Custom furniture, clever space-saving and pops of colour transform an old rental apartment into new family home

When Nancy and Alex Leung’s landlady decided to sell the 460 sq ft (43 square metre) flat they were renting in Whampoa in Hong Kong’s Kowloon, the couple decided it was as good a time as any to get a foot on the housing ladder.

The flat, says Canadian Nancy Leung, suited all their needs. It was conveniently located; it was in a fairly good condition; and having already lived there for six years, it felt like home. They initially thought about a partial renovation but, unsure how to go about it, they asked designer Dylan Tan Dar-luen of WOM Concept to help them out.

“Talking to Dylan was eye-opening,” says Leung. “He offered us a lot of suggestions to maximise the apartment’s potential, which we would never have thought about. He was sensitive to our needs and what would be possible in a small space without making it feel cramped. Suddenly, it felt a much better idea to do an entire renovation rather than superficial touch-ups.”

So the Leungs moved out to a short-term rental nearby and Tan and his team moved in. Although Tan kept the same basic layout, he integrated the kitchen into the living area to amplify the space and improve the circulation of natural daylight. Opening up the kitchen also paved the way for a dining nook. When slim lighting didn’t work on the ceiling, Tan used it on the wall to frame a contemporary clock and create a focal point. He also knocked down the wall dividing the two original bedrooms to consolidate the space and make it into one larger room, with built-in storage and a study area.

“As soon as Dylan took down the wall and merged the bedrooms, I discovered I was pregnant,” says Leung. “There was that split-second thought that we could have made the second bedroom into a nursery but it’s a more unified space without the wall.”