A Suitably Stylish Home
Desmond Wong’s home is as tasteful as you’d expect from the founder of Archetypal, one of Hong Kong’s foremost lifestyle and design stores. Here, Wong shares more about the process of renovating and designing his own apartment
Design Anthology: Where is your apartment?
Desmond Wong: It’s in Sai Ying Pun, on the western side of Hong Kong Island and at the foot of Victoria Peak.
What drew you to this neighbourhood in particular?
Sai Ying Pun is a fine example of how Hong Kong’s new and old integrate with each other. It’s full of unique independent shops and coffee spots amongst your everyday local stores.
What’s the size of the apartment?
The unit has a footprint of about 50 square metres and is on an upper floor of a relatively new residential block.
What did the renovation entail?
The apartment’s original floor plan consisted of two small bedrooms, a storage room and a balcony. Although more than ten years old, the original kitchen was still in great condition, so we left that untouched, while the rest of the unit was transformed over three months to become a one-bedroom apartment. We removed the bathtub and installed a walk-in shower; the two bedrooms were knocked into one master bedroom and the storage unit was merged with the living room to create a more open layout, and we installed new arched doors. We also incorporated a raised decking platform on the balcony to bring it level with the interior floors, which creates visual continuity in the space. We then rewired the entire space with a smart home system and installed architectural lighting.
Did you get any help with the interior design?
I’m not trained as an interior designer, but I’ve worked in the furniture and lighting industry for quite some time, so I definitely had a strong idea of how this apartment would turn out. However, I did ask a few of my professional acquaintances for advice, namely Nelson Chow from NCDA and Sally Richardson from via., both here in Hong Kong.
Where did you find the furnishings?
My home is furnished mainly with pieces from Archetypal and Zodiac Lighting, which is my father’s lighting brand. The designers I went with range from emerging to established, including Minneapolis-based Blu Dot, Vietnamese brand District Eight, Sp01 from Australia, Italian studio Giopato & Coombes, Australian heritage brand Rakumba, veteran Tom Dixon, experimental British studio Haberdashery, up-and-coming local studio Voltra and London-based hardware brand Buster + Punch.
Do you have a favourite piece?
My favourite piece is definitely the specially commissioned artwork by my dear friend Bennett Bossert. It was the last piece to be installed and it certainly adds much needed depth and texture to the space.
What’s your favourite spot in the apartment?
I really paid attention in the living room area, where we built an additional wall over an existing window to create a focal point of the views of Victoria Harbour as you enter, while also adding an extra layer of privacy from the neighbouring building. Additionally, we positioned the sofa in such a way that all the essential Hong Kong appliances, like the air purifier and dehumidifier, can be hidden behind it, avoiding any visual clutter as you walk in.
As told to / Suzy Annetta
Images / Harold de Puymorin
