How Hong Kong designer created a sense of the unexpected in an Ap Lei Chau apartment
- Meeting all of the style requirements of a couple and their grown up children was an exercise in harmony for artist Andrew Tsui
- ‘Balance and compromise were key throughout the process – nothing too minimal, too edgy or too traditional, he says’
When renovating a home, it can be relatively easy for parents to steer younger children towards the decor that they want.
Once said offspring are adults, with strong opinions of their own, it can be much trickier – especially when one of the “kids” has a background in architecture.
This was the situation for Hong Kong couple Kolin and Cindy Cheung when they bought a 1,800 sq ft flat in Ap Lei Chau for their family of four. As they have two children in their 20s, whose decorating style bears little resemblance to that of their parents, they enlisted interior designer and artist Andrew Tsui to come up with solutions that would unite their design differences and avoid family conflict.
“It’s natural to have your own ideas about interior design but they all wanted different things,” explains Tsui, creative director of A Project Interior Design, Bad Boy Andy wall art and Be Nuts art toys. “Kolin and Cindy prefer a simple but sophisticated style while their children love fun and trendy interiors. Balance and compromise were key throughout the process – nothing too minimal, too edgy or too traditional.”
As the lady of the house wanted to showcase her collection of decorative accessories in mixed metals, Tsui came up with a neutral background scheme, which also met with the approval of the Cheungs’ stylish son and daughter.
To keep it interesting, Tsui integrated geometric panelling throughout the four-bedroom, four-bathroom flat in the form of vertical oak wood veneer strips across an entire wall in the living room and along the corridors, omitting conventional door handles so as not to mar the design continuity.
Copper lines criss-cross feature walls in the bedrooms, which are lined with textured wallpaper reminiscent of pony skin, and shelving units are backed with the kind of pretty mosaic tiles more commonly found in bathrooms.
“I wanted to create a sense of the unexpected without it seeming too weird,” says Tsui. “Kolin and Cindy often requested that certain aspects be plainer but once I’d coaxed them out of their comfort zone, they loved the outcome.”
Counterbalancing all the straight lines are window frames, niches and light troughs with rounded corners. These give the apartment a retro vibe yet also feel ultra-modern.
“I was inspired by the space age and the idea of living in a futuristic space capsule,” says Tsui.
He kept the interior themes consistent throughout the home, modifying or intensifying the decor in each area according to the user. In the young adults’ bedrooms, for example, he used a stronger colour palette and added playful pop art prints and cartoon figures of two interplanetary beings, Stun and Nuts, which he had created especially for them.
The main bedroom has been given a much softer, more elegant treatment to suit the parents’ tastes. Although Tsui stuck predominantly to the original layout, he turned two separate bedrooms into a self-contained main suite, comprising a bedroom and walk-in wardrobe and a bathroom that is the epitome of a room with a view, overlooking vibrant Aberdeen harbour.
Tsui’s designs also had to satisfy the Cheungs’ feng shui master. He did this by putting his own spin on the traditional practice, most notably with the addition of abstract art. A mixed-media piece in the entrance hall, for example, portrays fish (thought to invite wealth and prosperity into the home) while his representation of sea and sky spreads over two large canvasses in the living area.
There’s a little story behind each piece, which makes them more personal
“I don’t know how to draw in the traditional Chinese way so I’ve done them in a contemporary style, which suits the apartment better,” he says. “There’s a little story behind each piece, which makes them more personal.”
As the apartment has exceptional sea and green views, Tsui also placed a large circular mirror on the back wall of the main living space to reflect the scene, thereby incorporating wood, earth and water elements into the room, as requested.
The project took about 10 months to complete although Tsui said he didn’t rest until every aspect was perfect and had received a thumbs up from all the family members.
“I treat every project like a piece of art – not just an interior,” he says. “It is an ongoing process and even the smaller details contribute to the big picture.”
Entrance hall Bad Boy Andy’s fish artwork in the entrance hall is a contemporary twist on a traditional image. The marble tiles came from Pacific Marble.
Living room Large abstract paintings by Bad Boy Andy take centre stage in the living area against an oakwood veneer panelling effect. The Get Back sofa, by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba, the Bob coffee tables, by Jean-Marie Massaud, and the Fidelio bench, by Roberto Lazzeroni, all came from Poltrona Frau.
The rug, by Calvin Klein, and the Glam pendant light, by Officina Luce, both came from Farrington Interiors. The bookshelves and audiovisual cabinet were both designed and made by A Project Interior Design and the Stun figure is from Be Nuts by Tsui. The marble behind the television was from Pacific Marble.
Balcony The balcony leading off the main living area is a wonderful place to watch the maritime world go by. The Viola outdoor chair and table, by AB Concept, came from Poltrona Frau. The ice bucket, by Michael Aram, was from Farrington Interiors.
Dining area The Montera dining chairs, by Roberto Lazzeroni, and the dining table were from Poltrona Frau. The pink Murano glass vase, by Maria Christina Hamel, came from Salviati and the water decanter was by Tom Dixon.
Above the table, the Nabila ceiling light, by Tooy, and to the left of the wall unit, the orange Spillray pendant, by Axolight, both came from Zodiac Lighting. The Do We Really Care mirrored artwork was by Bad Boy Andy. The round wall mirror and the shelving unit were designed and custom made by A Project Interior Design.
On the unit displays stand, from left to right, are Gold Pear, by Bull & Stein, from Farrington Interiors; Mickey Welcome Dégradé, by Leblon-Delienne, from Selfridges; a Mood flatware set by Christofle; Holiday Space by Kaws; and a bronze balloon dog from an unknown source.
Main bedroom The Coupé bed in the main bedroom came from Poltrona Frau and the bedside tables were designed and made by A Project Interior Design.
Tsui used the same decor theme as in the other bedrooms but muted it slightly: the feature wall is covered in a light-coloured Indomptée wallpaper, by Élitis, and the Wonder pendant lights (only one visible), by Penta from Zodiac Lighting, are more delicate than lighting elsewhere.
Walk-in wardrobe Comprising built-in cupboards, shelving and a vanity table, the walk-in wardrobe was designed and made by A Project Interior Design. The Montera chair, by Roberto Lazzeroni, came from Poltrona Frau and the white box was from Indigo Living.
Tried + tested
Hidden depths Rather than lying flush against the glass panes, the window frames are positioned about 50cm in front of them. Together with layers of curtains, this feature gives the room depth but also offers the Cheung family extra space to hide suitcases and other possessions that aren’t needed all the time. In the main bedroom, a window seat covers the space.
The Ren mirror, by Neri & Hu, and the Jim Thompson collection of cushions all came from Poltrona Frau.
