Monochromatic minimalism, statement furniture in duplex Hong Kong family home that’s filled with an architect’s little magic tricks
- An architect added hidden doors and ‘floating’ cupboards to a 2,000 sq ft apartment in Yuen Long that needed to fit a family’s love of entertaining guests
- The result is a contemporary home that functions as ‘a great party house’ featuring an open kitchen, a dining room with seating for 10 and a vast living room
This Hong Kong duplex is full of secrets.
Cupboards “float” and corridors conceal. Hidden doorways lead to … where?
The little magic tricks that architect Edward Lau Tak-tai employed in his renovation of the five-year-old, 2,000 sq ft (186 square metres) residence in Yuen Long, in the New Territories, completed in February, were in part a response to inherent constraints.
“I would’ve liked to have removed every wall,” says Lau, founder of ED Design. “Most were alterable, but some were structural, so I had to work around them.”
The household comprises a retired couple and their adult son. The family had moved to Yuen Long, in the New Territories, because it is midway between the son’s Hong Kong and Shenzhen offices, while his parents were attracted to the district’s greenery and quiet environs.
The original floor plan had five bedrooms spread over two levels. The new owners had no need for so much accommodation, but they are a family that loves to entertain, so wanted bigger social spaces.