Hong Kong flat inspired by Moroccan riads and Chinese handicrafts is a lesson in subtlety
A chic, monochromatic apartment in Tai Tam ties the owners’ favourite elements together seamlessly
Avid travellers, with a particular fondness for Morocco, the owners of a 1,500 sq ft home in Hong Kong Parkview, Tai Tam, also have a deep appreciation for traditional Chinese handicrafts, and wanted this to be reflected in the renovation of their home. The twist for the designer, Howard Chung Chi-ho, of HIR Studio, was that it still had to be chic, modern and, ideally, in a monochromatic palette.
“I love Morocco, too,” says Chung, “and a riad [a traditional Moroccan villa] has the most intricate decorations, colourful and exotic, with lots of patterns and textures. We wanted to bring a touch of that richness into the project using different geometries in different materials. But we didn’t want to create ornaments just because they are beautiful. Everything had to have a function or contribute to the overall design.”
The renovation, which took six months and was completed early last year, has translated geometric Moorish patterns into subtle and simplified embellishments throughout the two-bedroom, south-facing flat, in a design that is far from minimalist but still shaped by sleek, contemporary lines.
Taking a cue from an apple-green Chinese cabinet that the owners wanted to feature, green and gold accents provide an exotic contrast to the flat’s large expanses of black and white.
On close inspection, the monochrome surfaces reveal subtle gradations of pattern and texture. The off-white walls have been finished using perlata, an Italian plastering technique also found in riads, that gives the walls a pearlescent irregularity.