This Tai Po home combines a pared-down aesthetic with interesting tactile touches to create a Japandi interior.
When YC Chen, founder of interior design studio hoo, started to work on a home in the lush Tai Po neighbourhood, he instantly knew he wanted to incorporate a mix of two styles: Japanese and Scandinavian design aesthetics. Using that exact combination, dubbed Japandi, he left no stone unturned to transform the three-bedroom hillside home.
“The homeowners are a couple in their 50s who prefer a quiet and private lifestyle. They wanted a sanctuary that is comfortable and suits their living habits,” Chen explains.
The Japandi style, included in Pinterest’s list of growing trends last year, has been making waves in home decor. An abbreviation for Japanese-Scandinavian, Japandi is a merging of the two worlds.
One (Japanese) is rooted in a Zen-like environment that celebrates the beauty of imperfection, the other (Scandinavian) manifests itself in warm and cocooning elements that make a home feel especially inviting. Yet one thing binds the two styles: minimalism rooted in wellness and beautiful functionality.
This confluence was realised in the project through natural materials, clean lines and organic textures that smoothened the road for expansive, organised interiors, just as the homeowners envisioned. It’s more than fitting that this return to simplicity is set in one of Hong Kong’s greenest neighbourhoods.
The moment the couple laid eyes on the sprawling greenery and mountainous landscapes of Tai Po, they knew it would be the perfect place to craft their dream home. After renting in the same area for some years, they purchased this 1,460 square foot apartment, and hired hoo for a makeover.
The design team approached it by first gutting the original three- bedroom layout. “The couple has no children and live with their pets so having three rooms was not necessary,” Chen explains.
One of the bedrooms was demolished to add space onto the roomy living area, complete with a lounge; the other into into a walk-in closet.
“The new planning fits seamlessly into the couple’s living habits. They can chill and relax during leisure times, with enough space for their pets to move around.”
Upon entering the home, you’re greeted with an earthly palette and a light-filled space. “Even though the colour choices are mainly natural and wooden, we mixed and used lots of different textures and materials to add the interest and complexity to the look,” Chen says.
Throughout the space, you’ll see artistic wall coatings, different terrazzo and stone tiling, and ample amounts of wooden accents. Though the home centres around a scaled-back sense of design, these unique details makes it feel fresh, and steers it clear of an overly sterile home.
“Apart from the built-in cabinets, all the furniture and lighting pieces are sourced from Hong Kong and overseas,” Chen says.
At the entrance, the Gallery Stool by Hans Sandgren Jakobsen leads the way inside the lovely abode. Launched in 1998, the plywood sculpture boasts a lyrical curve and simple form conveying a sense of completeness in itself.
The dining area is punctuated with a Dulwich Extending Table, and Carl Hansen & Søn’s Wishbone Chairs, which first went into production in 1950. The chairs’ simplicity, organic shape and timelessness go well with the Japandi-style serenity.
Meanwhile, the TV cabinet from Organic Modernism adds a touch of personality and sophistication. Completing the wooden ethos is the Phantom Hands’ coffee table with a hand-woven cane shelf beneath the glass top. The design team also included large potted plants to bring the outdoors in.
Embracing all things simple, calm and comforting, this Tai Po home embodies everything that’s enticing about Japandi design.
