An ‘Urban Cottage’ in the City
In designing this Guangzhou apartment, Christina Luk of Shanghai-based LUKSTUDIO sought to challenge the notion that urbanites need to escape the city in order to achieve true relaxation and rejuvenation
Design Anthology: How did you first meet the client?
Christina Luk: I first met Peter Fong when he was looking for a designer for his first project in Guangzhou. He came across one of our workspace renovation projects and loved our minimalist design. We worked together on that first project, which became lifestyle and work hub Atelier Peter Fong in the Tianhe district.
Can you tell us about him and his lifestyle?
Peter is the founder of APF.KAFE and Atelier Peter Fong. He’s very laid back, a foodie and someone who pursues quality in life. Being a millennial, he was exposed to the world of design from a young age, and he’s not afraid to adapt to new things. He’s also his own boss, which means his young family spends a lot of time at home together — now more than ever.
What was the brief for the project?
The original apartment was really dated, with shiny marble and lots of dark wood, so he wanted to change the material palette to better suit his young family. The previous layout had rooms along the exterior envelop, resulting in a dark central dining area, and so our starting point was to improve the natural light and flow between spaces.
What was your approach and how is this realised in the completed home?
We wanted to change the layout to bring in more natural light. The new layout opens up the study and sees a new multifunctional table placed next to the south window — both simple changes that help bring light into the centre of the home, where there is now an open kitchen and a connected living and dining area.
The new circulation path between living space and bedrooms has been optimised with an entire wall of storage, and within this new white ‘box’ we carved three different voids or niches. The one at the foyer is a seating nook, while the corner display niche is essential for creating visual connections in the apartment. Finally, the last elongated recess serves as a focal point where items can be displayed.
We also wanted to use natural materials as much as possible. Solid planks of Douglas fir matched the client’s vision of luxury, because the distinct colour, grain and smell evoke the countryside, so it feels like you’re living closer to nature. Apart from lining the wall, floors and ceilings, the solid planks also feature in the shelving, banquette seating, dining table and bedframes. Its presence in every room conveys an air of being holiday.
Please tell us a little more about the material choices for the space.
The client was sold on using solid planks of Douglas fir, so part of the design involved complementing and balancing the organic look, which is how we landed on using reeded panels and triangular tiles alongside the wood.
Do you have a favourite element in the interiors?
I love the dining area, which to me is the image of holiday living. I also love the materiality and detailing of the low cabinet in the living room; the combination of travertine slab, solid wood surfaces and metal strips set against a wall of porcelain tiles is very serene and sophisticated.
Images / Wen Studio
