Out goes the clutter for second makeover of Tai Tam duplex

Text Jane Steer / Photography K.Y. Cheng When you run a furniture store, refitting your own home can be all too easy … “It’s my guilty pleasure,” confesses furniture designer and Bowerbird Home director Philippa Haydon. “I get bored!” A few years ago, these pages featured the results of her last home makeover, when she decked out her 2,900 sq ft rental duplex in Tai Tam in a deep blue and white theme, dressed with pieces from her extensive collection of blue-and-white porcelain. It was fresh, pretty and rooted in the cultural traditions of China, which seemed fitting for a Hong Kong apartment. Then boredom set in. “I still love the blue and white but it was starting to feel claustrophobic. I wanted to get rid of the clutter – I felt I was drowning in it,” Haydon says. So out went the ceramics – shipped off to the family’s 1920s-style home in Australia – and in came a more open, neutral scheme. Accented with bold patterns, luxurious materials and vintage pieces, the new look is sophisticated, urban and, most importantly, uncluttered. “We replaced the flooring with pale wood and opened up the living space by moving the sofa and hiding the TV,” Haydon says. “We reconfigured the space upstairs by removing a wall (which made the spare room) to create an extra living space. We have five children under the age of 12 and a dog, so my husband and I almost never listened to our music or watched the programmes we wanted to. Now the kids have their own living area – and we have a quiet space for ourselves.” The low-slung television cupboard in the split-level living and dining area (see Tried + tested) is cleverly designed, providing a display space in the living room plus storage and an upholstered bench on the dining side. In place of the porcelain there are a few well-chosen accessories, including vintage family photographs and natural elements such as orchids, shells and sculptural branches of coral. A few items are familiar – a pair of lacy white ceramic jars, a Moroccan cardholder, a circular Chinese painting – but most of the furniture and accessories are new. “Since I started designing furniture, I’ve become more aware of trends, and working with customers and interior designers gives me a good sense of what works,” says Haydon. “My head was going this way [at work], which made me want to change things at home.” Haydon collaborates with designer Nathalie Edwards on a range of fashionable furniture for House of Edwards, available through Bowerbird Home, in Ap Lei Chau. Some of the designs are showcased in Haydon’s home but, despite the abundance of mirrors, bold patterns and luxurious materials (“We use lots of gold”), it’s the artwork that shines. “That’s why I chose a neutral colour scheme,” says Haydon. “Most of the pieces are vintage Hermès scarves, which I collect. I love Damien Hirst but I can’t afford his art so I bought a limited-edition scarf he produced for Alexander McQueen last year.” There is a second Hirst-designed scarf at the top of the stairs, which have been transformed with grey walls, foxed mirrors and a chandelier. They lead directly into the new living area, where more mirrors make the most of the light at the back of the now three-bedroom home. In the bedroom shared by Haydon’s three sons, the navy walls have been painted white. Timothy Oulton flag cushions and some select gifts from a devoted godmother – a fossilised shark’s tooth, a crocodile skull, child-sized Roman armour – add colour and interest. The master bedroom has also received a glamorous redesign, with only an armchair surviving the transition. Chosen for comfort was the bed, bought from the Westin hotel chain and customised with a linen headboard. It is flanked by tall bedside tables and faces a matching armoire with a foxedmirror finish. “Layering the furniture at different heights makes the room more interesting and gives it contrast,” Haydon says. “I enjoy the drama.” Living room Taking pride of place in the living room is a triptych by Beulah van Rensburg (9/F, Hop Shi Factory Building, 31 Lee Chung Street, Chai Wan, tel: 5411 1881). The skull scarf by Damien Hirst was sourced from Alexander McQueen (www.alexandermcqueen.com). The Fez rug in New Zealand wool (HK$24,900), chaise longue in Osborne & Little cotton velvet (HK$15,000) and perspex coffee table (HK$13,900) are all by House of Edwards for Bowerbird Home (2/F, Oceanic Industrial Centre, 2 Lee Lok Street, Ap Lei Chau, tel: 2552 2727). Also from Bowerbird Home are the charcoal velvet Surrey sofa (HK$15,990), Belgian linen Cambridge sofa (HK$22,900), Pierre Frey and House of Edwards cushions (HK$2,500 to HK$3,500 each), iron and marble side table (HK$11,500), brass and crystal chandeliers (HK$7,990 each) and pair of oak table lamps (HK$1,990 each). The Tom Dixon Flash side table (HK$3,900), by the balcony doors, came from Lane Crawford Home Store (Pacific Place, Admiralty, tel: 2118 3668). Dining room The marble and gold-tinted stainless-steel table (HK$29,990), dining chairs (HK$4,290 each) in Osborne & Little velvet and brass and Horizon wool carpet (HK$25,000) are by House of Edwards from Bowerbird Home. The iron mirror (HK$6,900) and brass hanging light (HK$18,990) are from Bowerbird Home. The candlesticks were a gift. The wallpaper came from Goodrich (25/F, Tiffan Tower, 199 Wan Chai Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2136 0577). The console was designed by Nathalie Edwards of Life Styling (17/F, Carfield Commercial Building, 77 Wyndham Street, Central, tel: 2521 2772). Polly, the family cat, sits beside antique jars bought many years ago. Dining room detail The bench and cupboard were made by contractor Wing Tai (11/F, 582 Canton Road, Kwong Fat Commercial Building, 582 Canton Road, Jordan, tel: 2780 0186) for HK$20,000. The vintage velvet and oak chair (HK$2,990) and vintage Hermès scarf (HK$18,000) were from Bowerbird Home. Master suite The pillow-topped Heavenly Bed (HK$11,000) came from the Westin hotel in Shenzhen (www.westinstore.com). The Belgian linen headboard (HK$6,990), vintage Hermès scarf hanging above it (HK$15,900), bedside tables (HK$9,990 each), Dressmaker table lamps (HK$5,990 each), crystal candlesticks (HK$290 each), Masserano Cashmere throw (HK$6,459) and cushions (Liberty, HK$690 each; lambswool, HK$1,190) were all from Bowerbird Home. Bedroom detail The Belgian linen armchair and ottoman (HK$8,900) came from Indigo Living (various locations; www.indigo-living.com). The foxed-mirror cabinet (HK$58,000), velvet cushion (HK$1,200), brass and faux shagreen table (HK$8,990), vase (HK$490) and lamp (HK$2,900) were all from Bowerbird Home. The photograph, Verticalité, Centrale Hydraulique, by Aurélien Villette, came from Yellow Korner (various locations; www.yellowkorner.com). Boys’ bedroom The Aspace bunk beds (HK$9,999 for the set) came from Bumps to Babes (two locations; www.bumpstobabes.com). The grey linen headboard (HK$3,390) for the single Ikea bed came from Bowerbird Home, as did the antique-look trunk (HK$2,190) and striped sisal carpet (HK$2,390). The art is by Australian photographer Murray Hilton (www.murrayhilton.com). The flag cushions (HK$650 each) were from Timothy Oulton (15 St Francis Street, Wan Chai, tel: 2528 9011). The modern ceiling lamp was bought years ago from a shop in Wan Chai. Staircase The mirrors (HK$390 each) and wire chandelier (HK$14,990) came from Bowerbird Home. The painting, by Ye Hongxing, came from Zee Stone Gallery (Chinachem Hollywood Centre, 1 Hollywood Road, Central, tel: 2810 5895). TV slides into cupboard when not in use Shifting the focus of the living room away from the television was crucial to Philippa Haydon's redesign. "I had planned to mount the TV low down between the living and dining areas, but the carpenter suggested hiding it inside the cupboard and using a [remote-control] motor to raise it up and down. It made my husband's day when he saw it," she says. The TV cupboard and dining room bench were custom built by contractor Wing Tai for HK$20,000.

Out goes the clutter for second makeover of Tai Tam duplex

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}A furniture designer has transformed a Tai Tam duplex for a second time

A furniture designer has transformed a Tai Tam duplex for a second time