Lofty Living
Multidisciplinary design firm Ample Design transformed this apartment into a sleek, loft-style home filled with plenty of colour.綜合設計公司Ample Design為單位注入時尚工業風與繽紛色彩。
Multidisciplinary design firm Ample Design transformed this apartment into a sleek, loft-style home filled with plenty of colour.綜合設計公司Ample Design為單位注入時尚工業風與繽紛色彩。
The home that Dutch couple Wijnand van Hoeven and Pierre de Rooij purchased last year was like many others in the city—small and cramped. Located in a 48-year-old building in the heart of Causeway Bay, the 580-square-foot apartment was rendered even less spacious after being split up to accommodate three bedrooms.
When Louis Lau, an interior designer at multidisciplinary design firm Ample Design who has since left the practice, was commissioned to work on the home, the first step was clear. “The space was gutted, with all of the existing partitions removed,” explained design manager Kalun Keung. “This allowed the floor plan to be more flexible.” Two of the old bedrooms gave way to a single, larger master bedroom, while the third old bedroom granted more space to the living area. Meanwhile, the kitchen was opened up and a dining table added beside it. The bathroom was enlarged, too.
Light was another issue. The couple were attracted to the property for its view—in addition to its high ceilings and convenient location—but building rules prevented them from altering the windows. So instead of the original idea of lowering the windows to allow for more light, Lau came up with the idea of placing glass walls between the living area and bedroom with a retractable blind for privacy.
荷蘭籍夫婦Wijnand van Hoeven及Pierre de Rooij去年在銅鑼灣心臟地帶買了一個面積為580平方呎單位，樓齡約48年，跟市內大部分單位一樣是細小而侷促，亦由於採用了三房間隔，空間更見狹窄。
當室內設計公司Ample Design的設計師Louis Lau（現已離任）獲委約為單位翻新時，首要任務十分清晰。設計經理Kalun Keung解釋：「單位室內裝修陳舊，拆除所有間隔，可更靈活地佈局。」主人房現由兩個睡房結合而成，第三間房則被納入客廳，兩個空間在重置後變得更寬闊。廚房現採用開放式設計，旁邊放置了餐桌，浴室空間亦較之前大。
光線是另一個重點事項，夫婦二人喜歡單位景觀，還有高挑的樓底、方便的社區，但因建築條例所限不可改變窗戶位置，無法按原定計劃把窗戶降低以增加室內光線。於是，設計師在客廳和睡房之間加設玻璃牆，又以伸縮式百葉簾增加私穩度。
這些改動主要是配合屋主所渴望的開揚工業風家居。Keung表示：「這次大規模翻新，為空間注入嶄新的美學概念及氛圍，同時以玩味手法演繹香港的經典工業風。全新設計為單位引入光線，甚至較隱蔽的主人房也夠光猛。」
All of these changes supported the homeowners' vision of an airy, loft-style home. “This large-scale renovation created a completely new aesthetic and ambience to the space—a playful interpretation of a classic Hong Kong loft,” said Keung. “With the new configuration, the entire apartment is flooded with light, even the tucked-away master bedroom.”
In terms of colour scheme, more neutral shades serve as a backdrop for accent colours and patterns, which were inspired by the clients' interest in Southeast Asia. A wallpaper mural, which depicts layers of distressed tiles, plaster, and exposed brick, is a feature wall in the kitchen and dining area, while striking blue and white tiles run the length of the kitchen counter. A turquoise sofa from Boconcept and turquoise fabric wall created by Ample Design add interest to the living area and bedroom, respectively. “With [inspiration from] their memorabilia brought from their travels, we found a contrasting colourway suitable for their home,” said Keung, referring to personal items such as a patterned duvet and pillow case set as well as a red ginger jar in the foyer.
“The minimal, neutral palette was introduced to create a visual balance for the eye,” continued Keung. “In residential design, we believe in a sense of calm and did not want the space to be overstimulating.” These more muted shades took the form of wooden kitchen cabinetry and furniture pieces, a grey concrete-topped dining table, white bathroom tiles, and—perhaps most importantly—a light timber ‘box' running through the apartment. Besides providing a more neutral counterpoint, the timber walls and ceilings also ingeniously conceal storage areas.
This large-scale renovation created a completely new aesthetic and ambience to the space—a playful interpretation of a classic Hong Kong loft.這次大規模翻新，為空間注入嶄新的美學概念及氛圍，同時以玩味手法演繹香港的經典工業風。
The home also appeals to the couple’s love of entertaining. “Besides being a cosy little nest for the couple in the evening, it could easily accommodate small parties of up to 20 people,” said Keung. All in all, the interiors showcase a creative usage of space that balances a number of different needs. “The openness of the space, the user-friendly aspect of different areas, how natural light could help elevate the idea of a loft-style home—these were taken into account during the design process,” commented Keung.
顏色方面，背景採用中性色系，以凸顯充滿東南亞異國情調的亮麗色調及圖案。廚房及飯廳的裝飾牆，飾以破舊瓷磚、磚頭及灰泥效果的牆紙；廚房料理檯飾以彩藍及白色瓷磚；客廳及睡房則分別有Boconcept品牌的綠松色梳化，以及由Ample Design創作的同色織物牆。keung說：「我們以屋主旅遊時搜購回來的紀念品作靈感，發現對比色系較適合室內設計。」Keung所指的是以一系列個人用品配搭，例如圖案羽絨被、枕袋套裝、玄關的紅薑色罐子。
Keung續說：「簡約及中性色彩用以打造平衡的視覺效果，在設計家居時，我們希望營造平和氣氛，不宜有視覺衝擊。」溫和的色調見於廚房木櫃及家具、餐桌的灰色水泥飾面、浴室的白色瓷磚，更明顯是一系列貫通單位的淺色木製「方框架」，不單呼應中性效果，木牆及天花板更有隱藏式儲物空間。
單位亦能滿足屋主招待好友，Keung說：「這裡除了是屋主夫婦的小天地，亦可變成一個容納最多20人的小型派對。」整體設計在於展現如何以創意空間滿足不同需要。Keung總結：「如何開放空間、如何使不同區域能妥善使用、如何透過自然光令工業風格昇華，都是設計過程中的考量事項。」