A dull Hong Kong flat gets a mid-century modern makeover for couple and their cats

Having lived in their Happy Valley flat for years, Richard and Annie Lung decided in 2015 that it was time to call in the experts. Although their 1,313 sq ft home had served them well, they felt the rooms were boring and lacked a cohesive design, so they engaged the services of interior design firm hoo’s Yu-Chang Chen and Natalie Tsoi Kit-wing, then moved into a hotel for six months.

“The original apartment had three bed­rooms and two bathrooms but we demolished everything except the kitchen to give the home the best functionality for Richard and Annie’s needs – they didn’t have the luxury of keeping two spare bedrooms unused,” Chen says. “We wanted to make every square foot of space work for them.”

Allowing for a master suite, the designers used the rest of the retrieved space to create a den for Richard, a dress­ing room for Annie and his ’n’ her bathrooms.

Chen and Tsoi were given carte blanche to come up with interior ideas but it was mid-century modern that won. The design style, which had its heyday between the 1930s and 1960s, is all about clean lines, gentle organic curves and an uncluttered look. To that, Tsoi added a Parisian twist.