“Most of the windows are south-facing, and since the building is located in the middle of a hill, almost all of the views are unobstructed,” says Eric Liu Chun-man, co-founder, with Ada Wong Sze-wai, of LittleMORE.

The two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment had been renovated in years past, but the design team realigned several internal walls to allow its occupants to move around with ease.

Wu and her husband, a fan of Bauhaus style, offered much input into the fit-out and personalisation of the space.

Known for prioritising functionality over ornamentation, the Bauhaus minimalist approach appears in the use of clean lines and geometric forms.

“Bauhaus interiors typically feature a neutral colour palette with an emphasis on black, white and shades of grey,” says Liu. “However, here, a bold green accent chosen for the kitchen cabinetry and bathroom tiles adds visual interest. Wood is applied vertically on facings to complement the overall minimalist and modern aesthetic and add a homey feel.”

Liu and Wong’s idea to interconnect the bedrooms resonated with everyone. Replacing the old dividing wall with sliding partitions and functional joinery gives both parents private space, always in sight of each other. A built-in bookcase and desk unit endows the smaller bedroom with a study-cum-reading nook catering to the father’s interests.

Currently, one doorway gives access to both bedrooms. In the future, should a live-in helper or carer be required, separate access can be restored to retain the owners’ privacy in the main bedroom they would then share.

Replacing the wall between the main bedroom and living area with custom joinery was another well-received solution. On one side, this provides a large bank of wardrobes for the mother; on the other, a wall unit displaying family photos and mementos reflects various stages of the couple’s life together.

“The pictures help them to reminisce,” Wu says. Also incorporated is more library shelving. “Books are very important to my father,” she adds.

For her mother, who loves to cook for her family, grandchildren included, the kitchen is her favourite area. Already made open plan courtesy of the previous renovation, it is enhanced by the addition of an island anchoring the combined kitchen/living/dining zone.

When the whole family gathers for regular meals in the apartment, “we can all chat or watch television as the food is prepared,” says Wu.

Again looking to possible future scenarios, the bathroom was considered too small, and potentially unsafe for anyone with limited mobility. This was resolved by cribbing some floor space from the kitchen to allow for a bigger shower and vanity unit. The new walk-in shower can later accommodate a chair or stool and grab rails if needed, and the floor tiles are non-slip.

Liu says these modifications, completed in June 2023, have created a dynamic caregiving environment that can evolve in line with the couple’s needs. Their daughter and son-in-law believe it will be a comfortable home for years to come.

Living area

The marble-topped, vertically-laid cherry wood island anchors the open-plan kitchen/living/dining space. Both the island and the wall unit holding family photographs and books were designed by LittleMORE Interior Design (littlemoredesign.net) and built by contractor INK engineering (tel: 3565 6150).

The living room sofa came from Tree (tree.com.hk) and the round coffee table from Homeless (homeless.hk). The Iconic DC-3 ceiling fan came from Elar Group (elar.com.hk) and the herringbone-pattern timber flooring was supplied by Top Floor Engineering (Shop 1A, Chuang’s Enterprise Building, 382 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 3568 6263).

Living area detail

The new island is higher on the living room-facing side to hide clutter on the worktop behind it. It also provides a handy bench for serving cups of tea. The Nordlux Clyde Spot pendant above it came from Special Lights (speciallights.com.au) and the White Surface downlights from Megaman (megaman.cc). In joinery by the entrance, LittleMORE designed a niche for daily necessities such as keys, face masks and hand sanitiser.

Dining area

To a style suggested by LittleMORE, the client sourced the dining table and chairs from Homie living (homieliv.com) and the rug from HKliving (hkliving.com). The overhead light is a Meta Pendant D from Emoh Design (emohdesign.com) and the wall light was sourced by the client from Amazon (amazon.com). The sculpture in the corner moved with the clients from their previous home.

Kitchen

Deviating from the Bauhaus-inspired black marble and white quartz benchtops, the LittleMORE-designed kitchen incorporates forest green enamel painted cabinet doors, marble pattern wall tiles from Premiere Tiles Club (atiles.hk) and an induction hob from Baumatic (baumatic.com.hk).

Mother’s bedroom

A bank of wardrobes in arched smoked oak with rattan inserts was designed by LittleMORE and made by the contractor. The two ATENA ceramic LED wall lamps above it came from amazon.co.uk. The Morandi colour wainscot design wallpaper was from Staunton & Henry (stauntonandhenry.com).

Father’s bedroom

The metal and ribbed-glass folding screen, and the timber bookcase and desk unit, were designed by LittleMORE and built by the contractor. The table lamp came from Zara Home (zarahome.com) and the chair from MH Living (mattresshubhk.com).

Bathroom

The round mirror and light were sourced by the client from Next (next.co.uk). The vanity and niche storage shelves were designed by LittleMORE and made by the contractor.

Tried + tested

A porthole in the doorway shared by the two bedrooms has both function and form. While its circular shape was inspired by Bauhaus design, the window is also a safety feature to ensure the path is clear before the door is opened.