When Jennifer Robins and her husband bought a duplex in Pok Fu Lam six years ago, they knew it needed some serious attention. Full of ideas, they took on the project themselves; working with a contractor to rip out walls, install a new kitchen and bathroom, replace the floor and open up the 2,700 sq ft space to make the most of the expansive sea views.
The result was good but not great. 'It was always a lovely flat but I always felt it didn't come out quite as planned,' says Robins. 'There were some things that niggled at me. For example, I was not fully satisfied with the spatial flow and the bathrooms didn't function properly.'
When she met Hong Kong and Beijing-based architect Frank Chiu of Atelier: China, she asked him to solve her problems once and for all. Chiu cast a professional eye over the place. It was not simply a matter of knocking everything down and starting over; it needed a subtle touch.
'I think the key point was to simplify and create continuity, and thereby spatial calm,' says Chiu. In practical terms, this meant pulling everything together by streamlining the materials used, emphasising the central staircase and the soaring double-height ceiling in the living room, building homogeneous cabinetry and turning the master bedroom, bathroom and dressing room into one cohesive suite.
A central feature of the new-look duplex is the minimal staircase, which leads to the double-height ceiling void. 'Originally the stair had wooden treads and a glass balustrade with a timber handrail,' says Chiu. 'I replaced the wood with white composite stone, and removed the lower balustrade.'
By paring down the materials, Chiu made the space more architectural and dramatic.