Inside an Alvar Aalto-inspired family home in Hong Kong – no sharp edges allowed
Undulating walls snaking through the futuristic space give rhythm to the 2,080 sq ft child-friendly flat
If ever there were a designer who knew his way around a curve it was 20th-century Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. The softer face of modernism, he is perhaps best known for his sensuous glass vases, wavy wooden screens, and undulating walls and ceilings. Never one to use a straight line when a curved one would do, Aalto was the inspiration for Bean Buro’s design of this 2,080 sq ft, four-bedroom, two-bathroom flat in Pok Fu Lam.
The main organising feature in its living spaces is a sinuous Aalto-style grey-green curved timber wall, which snakes from the balcony through the lounge, dining area and the length of the kitchen. Along the way, it is punctuated by the entrance foyer, a display alcove – backed by its own integrated Aalto curve in white marble – kitchen worktops and plenty of hidden storage, including a walk-in shoe cupboard.
“The clients [William and Cordelia Black and their two children, aged three and two] wanted no sharp edges. The wall is child-friendly and also makes the space continuous – the curves give a rhythm to the space,” says Bean Buro’s senior interior designer, Pauline Paradis.
More curves appear throughout the apartment in the contours of the ceilings, round-cornered wardrobes and mirrors, and circular doorknobs. Also uniting the scheme is a monochrome palette of soft grey and white, with black metal details, all in hard-wearing, childproof materials.
“Our previous apartment was all black – it was originally my bachelor pad – and I wanted to do the same again, but this time my wife insisted the black be kept to a minimum,” says William Black (not his real name).
While the size of the 40-year-old apartment was important, the couple say they chose it for “the sea view and the fresh air”, and because they were familiar with the building: William’s godmother has lived in the block for years. As the apartment had barely been touched since it was built, they had no hesitation in stripping it back to its bare bones and starting again.