Hong Kong empty nesters create a minimalist space for two in ‘safe’ Pok Fu Lam

Staying in Pok Fu Lam was the priority for Heather and James Francombe when they decided to downsize from a family home to an apartment. The Scottish couple, who have lived in Hong Kong since the early 1970s and who raised their children in the area, love it for its safety and convenience: Heather teaches health care management at the nearby University of Hong Kong and the new transport links are a bonus.

After viewing more than 15 properties, the couple came across a three-bedroom flat on quiet Mount Davis Road last year. Their first impressions of what is now a bright and open apartment were not great, however. The corridor linking the living area with the bedrooms was narrow, dark and overly long, recalls interior designer Debi Yeung-Salansy, of Debi Yeung Design. “It was like a bowling alley.”

However, the Francombes, with Yeung-Salansy’s advice, went ahead with the purchase.

“We were convinced there were things we could do to open up and improve the space,” Heather says.

Converting the 1,500 sq ft apartment from what had been a family home into a minimalist retirement pad took about five months. As well as the main bedroom, with en-suite bathroom, there is a guest bedroom for visiting children and grandchildren, and a study.

Yeung-Salansy installed a pair of sliding glass doors on two sides of the study, which can be opened as needed into the guest bedroom and the corridor to create more space and allow light to flood into the otherwise dark office.