Designer furniture, room for a future baby: first-time Hong Kong homebuyers give high-floor apartment the high-end luxury treatment
- A couple fond of the finer things in life reached out to interior designer Samantha Soo to give their new high-rise home in Happy Valley a glamorous makeover
- Muted luxury was the name of the game, with touches like a shoe display, rounded edges instead of angular corners, brass accents and designer furniture
Widening their search scope, while staying true to their priorities, has paid dividends for two young first-time homebuyers.
Newlyweds Helen Chau Hoi Man and Kelvin Li Yee Sing had been house-hunting elsewhere on Hong Kong Island when their agent persuaded them to consider a 1,541 sq ft (143 square metre), high-floor flat in Happy Valley.
“We had certain criteria we were very firm on: natural light, high ceilings, and not too old,” says Chau, the owner and principal of Singapore-based private investment firm ALXZA Holdings.
The couple also liked the three-bedroom, three-bathroom layout of the flat, built in 2011, which, as a bonus, has views of surrounding greenery.
Another plus was the large kitchen, a long galley shape with a big window at the end. “This had a great family vibe for us,” says Chau. “It’s a living space as well,” adds Li, an investment banker. “We enjoy chatting and spending time together as we cook.”
Once the flat was bought, in February 2022, Samantha Soo, founder and creative director of Studiossoo, started work on the redesign. Soo came up with ideas tailored to the lifestyle of her clients, who are fond of the finer things in life.
