DIY design for home renovation in Hong Kong uses warm woods, curves and white walls to create a Zen-like vibe
- Daphney Ho did such a good job of renovating her Hong Kong home that friends started asking her for help. Now she has her own interior design business
- Her 517 sq ft home in Kwun Tong, Kowloon, went from ‘gloomy and worn’ to light, bright and airy, with Balinese and Japanese aesthetics for a Zen-like feel
As a fashion designer turned wellness entrepreneur, Daphney Ho Pui-yan was not short on inspiration when it came to remodelling the 517 sq ft (48 square metre) marital home she bought in Hong Kong in 2020 with husband Francis Li Man-tik, a video producer.
The original 1990 apartment, with two bedrooms and one bathroom, in Kwun Tong, Kowloon, felt “old-school, gloomy and worn”, she says. But they believed it could be redesigned to replicate the Zen ambience of the flotation-therapy spa Ho had opened in Tsim Sha Tsui years earlier.
When quotations from interior designers proved beyond the couple’s budget, however, Ho decided to go it alone. She had been hands-on in the fit-out of the spa so, during its closure because of Covid clampdowns, used her free time to hone her DIY designer expertise.
“I had lots of ideas, but lacked the skills to execute those into the technical drawings the contractor would need,” she says.
Six months of deep-dive online education equipped Ho with the knowledge to choose and then use the right interior design software, giving practical life to her creativity and fondness for Balinese and Japanese aesthetics. In 2021, when the contractor who had worked on her spa came on board, it was all systems go.
Although the sharp angles of the flat’s diamond-shaped floorplate worried Ho, she was undaunted. “It was a challenge I wanted to conquer, and made the whole project more fun,” she says.
Most of the visibly jarring walls were load-bearing, but Ho had tricks up her sleeve to alter their appearance without compromising structural integrity.
To temper the angle of the visually dominant living room wall, Ho widened its mass on a gentle taper, using the resulting cavity inside the partition to conceal cables and audiovisual equipment.
Doing the same solved on the opposite wall solved a problem with an ugly structural beam. In this cavity Ho created a wide display niche of a scale in sync with the sofa she would also design, employing the wall as its back support, and an end arm as a shoe cabinet.
Where this wall extends to the entryway, the widened space offered a handy storage fix (see Tried + tested below).
Another foil to the inherent angles was Ho’s use of curves, both in arched doorways and furniture.
There are lots of cheap decorating options but they don’t match my style. And the level I do like, I could not afford. So, I realised that if I wanted my perfect home, I’d better just do it myself
To add a visual layer to the space, the living room is slightly raised on an oak platform with matching wraparound cabinetry. Indoor plants are arranged throughout, and all walls and ceilings are finished with shikkui, a Japanese air-purifying natural lime plaster.
The same wood is used in a dining room banquette, in curved overhead cabinets, open display shelves and a small rattan-insert sideboard.
Ho also redesigned the kitchen, in which she incorporated a narrow cupboard for mops and brooms, and a single induction and gas hob (one of each), to allow a range of cooking styles in a confined space.
Then there was the bathroom, which, in its original iteration, lacked a tub.
“We could rearrange the walls in this part of the flat,” Ho says. “I insisted on having a bath. We had to sacrifice the bedroom size to fit in a bathtub, but I think it’s worth it.”
With its Japanese-style soaking tub and native Aomori Hiba wood floor in the shower, Ho has created her own mini onsen. The dry area features a three-panel sliding door crafted in fluted timber concealing the couple’s skin care station and necessary bits and pieces such as the vacuum cleaner. When guests visit, the couple can hide all the clutter behind a beautiful timber feature wall.
The main bedroom has been reduced to a nest occupied solely by a king-size mattress set on a platform, with storage underneath. Although this might seem like a compromise, Ho points to an upside: in their cosy cocoon, “our sleep quality has improved”, she says.
The second bedroom is multifunctional, serving as a dressing room, home office and more storage space. All furnishings are loose in this room, allowing for flexibility in the future.
Because Ho’s first project was so successful, friends started asking for help. Following the physical closure of her spa, she established an interior and branding design business, F.A.L. Works Studio, last year.
“There are lots of cheap decorating options out there, but they don’t match my style. And the level I do like, I could not afford,” Ho says. “So, I realised that if I wanted my perfect home, I’d better just do it myself.”
Living room
To add a visual layer to the space, Daphney Ho Pui-yan set the living room on an oak platform. She also designed the sofa and the two round coffee tables, each with a different raw wood top, made by a factory in Dongguan.
The U-shaped pine wood stool was bought online from Taobao and the Japanese Aomori Hiba wood stool (holding the plant) came from Cul de sac-Japan (culdesac-japon.com).
The mirror behind them and the GU10 LED spot lights were bought on Taobao, and the indoor plants came from various shops at Mong Kok flower market (flower-market.hk).
Dining room
Curves soften the flat’s angular footplate. The dining room banquette, cupboards, shelves and sideboard in light oak timber and rattan were made by the Dongguan factory and installed by Shing Ke Decoration.
Ho, founder of F.A.L. Works Studio (falworks.com), also designed the Balinese-style light fitting, dining table and chairs, which were all made by the same Dongguan factory.
Kitchen
The kitchen, in oak-look Toppal woodgrain laminate, with a Corian worktop, was designed by Ho and built by her contractor, Shing Ke Decoration, tel: 3488 6706.
Bedroom
The main bedroom is a cosy nest, just big enough to hold the couple’s king-size mattress. It sits on a platform made by the contractor, with storage both underneath and in the step.
Bath
In her reconfigured bathroom, self-taught designer Ho has created a mini onsen. The Japanese-style bathtub was made to Ho’s custom design by the Dongguan factory, with Hansgrohe tapware from Eurobath (eurobath.com.hk). The Aomori Hiba wood floor in the shower was sourced from Cul de sac-Japan.
Bathroom vanity
Curves continue to feature in the bathroom vanity unit and marble basin, both custom designed and made by the Dongguan factory. The Hansgrohe tapware came from Eurobath and the round mirror and brass hanging ball light from Taobao.
Tried + tested
Behind the front door, a pegboard makes a handy place to hold bits and pieces the couple may need as they come and go. Daphney Ho bought the board through Taobao from a vendor that custom sized it and included the shelves and pegs.
Stylist: Flavia Markovits
