Lifestyle /

Interiors & Living

A firefighter shoots water at a fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, on November 26, 2025. All eight buildings on the estate had been covered in bamboo scaffolding amid ongoing renovation works. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong culture

Should Hong Kong abandon bamboo scaffolding after Tai Po fire tragedy?

Hong Kong’s iconic bamboo scaffolding holds much cultural significance, but will the Wang Fuk Court blaze see the end of its use?

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Architecture and design

He turns fallen trees into furniture and he’s about to get very busy

Wellness

Doll’s house collectors think small with big mental health benefits

Architecture and design

A cherished Irish tradition is dying out. New school aims to fix that

At the Donegal Thatching School, master thatchers teach their skills to help preserve Ireland’s long tradition of thatched-roofed cottages.

Trainee thatcher David McFarren (front), a student of the Donegal Thatching School, works on a thatched cottage in the village of Bunbeg, Ireland on March 9, 2025. Photo: AFP
Trainee thatcher David McFarren (front), a student of the Donegal Thatching School, works on a thatched cottage in the village of Bunbeg, Ireland on March 9, 2025. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

Lost your phone? Now you can ask your Samsung fridge to find it

The latest Samsung Bespoke fridges’ AI-enhanced Bixby assistant responds to voice commands to find missing phones and activate appliances.

Asia travel

Memories of Macau pleasure palace Hotel Lisboa as it turns 55

‘Whatever happened at the Lisboa stayed in the Lisboa.’ Macau’s first integrated resort and how it has been subtly updated for the new era.

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Fame and celebrity

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, unveils new brand As Ever on Instagram

2 weeks before her Netflix show With Love, Meghan debuts, the Duchess explained the brand name change and how she’ll sell more than just jam.

A still from Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s Instagram video announcing the launch of her new brand As Ever. Photo: Instagram/meghan
A still from Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s Instagram video announcing the launch of her new brand As Ever. Photo: Instagram/meghan
Asia travel

City near Mount Fuji creates unique lodgings in unused buildings

In Shizuoka, Japan, commercial spaces are being turned into guest accommodation to draw more visitors and help revitalise the city’s economy.

Architecture and design

Crazy new Dubai mega mansions cater to owners’ wild requests

Dubai developers are going to extraordinary lengths so that their luxury homes can compete with those in cities like New York and Hong Kong.

Architecture and design

Trees star at these stunning homes and buildings as creators go bark-ing mad

From airports and apartment buildings to beautiful private houses, architects and interior designers are using trees to striking effect.

A Chinese banyan (Ficus microcarpa) tree is situated in an infinity pool in this rendering of a home in New Delhi, India, designed by New York-based firm ODA Architecture. Photo: AP
Wellness

Can’t sleep well in your studio or small flat? Try these 5 expert tips

Do you find it hard to sleep properly in your small flat or studio? Experts offer tips that will help you get a good night’s rest, from changing your environment to reducing external stimulation.

Do you find it hard to sleep properly in your small flat or studio? Experts offer tips that will help you get a good night’s rest, from changing your environment to using a diffuser (above) to reducing external stimulation. Photo: Shutterstock
Do you find it hard to sleep properly in your small flat or studio? Experts offer tips that will help you get a good night’s rest, from changing your environment to using a diffuser (above) to reducing external stimulation. Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese culture

Feng shui office designer on how to create ‘balance’ in workspaces

Thierry Chow, a Hong Kong feng shui designer of workplaces, shares how she uses colours, lighting, layout and plants in harmony to make a productive space, and why there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.

Chinese culture

Singaporean architect goes viral on TikTok with feng shui videos

With millions of followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, Singaporean architect Cliff Tan’s quirky viral videos are bringing the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui to a whole new audience.

Wellness

Wellness is at the forefront of today’s home design – using AI, art and tech

Health-centric technologies are being used to make self-care ‘a cornerstone of modern living spaces’ – think smart mattresses, and interactive art that can ‘transform you based on your movement, heartbeat or mood’.

Using biometric data and adaptive technologies, smart home systems can adjust lighting, temperature and even decor in real time to suit individual moods and activities in our homes. Photo: Shutterstock
Architecture and design

Mid-century modern with Eastern sensibility in a Hong Kong couple’s home

A homeowner was so impressed with the understated mid-century modern refurbishment of her home in Pok Fu Lam, on Hong Kong Island, that she joined the design studio that carried it out.

Cabinets on wheels in the living room of a Hong Kong apartment wrap around a corner. The homeowner was so impressed with the mid-century modern meets East renovation of the flat in Pok Fu Lam that she joined the design studio responsible. Photo: Harold de Puymorin
Cabinets on wheels in the living room of a Hong Kong apartment wrap around a corner. The homeowner was so impressed with the mid-century modern meets East renovation of the flat in Pok Fu Lam that she joined the design studio responsible. Photo: Harold de Puymorin
History

Serving the people for 106 years: Hong Kong’s YMCA Bridges Street Centre

The YMCA centre in Sheung Wan, which opened with what were then cutting-edge sporting facilities, has served the community since 1918. Part of it is now a hostel for the intellectually disabled.

Architecture and design

Abandoned, mouldy, but couple saw the potential of rural Hong Kong flat

An innovative couple on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island show you don’t have to spend a lot of money to create a welcoming, original home bursting with colour and character.

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Architecture and design

This Hong Kong home is minimalist, open-plan – and perfect for cats

A Sham Tseng flat, in the New Territories, was renovated with the owners’ cats in mind – think bespoke feline furniture, scratch-proof flooring paired with hidden storage and Japanese-style decor.

A Sham Tseng flat, in the New Territories in Hong Kong, was renovated with the owners’ cats in mind – think bespoke feline furniture, scratch-proof flooring paired with hidden storage and Japanese-style decor. Photo: Tracy Wong
A Sham Tseng flat, in the New Territories in Hong Kong, was renovated with the owners’ cats in mind – think bespoke feline furniture, scratch-proof flooring paired with hidden storage and Japanese-style decor. Photo: Tracy Wong
Architecture and design

‘Extraordinary’ Hong Kong buildings designed by local architects

Seventy local buildings and urban spaces designed by Hong Kong architects are celebrated in Raymond Fung’s Untold Stories: Hong Kong Architecture, with a focus on public amenities.

Architecture and design

‘A Hong Kong story’: typography show explores Kowloon communities

A new Hong Kong exhibition at Gate33 in Kai Tak’s Airside uses typography to explore the built environments, communities and culture of Wong Tai Sin, San Po Kong, Kowloon City and To Kwa Wan.

Architecture and design

Timeless luxury in Hong Kong flat renovated for couple’s retirement

Appreciation of ‘the finer things in life’ guided designers in a luxury revamp that turned a 2,035 sq ft apartment in Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong, into a home for a couple’s retirement.

The sophisticated living room of a luxuriously renovated apartment in Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong. Photo: hoo
Architecture and design

Barbie-inspired Hong Kong home ‘feels just right when you walk in’

Polished and playful in equal measure, the Barbie Dreamhouse-inspired Ho Man Tin home of a young family shows it may be possible to please everyone.

Polished and playful in equal measure, the Barbie Dreamhouse-inspired Ho Man Tin home of a young family shows it may be possible to please everyone. Above: detail from the bedroom of girls aged four and five. Photo: Addy Cheung
Polished and playful in equal measure, the Barbie Dreamhouse-inspired Ho Man Tin home of a young family shows it may be possible to please everyone. Above: detail from the bedroom of girls aged four and five. Photo: Addy Cheung
Architecture and design

Mix of textures creates chic urban pad that’s comforting and inviting

An outdated 1,100 sq ft Mid-Levels apartment has been transformed into a microcosm of Hong Kong, with its balance of energy and serenity capturing the duality of the Fragrant Harbour.

Architecture and design

Art is part of the furniture in this Hong Kong home: it ‘inspires creativity’

A Hong Kong art gallery owner’s hilltop family home in the New Territories is a kaleidoscope of vibrant, fun artworks – every room inspires creativity and tells a different story.

Architecture and design

Library or forest? World’s biggest library reading space, in Beijing, is both

The world’s largest library reading space, housed by the Beijing City Library in China’s capital, was inspired by nature – think rice paddies, a river and trees – and designed to be something of a social space.

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The world’s largest library reading space, in the Beijing City Library in China’s capital, was inspired by nature and designed to be something of a social space. Photo: Yumeng Zhu
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