East meets West in a Chinese-American banker’s Hong Kong apartment

First impressions are important but, when it comes to Hong Kong property, so is the ability to see potential. Take this 35-year-old Caine Road unit, now a light-filled, two-bedroom flat designed to be inviting for family and friends.

“The first time I came in here, it was so dark and noisy that I wasn’t sure how to turn it into a place to call home,” recalls mother-of-two Jennifer Cao, who has also lived in New York, Shanghai and Spain. The well-travelled Chinese-American banker none­theless bought the flat three years ago and embarked on what she describes as a “transformative journey”, overhauling the 1,367 sq ft space, which she shares with a teenage son (her eldest is at university).

Wanting the unit revamped with reminders of her past, Cao sought an East-meets-West style incorporating keepsakes. She also wanted fewer but more usable rooms, maximum natural light and a convivial ambience.

“She wanted something more social,” says Rowena Gonzales, founder of design studio Liquid Interiors. “When people come in here, everyone can just hang out.”

The flat’s generous living areas, which open onto a balcony, were just the ticket. Vaguely polygonal in shape, but divided in the middle, one half accommo­dates a kitchen and dining area, the other a living room and cosy “tea lounge”. A balcony ties both sides together at the front.

To improve the flow, the kitchen was opened up to allow free movement to the adjoining dining area. Natural light through the balcony doors helps to illuminate back corners. Brass accents and Spanish hand-painted accessories add zest to a clean, white space delineated by a patterned tile floor.