A Hong Kong apartment with New York vibes: home redesign brings a slice of the Big Apple to Asia for relocated couple
- A couple moving from New York to Hong Kong wanted an apartment that ‘felt like home’, but struggled with the lack of space compared with what they were used to
- An interior designer opened up their 1,100 sq ft Tsim Sha Tsui flat, making the views of the harbour its focal point
Recalled to Hong Kong from New York for work, Oscar Yeung and Winnie Teng wanted more than a pied-à-terre in the city of their birth; they wanted a place that “felt like home”.
A high-floor unit on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront had a familiar vibe, its harbour and Central views replicating the cityscape they overlook in Manhattan.
But at 1,100 sq ft (102 square metres), comfortable by Hong Kong standards, it did not have the living space to which they had become accustomed.
After settling on the now one-bedroom property in 2021, while keeping their apartment in New York, the couple were happy to engage Max Lam Tsz-hong, founder of Max Lam Designs, to help with everything from spatial realignment to furniture, material and colour selections.
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Much of this would be agreed upon via Zoom while Yeung, who works in asset management, and Teng, currently a homemaker, were still overseas.
Lam’s aim to give the impression of a bigger space meant interconnecting all functions of the home (apart from the separately zoned bedroom suite) in a way that flows harmoniously, drawing the eye towards the panoramic views.
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He achieved this by removing just two walls: one in the former second bedroom, creating a work area open to the living room; the other to expand the formerly enclosed kitchen.
Befitting the scenic background and the luxury of the building, Lam recommended an understated elegant style. The owners’ personal tastes and preferences were also taken into account.
Yeung is a collector of whisky and contemporary art. Taking the place of a guest toilet – deemed superfluous because the flat already had two bathrooms – Lam crafted a bespoke showcase for displaying and tasting the finest drops of single-malt Scotch and Japanese whisky, and for holding crystal glassware.
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Inspired by showcases in museums he has visited around the world, Lam designed an eye-catching home for one of Yeung’s prized Daniel Arsham sculptures. Slowpoke is displayed in a glass case, set on a marble base. (Yeung has another piece from the same collection in his New York home).
Teng enjoys playing board games with friends. So Lam chose a coffee table wide enough that all can comfortably sit around it, either on the Minotti sofa or on the floor. The round-edge form of both the coffee table and sofa echo that of a curved wall section Lam designed to enhance the cosy ambience.
Teng is also adept at the culinary arts. To remain engaged with their guests while she busies herself in the open kitchen, Lam designed a marble dining table that works with the island workbench. Guests can sit at the table, or around the island, so no one has their back to the cook.
The harbour and city look gorgeous at sunset. Whether in Hong Kong or New York, these are the views that welcome me home
One convenient part of Lam’s kitchen design also dealt with a pesky structural column that seemed out of place (see Tried + tested below).
The couple rarely watch television, but they do enjoy films sometimes. It seemed incongruous to have a large screen dominate the living room, and there is the perennial problem: should furniture be arranged to face a screen or the view?
A solution was a rollaway projection screen, the installation of which was not as simple as it sounds. Attaching the 100-inch screen to the window wall would solve the furniture arrangement dilemma, but if mounted in a drop ceiling, as is usual, its housing would detract from the view, even when stowed away. Lam’s design has the screen rolling up from the floor in a specially made cabinet.
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“It was quite a challenge,” he says. “We had many meetings with the audio/visual consultant to double check that the distance from the projector would give the right resolution for the screen size. It took a lot of calculations to make this work.”
Refurbishing the couple’s bedroom suite saw the introduction of a timber feature wall, an oversized upholstered headboard around their king-size bed, his ’n’ hers walk-through wardrobes and an en suite with double sinks, a custom bathtub and rose-gold finish tapware.
Moving as they do between two domestic anchor points, the couple find that Lam’s improved layout meets all of their needs. And the outlook continues to captivate.
“The harbour and city look gorgeous at sunset,” says Yeung. “Whether in Hong Kong or New York, these are the views that welcome me home.”
Living and dining areas
The dining table, custom made by Max Lam Designs (maxlam.com) in Calacatta gold marble, comes together with the grey marble kitchen island. Around it are Minotti’s Fil Noir dining chairs from Andante (andante.com.hk), and above it is a minimal Italian-made Viabizzuno brass pendant bought from House of Madison (themadisongroup.asia).
The LED light strip in the living area came from Zodiac Lighting (zodiaclighting.com). The curved wall with display niche and textured plaster finish was designed and made by Max Lam Designs. The L-shape Daniels sofa and footstool, and the Song coffee table, all also by Minotti, came from Andante.
Leaning against the wall is Jon Burgerman’s So Happy to be Here, which came from WOAW Gallery (woawgallery.com).
Kitchen
The kitchen in walnut veneer cabinetry with marble benchtops was designed and installed by Max Leung Designs. The tapware came from Colourliving.
Drinks cabinet
At one end of the kitchen is a marble display cabinet designed and installed by Max Lam Designs to house Oscar Yeung’s crystal stemware and collection of whiskies.
Work space
Max Lam Designs designed and made the desk, shelving and display case beside it. Behind the desk are Italian ceramic wall tiles from Fei Concept. In front is a pair of Sendai dining chairs by Minotti, bought from Andante. The artwork is With Love, by Hong Kong artist b.wing, bought from Green Art Asia (greenartasia.com).
The discreet door leads to the bedroom. The marble-and-glass display case housing Slowpoke, a Daniel Arsham Pokemon sculpture (danielarsham.com), was designed by Max Lam Designs.
Bedroom
The couple’s bed, with integrated upholstered bedhead and side tables, was designed and made by Max Lam Designs. The Roy reading lamps and Quasi Mini wall lamps, by Viabizzuno, came from House of Madison. A wool rug, which moved into the flat with the couple, dresses the parquet flooring from Tat Ming Flooring (tatming.com).
Adding another textural component to the bedroom is a timber feature wall, bookcase and bank of drawers designed and made by Max Lam Designs.
Bathroom
The bathtub with curved Corian step and the custom mirror were designed and made by Max Lam Designs. The shower fittings, tapware and Villeroy & Boch basins came from Colourliving (colourliving.shop), and the Italian ceramic floor and wall tiles came from Fei Concept (165 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2153 3228).
Tried+tested
A column in the expanded kitchen looked out of place, but being structural it could not be removed. Realising that the space in front of it, when aligned with the new cabinetry, was just deep enough to hold skinny shelves, interior designer Max Lam created a handy condiment compartment that caters to his client’s culinary pursuits.
