Why a Hong Kong mother bought and renovated a flat for her three adult children

Set in an industrial building overlooking the sea, the 1,600 sq ft (149 square metre) studio has large windows that flood the space with natural light, as well as a cubical staircase leading to a mezzanine room and a sunny, glass-encased office, both of which were added by Chow. Her ingenuity ensures that all five essential feng shui elements – wood, fire, earth, metal, water – are always on display.

In the entranceway, a large fish tank aswirl with colourful guppies stands beside framed calligraphy (reading “Fate and Destiny”) and a large Himalayan Buddhist thangka (scroll painting used for worship in Tibetan Buddhism) depicting Kwan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion.

The area opens onto an airy open-plan kitchen, dining area and workspace, where, every day, Chow lays out a compass, brushes and calligraphic heart mantra sutras, which she writes as a form of meditation.

Effort also went into ensuring furniture was aligned to avoid energy-oppressing beams, while low-slung sofas maintain sight lines, and doors were covered with traditional Japanese noren fabric dividers, while a plethora of wooden items – the staircase, kitchen tables, vintage chairs – accentuate the foliage of the surrounding hills. A green industrial scale and marble block came from a relative who worked in a Chinese medicine shop. 

“I have a fondness for vintage goods. A lot of my furniture has been passed down from friends. Vintage items have a heavier energy to them, some history, some kind of soul almost. New things can feel empty to me,” says Chow. 

“Your home should be a storybook of your life, your habits, what you’ve gone through, what you like and dislike,” adds Chow. “If I look within that book, I can read the clues and help the client to rearrange their story to manifest better things for them now and in the future. I can hack into it and maximise positivity.”

“Some people need drastic changes and I have had clients who have removed walls, built new rooms or added windows, but a complete overhaul usually isn’t necessary.”

For those seeking to create a balanced and harmonious home, Chow suggests that the prime consideration is natural sunlight; “If you don’t have sunlight, make sure you have warm lighting – no fluorescent lights, choose soft bulbs and lamps instead.” Second is selecting furnishings and decorations that mean something to you; “like a gift from your grandma, a favourite painting, or something that gives you a nice fuzzy feeling when you look at it”, says Chow.

A Hong Kong interior designer transformed a couple’s rented apartment into a colourful, art-filled home

Then there’s colour, which can be used symbolically. For example, Chow uses a pink neon sign, scented candles and coral-coloured curtains to represent the fire element. 

“You need to ensure that you have all five elements,” reminds Chow. Plants echo the earth and can be positioned to enhance money and career energy – although its best to avoid spiky cactuses.

A water feature or fish tank will help to attract abundance. Metallic decorations offset bad energy, cool and bring clarity. Chow channels metal with raw crystals and a vintage gold shop sign. 

“Feng shui has been around for so long and there are a lot of misconceptions but I like to focus on the positives and hope people will see feng shui in a more modern way,” says Chow. 

Living area

“I was walking past an old shop in Sheung Wan that was closing down and asked if I could buy their sign,” says Chow of the gold metal character (meaning “to go”) positioned in front of the window. Tables and chairs, inherited from friends, are positioned to distinguish two separate sitting areas. A Berber-style rug from Lane Crawford (lanecrawford.com.hk), a globe from Homeless (homeless.hk) and a forest of plants add to the relaxed look.

Living area detail

Potato’s favourite beanbag came from Muji (muji.com). It’s backed by a jumbo mahjong tile storage box that was once used as a prop at a social event. The red bird and granite dog are from Chow’s own range of feng shui accessories, Go Lucky (thierrygolucky.com). “I just love the whole Flower Market experience,” says Chow, who buys nearly all of her plants from Mong Kok Flower Market (flower-market.hk).

Kitchen

The kitchen was inherited from the previous tenants and has been enhanced with a dresser from Ikea (ikea.com.hk), tables and chairs passed down from friends, and crockery from Mariane Chan Ceramics Design (mceramicsdesign.com). A noren fabric door hanging, found in Tokyo, separates the kitchen from the powder room. Adding to the eclectic look are two lion heads, once used in traditional Chinese lion dances, which were bought from a second-hand store in Sham Shui Po years ago. 

Office 

An avid market shopper, Chow picked up her fish tank from the Goldfish Market (goldfish-market.hk) on Tung Choi Street in Prince Edward. The artworks and neon sign were props in a film that Chow worked on. 

Sitting area 

Sleeping and relaxing beneath beams is considered to be bad feng shui; the mezzanine space and Ikea sofa have been aligned to avoid negative energy pressing down from the ceiling joist. Most of Chow’s furnishings have been donated from friends, including the black wardrobe, television bench, acrylic coffee table and lamp. The rug is from Lane Crawford.

Entrance

Chow’s entranceway is framed by a striking Tibetan thangka of Kwan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion, and framed calligraphy that reads “Fate and Destiny”. Standing next to another Goldfish Market tank, she holds a feng shui compass that was a gift from her father.

Tried & Tested

The cubicle staircase multitasks as a bookcase and canine passageway, breaking up the open-plan living area without halting the path of light (or the dogs) through the studio. “It’s my own design,” says Chow, who commissioned a friend to build the piece with chipboard.