A Hong Kong house that is also an art gallery
Clear Water Bay property’s architect owner creates a minimalistic interior for his tenant, an art dealer who uses the 2,100 sq ft space as both home and gallery
When he visited a three-storey village house for sale in Clear Water Bay two years ago, architect Edmond Wong Hon-chun was confronted with windows of opportunity.
The previous owner, who had no architectural or design experience, had tried to cut renovation costs by employing a company that drew up plans for the site without even having viewed it. The property ended up with two large windows facing a tall retaining wall while a small toilet, helper’s room and kitchen had little windows that overlooked the garden and greenery on the other side of the house.
Wong, of Design Corporation Limited (DCL), saw the property’s potential, so bought it, gutted it and changed the layout, keeping all communal living areas downstairs, a bedroom and study on the first floor, and the master bedroom and a guest room on the top floor.
He blocked the picture windows on the ground floor (see Tried + tested) and installed a working fireplace to add an interesting focal point. In addition, he removed the small downstairs rooms and demolished part of the first floor to create a double-height void, thereby visually connecting the living room to the upper gallery. Installing double-height glass windows instead of small fragmented panes allowed natural light to flood the living area while making the best of views overlooking a stream.
Used to designing homes for Hong Kong’s rich and famous, Wong was slightly hampered by his own, more limited budget and too many ideas. Utilising all available space, he kept the 2,100 sq ft house clean and simple, with a grey-and-white colour scheme and concrete flooring downstairs.