Stylish studio apartment with mid-century modern and colonial touches, Tiffany blue kitchen and ‘jewel box’ bathroom makes the most of Hong Kong vernacular architecture
- A flat in a 1960s corner building in Hong Kong’s Sai Ying Pun area with ‘good bones’ was transformed from ‘boarding house accommodation’ to glorious studio flat
- A sweep of steel-framed windows in the corner-building unit makes the most of its harbour view, as does its one-room layout with open-plan Tiffany blue kitchen
After Ralph Southampton was released from a three-week stint in a quarantine hotel in Sai Ying Pun in 2021, he stayed in the old Hong Kong Island neighbourhood for his first meal of freedom.
Despite having lived in Hong Kong for 21 years, he was not familiar with the area, but a brief wander around was enough to motivate him to return for a second visit.
A 1960s corner building, a fast-disappearing example of Hong Kong vernacular architecture, piqued his interest, so when he spotted an estate-agency advertisement for an apartment in the same block, he went in on a whim.
“I was not in the least bit in the market for a flat but simply curious about the building,” says Southampton, a North American writer and keen open-water swimmer, who describes the property as “basic boarding-house accommodation” when he first viewed it.
When Alec saw the apartment and said it had amazing potential, I knew my gut instinct had been correct
The 645 sq ft (60 square metre) flat had been divided into three tiny bedrooms, a galley kitchen and a crude bathroom, yet he could see it had good bones, offering the promise of a long sweep of windows which, back then, were chopped up by partition walls. He made an offer the next day and two months later he was a homeowner.
His friend of 20 years and fellow swimmer Alexander Stuart, who runs the Hong Kong-based design and architectural firm Alexander Stuart Designs, agreed to take on the renovation, which took 16 months.
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“When Alec saw the apartment and said it had amazing potential, I knew my gut instinct had been correct,” says Southampton, who moved into the finished flat last June.
“He understands my aesthetic but he usually designs for apartments that are around 4,000 sq ft so this was a bit of a favour.”
It goes without saying that Stuart had to gut the space. As the walls came down so did a false ceiling, giving the flat an extra foot of height and revealing quirky zigzagging beams resulting from the building’s curved form.
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Southampton had stipulated the need for several large bookcases to house his sizeable collection of books, so when a partition wall to divide the bedroom from the living room was deemed claustrophobic, it was torn down and replaced with shelving.
“The bookcase is wide enough to have two rows of books per shelf so the spines face outwards on each side, which look better than the page blocks,” says Southampton. “It offers the bedroom enough privacy from the living room without interrupting the flow of light as the wall did.”
The most expensive outlay was for replacing the 18 windows to accentuate the horizontal vista and incorporating double glazing to reduce external heat and noise. Stuart also enlarged the openings and lowered the frames by about 30cm (12 inches) to enable the harbour view to be seen even from low seating.
I bought the best things I could afford and even though spending money on almost trivial details seemed ridiculous at the time, it gives the apartment a touch of luxe.
Now a prominent feature of what has become a stylish and airy studio, the dark steel frames with brass handles and wooden blinds are reminiscent of mid-century modern design but with a colonial twist.
“The only downside is that there isn’t much wall space so I have to be selective about my art, which I love collecting,” says Southampton, who picked up many of his treasures on trips throughout Asia, including Vietnam, where he once lived.
“Alec also built slim shelves next to the couch so I can display multiple pieces and swap them around easily.”
At the other end of the space is a gorgeous Tiffany-blue kitchen, coincidentally the same colour as the building’s lift and a neighbour’s grated entrance.
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A charcoal-framed display cabinet housing Southampton’s silverware collection breaks up the kitchen’s bluey-green, thereby avoiding overkill, but is backed with the colour for continuity.
Not wanting an island, Southampton opted for an L-shaped counter – somewhere to eat and work until he decides on a dining table – with a pair of fire-engine red bar stools that complement and lift the decor.
One of Southampton’s favourite areas is the bathroom – a little jewel box of beautiful handmade Italian tiles in shades of pale green, teamed with a marble bath and worktops. While these features ate into his budget, he says he is glad Stuart persuaded him to purchase them.
“I love the bathroom tiles so much that I keep the door open most of the time so I can see them. I bought the best things I could afford and even though spending money on almost trivial details seemed ridiculous at the time, it gives the apartment a touch of luxe.
“Maybe I’m the only one to notice them but it’s the little things that make life more comfortable.”
Reading area
Alexander Stuart of Alexander Stuart Designs (alexanderstuartdesigns.com) used bookshelves and rugs to delineate different areas in the studio flat, such as this reading space at the foot of the bed.
The Eames-style lounge chair, footstool and side table were all from Stockroom (stockroom.com.hk) and the rug under them came from Pakistan years ago. The floor lamp had been abandoned on a Hong Kong street, while the gooseneck table lamp was bought many years ago in Berkeley, California.
Lacking sufficient wall space to hang his entire art collection, Ralph Southampton has leaned on the floor Octopus, by Fabien Mérelle, from Hong Kong gallery Kiang Malingue (kiangmalingue.com). The pair of antique dumbbells were found in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The low bookshelf unit was designed and made by Alexander Stuart Designs. On it are a silver statue and a collection of bowls and boxes from a variety of countries including Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and India. The window blinds were from Sun Sun Interiors (Tung Wai Commercial Building, 24 Fleming Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2511 2008).
Window detail
The steel window frames with double-glazed glass and brass handles were custom made by Chit Shing (chitshing.com.hk).
Living room
The custom-made sofa bed was from Tree (tree.com.hk) and the artwork above it is by Filipino photographer Wawi Navarroza, from Manila’s Silverlens Galleries (silverlensgalleries.com).
The Vietnamese rosewood coffee table was custom made in Hanoi years ago. The Persian rug was found on the Southside Mums Facebook group. Slim shelves designed by Alexander Stuart Designs display family photographs, interspersed with works by Vietnamese-American photographer An-My Le (anmyle.com), Hanoi-based Mai NAM and Chinese photographer Lang Jingshan.
The table lamp was bought in Berkeley, and the chest and stool were both found on a street. The bookshelves were bought second-hand in Hanoi; on them are an antique suitcase, which was found in a garage sale in California, and statues from Cambodia and Vietnam.
Living area detail
Beside the walk-in wardrobe is a horseshoe-back chair that came from Vietnam years ago. The suit stand was from Dome (dome.com.vn) in Hanoi. Taiwanese artist Yang Yi-shiang created the artwork, which was bought from the Perrotin gallery (perrotin.com).
Kitchen
The Tiffany-blue cabinetry and the charcoal-framed display cabinet were all designed and installed by Alexander Stuart Designs. The antique silver is a mixture of family heirlooms and pieces collected in Asia.
The red bar stools were from Stockroom and the circular lacquered box on the top of the cupboard came from Myanmar years ago. The retro floor tiles here and in the bathroom (below) were from Hop Hing Lung Material (235 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2511 3013).
Bedroom
The abstract painting above the bed is by Zaw Win Pe from the River Gallery (now closed) in Yangon, Myanmar. The solid oak bed was from Hush Home (hushhome.com) and the wall-mounted reading light from PLC Lighting (plc.com.hk).
The bedside table was custom made in Hanoi a long time ago and the lamp came from the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong before it was renovated.
The antique bookshelf came from Vietnam and the lacquered boxes were picked up on various trips. The gold Buddha statue was bought from an antiques dealer in Yangon (no longer in business), and the glass box of scales was found on a street in Hong Kong.
Bathroom
The handmade Italian wall tiles came from Anta (antahk.com). The little illustration on the windowsill was bought from a market stall in Mangalore, India.
Tried + tested
Alexander Stuart used every centimetre of space in the compact kitchen to ensure it was ultra-efficient as well as stylish. He stacked washing and drying machines and hid them in their own Tiffany-blue cupboard.
The bag came from Splash Foundation (splashfoundation.org), a charity offering free swimming classes to people from low-income communities, including domestic helpers.
Styling Flavia Markovits
