A Bold Family Abode

In designing this home in Hong Kong’s coastal Sai Kung, YC Chen of local studio hoo decided to make every surface a visual highlight, and the result is a riot of colour and texture. Here, Chen shares more about the project

Design Anthology: How did you meet the clients, and what can you tell us about them?

YC Chen: They first saw our work on social media. They’re a really happy family of four, with two little kids, and they’re very casual and down to earth. They had been living in this apartment for ten years already and wanted to totally change it up.

What’s unique about the building and the location?

It’s an old-style low-rise apartment on the Sai Kung peninsula, a lush, tropical area of Hong Kong. At 150 square metres, the home is really spacious, and it’s also very bright.

 How did you approach the project — what design references did you try to incorporate into the space?

Since the clients were really quite bored of their home, we wanted to make each area new and eye-catching. We tried to use rich colours, but all underpinned by a mid-century modern theme. The clients were really open minded — they welcomed new ideas and accepted almost everything we proposed.

 Please tell us a little about the material choices for the space.

We gave each area a unique feature element. In the living and dining area, we went with an urban video-game themed wallpaper and a hand-painted finish behind the television; the son’s bedroom is jungle-themed, while the daughter’s bedroom walls are covered in flamingos. The master suite has a theme of flower petals and cane furniture. We also used a lot of geometric floor materials.

 Do you have a favourite element or design detail in the interiors?

Our favourite custom-designed piece is the closet island in the master suite, with cane and brass legs — we love it! I also really like the bold, colourful wallpapers, they make each space richer and visually pleasing.

Images / Courtesy of hoo