A film director’s flat where vintage Ikea and props stand proudly among art and antiques
Song Ze Hua, an engineer-turned-filmmaker, has created the ultimate set in his eclectic Hong Kong apartment
It’s handy being handy. And engineer-turned-filmmaker Song Ze Hua is certainly that. “I spent my childhood building things,” he says. “I thought that if there could be a job of inventor, that would be the title I would want to have. Engineering was the closest thing.”
So it’s no surprise that Song occupied the director’s chair in the redesign of his 1,100 sq ft Mid-Levels apartment, which was overseen by Moore Chen Interior.
When he bought the unit 12 years ago – having chosen Mid-Levels because he wanted to be close to both trees and transport – he stripped it back to its concrete shell and set about enlarging the windows and reconfiguring the rooms.
“The most essential thing for a happy living space is good light,” he says. “Second is decent ambience that you make yourself.”
Living in Hong Kong is a real challenge […] Everyone needs space and that’s what this apartment was designed for – to create the maximum feeling of space
Layout enhances atmosphere. To make the flat feel larger, Song created two bedrooms from three, and ensured there was ample storage throughout: two sizeable cupboards are built into the wall between the main bedroom and living area, one opening into each space. The kitchen segues into the living area while a porthole door divides the bedrooms and bathrooms from the main living zone.