Keith Chan of Hintegro has created an expanded mid-century home in Hong Kong where a one-Michelin-starred chef and his wife can enjoy numerous pastimes and creative pursuits.
12 December 2023
Text by Yen Kien Hang
In Hong Kong’s Wan Chai area, an apartment of 1,574 square feet has demonstrated the ethos of a truly “form follows passion” interior. With the homeowners – a couple consisting of a one-Michelin-starred chef and a jeweller – having multiple passions for food, music, wellness, pets and sports, Keith Chan of Hintegro concluded after several meetings that the main goal was to “create a space where they could enjoy each other’s company while indulging in their individuality.” To do that, the designer has merged and reconfigured the two apartment units that the couple own, connecting them via a passageway.
First off, for a chef, the kitchen is unquestionably the heart and soul of the home. “This kitchen needs to serve as his experimental lab for developing new dishes. To accommodate this, I’ve crafted the space in a U-shaped layout, ensuring ample room for trial and cooking,” says Keith.
With the kitchen design out of the way, it was then time to focus on the chef’s second passion: music – and designing a “men’s cave” where he could enjoy it fully. To up the ante, Keith invited local wood craftsman Ken Chow from Yat Muk to custom-make wooden shelves for the owner’s cherished CD and vinyl record collections. Along with top-tier JBL 4343 speakers, professional acoustic diffusers and sound-absorbing curtains have been selected to ensure an outstanding audio performance and experience.
Heeding the female owner’s desire for a space to engage in yoga and to spend quality time with their beloved dog, Keith has turned the passageway between the two apartments into a serene corner where she can do just that. At the same time, another corner has been designed for tea brewing, where the lady of the house can entertain her close friends at home. Not to be outdone, this “pantry” area also comes with a tabletop crafted by Hardwood HK, a local woodworking shop.
In addition to their distinctive interests, the couple also has preferences when it comes to the bedroom arrangement. To accommodate their occasional habit of rearranging their bed’s setting, a loose bed frame from Spanish brand Mermelada Estudio has been chosen. “What sets this bed apart is the intricate rattan headboard, which is complemented by the olive-green wall, along with the accent of black-coated metal and walnut veneer, evoking a nostalgic mid-century aesthetic,” says Keith.
Last but not least, to further fulfil their fondness for mid-century design, the living room has adopted vintage-style wood – mainly teak and walnut as they were popular materials from the 1950s. Together with the geometric artworks and the homeowners’ pick of Finn Juhl’s Panel System and Hans Wegner’s J16 Rocking Chair, this room, and the home as a whole, has been transformed into a mid-century haven.
Hintegro
www.hintegro.com
https://facebook.com/hintegro
https://instagram.com/hintegrodesign
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