the dichotomy. Having young children can cramp your style. But while teddy bears, cute motifs and primary colours can blight interior design, it doesn't seem right to do away with all things childish simply to satisfy the aesthetic sensibilities of adults. The key is balance. To this end, businessman Mike Kwok and his wife, Esther, who have a six-year-old daughter, elicited the help of L Square Interior Design (tel: 2836 0666; www.lsquare.com.hk ) when they moved from one flat in a Happy Valley estate to another that is slightly bigger, measuring 2,000 sq ft. The couple's need to accommodate their little girl, Chun-chun, was twinned with a desire for simplicity. So the objective of the design project was to combine the requirements of the couple with some child-friendly features. A must-have for Chun-chun was a bigger playroom, a request designers David Kung and Jim Tsim easily fulfilled. They knocked down two walls of a 150 sq ft room behind the living area and installed sliding panels to serve as partitions. The room's location and the use of crystal-glass panels allow the couple to relax in the living room while keeping an eye on their daughter and friends who come to play. '[Chun-chun] is happy because she has more space and we can watch her play,' Kwok says. 'And now her friends come over more often; they absolutely love this little world of their own.' Chun-chun's bedroom, decked out in white, pink and frills, is behind the playroom. The childish elements didn't concern her parents, who feel they don't affect the flat's overall design. Deciding how to create a little girl's haven, the designers say, was a breeze. 'We talked to Chun-chun and asked her what she liked,' Tsim says. 'Children's tastes are quite standard. Whereas adults have a lot of abstract ideas, children will tell you exactly what they like. They may name a particular doll, a specific colour and that's it. It's easy.' When it comes to designing for adults, less is more. Although the see-through playroom doors reveal a mish-mash of games and fluffy toys, the childishness is balanced by minimalism in the living-dining room. In this area, white predominates, coupled with dark brown wooden furniture. 'We are busy at work and we want something soothing to the eyes when we return home,' Kwok says. 'Simplicity - that's what we were after.' When the cacophony of children gets too much for the couple, or when they want to watch television late at night, they can create a zone of their own with another sliding door halfway down the corridor. When the door slides out, it separates Chun-chun's bedroom and the master suite from the rest of the flat. Sometimes the world of children can inspire grown-ups. Having bought a set of milky-white furniture for Chun-chun, to make her feel like a princess, Esther decided she wanted a feminine touch in her own bedroom. The result is floral wallpaper behind the bed and furniture with a touch of romance. Everyone in the family is happy, according to Kwok. 'Chun-chun loves her bedroom and my wife has got what she wants,' he says. 'I spend five days a week in my factory on the mainland and every weekend I look forward to coming home.' 1 White dominates the living-dining room. The dining table (HK$4,500) was sourced from Isabell Modern Living (10/F, Lee Theatre Plaza, 99 Percival Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 2506 2228). The sofa (HK$12,000) and the floor lamp (HK$1,600) are from The Hamptons Furniture (flat 12, 27/F, Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau, tel: 2553 2888). The Barcelona chair (HK$4,500) and ottoman (HK$2,500) are from Euro Sofa (flat 2, 19/F, Horizon Plaza, tel: 2873 6766). 2 This bedroom is fit for a princess and would be a dream come true for most six-year-old girls. The trundle bed (HK$7,400), the wardrobe (HK$13,300), the desk (HK$7,500) and chair (HK$1,500) are from Art Deco (238 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, tel: 2834 6203). The orange bench, which is a favourite spot for reading bedtime stories, was custom made by L Square Interior Design (unit 801, Tai Yau Building, 181 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2836 0666) for HK$5,000. 3 White was key for Esther Kwok to maintain a scrupulously clean kitchen. The Corian tabletop (HK$25,000) and cabinets below (HK$50,000) are from L Square Cucina (shop A, 1 Fung Fai Terrace, Happy Valley, tel: 2836 0666), the kitchen division of L Square. 4 Because his business is on the mainland, Mike Kwok is home only on weekends, which is why his wife had the biggest say in the design of the master bedroom. The floral wallpaper (HK$4,800 for one wall) was supplied by Wall Paper Plus (unit 15A, 211 Johnston Road, tel: 3525 1782) and the bed (HK$8,300) and bedside tables (HK$2,400 each) are from Art Deco. The pair of lamps cost HK$2,500 each from Wai Ming Lamps (31 Morrison Hill Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2572 7464). 5 The corridor leading to the bedrooms was widened by about 15cm to enhance the sense of space. A sliding door, hidden behind the brown wooden panel, can be pulled out to demarcate the living area from the two bedrooms. Engineered walnut flooring came from Equal (shop 302, Phase 2, Ming An Plaza, 8 Sunning Road, Causeway Bay, tel: 2881 7066); materials and labour cost HK$70,000. 6 By removing two walls and installing sliding doors, L Square created a playroom that can be watched over by Chun-chun's parents from the living room. The bench was made by L Square for HK$8,500. 7 The mosaic wall brightens an otherwise subdued bathroom. Tiles for the wall cost HK$2,000 from Fei Concept (177 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2153 3288). The sink (HK$1,500) and tap (HK$1,000) are from Hop Lung Building Materials (293 Lockhart Road, tel: 2802 2273). The mirror unit was custom made by L Square for HK$7,200. tried & tested shoe-in A wooden bench (HK$4,500) is paired with a shoe cabinet (HK$6,500) near the entrance to make it easier to put on and take off footwear. The items were custom made by L Square.
