How Hong Kong design studio Bean Buro helped a couple to re-feather their empty nest

After their two adult daughters left home, Edward and Alissa Chan decided it was time to re-feather their empty nest. The Hong Kong couple had lived in their Repulse Bay apartment for about two decades and wear and tear over the years from a growing family meant it was ripe for a makeover. In 2019, they commissioned architects Kenny Kinugasa-Tsui and Lorène Faure, co-founders of design studio Bean Buro, to refurbish and refresh the 1,680 sq ft flat.

“Although their children had grown up and moved out, Edward and Alissa didn’t want to leave their apartment because they loved its location and its exceptional ocean and mountain views,” says Kinugasa-Tsui. “Additionally, because they now have grandchildren, they wanted somewhere warm and welcoming to host the new generation as well as friends.”

The design team had a free hand to respond to the brief, which was to create an inviting, family-friendly environment that would also suit the sociable lifestyle of the stylish semi-retired couple. This required a full refurbishment, so the Chans moved out for five months while walls came down and everything down to the kitchen sink was replaced.

The concept behind the design of the two-bedroom apartment involved the use of a series of arched portals, lined with anodised stainless steel the colour of bronze. The softly curving arches act as thresholds for the dining room, living area and reading lounge and promote the flow of light and movement through the various communal spaces. They blur the boundaries between them while simultaneously distinguishing one area from another.

“The arches make the apartment feel more layered and create the experience of a journey through the different zones while keeping them all visually connected,” says Kinugasa-Tsui.