A couple’s minimalist apartment pares down furniture to the bare essentials to emphasise its stunning views of Hong Kong
- ‘This place forces us to live minimally,’ says Carina Ngai of Ho Man Tin flat whose styling avoids distracting from its views of Kowloon and Victoria Harbour
- A redesign opened up the apartment and a calming colour palette imbues it with tranquillity. A Japanese onsen inspired the bathroom’s cave-like feel
Kyle and Carina Ngai’s Ho Man Tin flat must have the best urban outlook in Hong Kong. From the front and side windows, the flat overlooks Kowloon, Victoria Harbour and the skyline beyond to Lion Rock Country Park.
To keep the sweeping views as the unrivalled focal point of every room, the couple adopted a minimal approach to decorating, with only essential pieces of furniture and a deliberate absence of art.
“We didn’t want anything indoors to compete with the view, but we actually like living with less,” says Carina. “Our previous apartment had more storage space, but it still felt cluttered.
“I wouldn’t say we naturally live minimally. This place forces us to live minimally, although I initially thought we wouldn’t be able to sustain it. We are conscious of not buying more things in order to keep our home clutter-free.”
The 1,600 sq ft (149 square metre) flat, which Kyle’s parents own, became vacant after he left the family nest and they moved into another flat in the same block.
Eight years later, he decided to reclaim it for himself and Carina. Because Ada Leung Wai-yee, of Adapa Architects, had renovated it for the family in 2007, she was the Ngais’ first port of call in 2019.