From ‘Wong Kar-wai film set’ to ‘pied à terre in Bali’: newlyweds make their mark on unloved Hong Kong flat
A Quarry Bay ‘den’ that had been empty for 15 years has been transformed into a laid-back bolt-hole
Having decided it was time to buy their own home, newlyweds Leigh Tong Kai-yee and Alex Bent were shocked by the first property they viewed: a dilapidated flat with a ceiling blackened by a kitchen fire and a thick layer of dust covering belongings that had lain untouched for 15 years. Naturally, they bought it without looking any further.
Six months later, gangster-den appeal and a clutch of warren-like rooms have given way to an airy, bright space that makes the most of its 1,200 square feet. A two-bedroom, two-bathroom layout, with simple cabinetry in neutral colours and an abundance of greenery, creates a calming backdrop to bold metallic accents and treasured family heirlooms.
“It’s funny that, when it comes to property, I’m fine about buying and selling and then moving on,” says Bent, co-founder of boutique property development company District 15. “But when it comes to things, I want to hold on to them forever [...] I’m definitely a hoarder. Leigh is more of a Marie Kondo.”
Bent, who was born and raised in Hong Kong, has inherited a number of antique pieces from his well-travelled parents, including a Korean chest and an altar table from a monastery in the Philippines. A wall hung with landscapes includes a watercolour panorama of Tolo Harbour, the view from Bent’s family home in Sha Tin.
“We love to travel and we try to buy [a piece of art] from each country we visit,” says Tong. “We go to a lot of weddings all over the world. The last one was in Edinburgh [in Scotland] so our latest purchase is an oil painting of a mountain view there.”