It could not have been a better match between YC Chen – founder and creative director of HOO – and the homeowners.
The young couple came across the designer by simply Googling furniture brands that they liked, such as Fritz Hansen, and “YC’s name just popped up in the search,” say the homeowners. It’s no surprise really, considering the designer’s affinity for Scandinavian design, and he was delighted to work with clients with similar tastes as himself. “They have very good taste, which made our job much easier,” says YC. “They were already familiar with the pieces we recommended, such as the Moller dining chairs and the dining table from Carl Hansen.”
Scroll through the gallery below (Photography: Edgar Tapan; Styling: David Roden) to experience the tranquil design:
The homeowners are indeed knowledgeable, mostly learning from magazines and books, travelling, and trips to the Lane Crawford Home Store. “We made a Pinterest account, and used it to pin things we liked, and YC would pin things he liked and give us recommendations, too,” she says.
“They’re young professionals who travel a lot, even going to furniture fairs abroad, so they were very involved,” says YC. “There was a lot of shopping around and comparing homework.” The designer was most thrilled with the fact that the homeowners agreed to install a wall feature lamp by Serge Mouille in the living area, after he’d sent them to see the one in the Bruneblonde salon at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. “I’ve been trying to convince my other clients to buy one for a long time, but they either didn’t seem to appreciate the design and thought it was too expensive,” says YC. “It has a nice shape, and is a good feature for the living room wall.”
The calm, muted, open living and dining room.
The Carl Hansen dining table is matched with chairs by Niels Otto Molle.
For all their shared design knowledge, the homeowners still needed YC’s advice on reconfiguring the space. In its original form, the apartment had three small bedrooms; the wall that stood between their bedroom and what is now the dressing area was knocked down to create one roomy master suite, and the remaining bedroom now acts as the study. The residents also sought YC’s help on creating a more mature space than their previous home. “Our last place was all-white. My boyfriend hates clutter and likes everything to be white and minimalist,” she says. “It was cool and great at the time, but I wanted something more mature for our second home.”
The kitchen was left untouched as it was new when the owners moved in.
To do this, YC stuck to a pared back look but introduced colour and texture by way of using natural woods such as walnut for furniture and a grey-ish oak for the herringbone flooring, as well as a graphic treatment of the black and white bathroom and a blue-grey colour palette for the bedroom. “I call this look contemporary Danish, which I think suits the couple. I kept it minimal, and focused a lot on the details and materials. The use of darker colours and woods have helped them achieve the more mature look they sought,” says the designer.
The Jaime Hayon-designed Ro chair from Fritz Hansen sits in the foreground.
This gentle introduction of muted colours and natural woods and marble has worked a treat – and clearly the homeowners agree. Says the lady of the house, “I thought I’d have to talk my boyfriend into going for the darker colours, but he really likes it, too. We get a lot of natural light, so the darker colour doesn’t make the master suite feel closed in.” The bedroom is also where you’ll find one of the furniture pieces she bought for herself – from Fritz Hansen, naturally. After all, it is this brand that brought the homeowners and YC together.
The master bathroom, decked out in black and white.
