How a couple made two average Hong Kong flats into a two-storey family duplex
Pair bought their dream home in city’s Mid-Levels then were able to get the flat below, and combined them into a warm space with plenty of storage for their keepsakes and room for their young daughter
When Sabine and William Edwards moved from Britain to Hong Kong 10 years ago, they visited Prince’s Terrace, in Mid-Levels, and found themselves charmed by its leafy, car-free atmosphere. Its upmarket prices were less friendly, though, so they bought a more affordable place in Sai Ying Pun. When prices in that neighbourhood began to soar, however, they cashed in and found a place on the street that had first captured their hearts.
Their luck didn’t end there. Four years after moving in, when the couple were preparing to welcome their first child, the apartment below went on the market, opening up the possibility of a duplex.
“We wanted it to be designer-y but not sterile,” says Sabine, who works for an events company.
“Neither of us is into the minimalist aesthetic,” adds William, a marketing executive. “So many places look the same these days and we tried to avoid that.”
“I designed around storage space,” says Chan, only half joking.