You might think you do not have room to create a spa retreat at home, but could you fit in a cocoon? That is the essence of a spa experience, according to award-winning designer Ed Ng Chung-hong, and it is not defined by space.
Ng is co-founder and director of Hong Kong design and architectural studio AB Concept, which in June won a Best Design trophy for his part in the W Retreat & Spa Bali in Seminyak. The firm edged out some of the world's best-known design companies, including the much-lauded Yabu Pushelberg of Canada, in the International Hotel and Property Awards 2011 hosted by interior design magazine Design Et Al.
Ng has designed spas for Shangri-La hotels in Tainan, Taiwan and Jing An, Shanghai, and the Mandarin Oriental in Singapore. He is currently working on the W Hotel Beijing, including its spa.
So, is it possible to give them all an individual character? Definitely, he says, explaining that W is playful, the Mandarin oozes serenity with an Oriental touch, and the Shangri-La is trendy and fashionable.
'A spa is about escape - the whole idea is to give you a break from whatever you are doing,' Ng said. 'It can be a playful escape, or a serene escape, but it has to make a clear design statement so that you feel, 'Oh, I'm somewhere else'.'
If you have a bathroom, you have the makings of a home spa. You are aiming to harmonise the senses, so all five - sight, sound, smell, touch and taste - should be covered in your design plan.
