How to create a modern vibe in an antique-filled home
Blending streamlined spaces and sleek materials with classic dark wood and rattan surfaces gives a 'stylish Oriental feel' to 1,100 sq ft flat, writes Christopher DeWolf
When Louis Lau Chin-ki, of Ample Design, was hired to give a 1,100 sq ft flat in The Arch, in West Kowloon, a 21st-century makeover, he faced a problem. “The first time I met the clients, I saw they had so much old Chinese furniture,” he says. As well as collecting family heirlooms, the clients like to buy wooden antiques and Buddhist art on their travels.
“I thought it would be hard to do something modern,” says Lau. In the end, he decided to incorporate the antiques into a modern design that blends streamlined spaces and sleek materials, such as stainless steel, with classic dark wood and rattan surfaces. “It’s more open, with a stylish, Oriental feel,” says Lau.
The clients also wanted to reverse some of the renovations they had made seven years ago, when they moved in. “The first renovation reduced the size of the kitchen, so this time we had to make it bigger,” says Lau. “It’s completely new. We used dark tiles with white cabinets for contrast and a more contemporary feel.” Because the kitchen doesn’t get much light, spot lighting was installed beneath the cabinets.
The kitchen door is located next to the apartment’s main entrance, in a long hallway that leads to the living room. To allow for a smoother arrival to the kitchen, Lau installed a sliding door that provides a flush surface when closed. The entrance to the helper’s room was moved from the kitchen into the hallway, where a rattan sliding door blends in with a rattan-clad wall.
Opening up the living and dining room was a priority for the clients, who like entertaining. Lau swapped bulky furniture for less intrusive pieces, such as a light wood Matthew Hilton dining table and a custom-made coffee table with a glass top.
Lau says the living area had been dominated by a “horrible yellow stone pillar”, which he demolished – it was decorative, not structural – and replaced with a black marble feature that serves as a television backdrop. “Anyone who came here before swears this is a totally different living room,” he says.