Why Nordic design is perfect for Hong Kong homes – Happy Valley apartment shows secret lies in storage
Wallpaper replaces art as creative focus in a clean, colourful home that is delightfully clutter free
The key to achieving the clean, uncluttered aesthetics of Scandinavian design in a 750 sq ft flat is storage. Lots of it. So when it came to giving their Happy Valley home a Nordic makeover, Oscar Kwoh and his wife appointed an expert in the art of hiding the messy ephemera of daily life, Pamela Lee, of PJL Interior Design.
“We knew Pam through my sister, whose apartment she renovated in Wan Chai [in 2015],” Kwoh says. “We really liked the clean design and all the storage, and my wife was particularly impressed with the large kitchen she managed to create.
“We didn’t want a white box. We wanted something interesting, with colour.”
And that’s what they got.
Instead of artwork, Lee created visual impact through statement wallpaper and unusual tiles in a subtle palette of blue, beige and white. Soft furnishings – notably the couple’s favourite Verner Panton Heart Cone Chair, in scarlet – add pops of colour.
“The clients don’t like wall paint or paintings – they only have one piece of art, by Paris artist Jean-Pierre Weill – so we used wallpaper for colour and interest,” Lee says. “The stripes [in the living room] make the walls look even taller. The ceilings are already nine feet high.”