Maggie Mo: Rising to the Occasion
It's only been a decade since the field of interior design was dissociated from architecture as an independent profession. For many years, men seemed to have dominated both industries, but this never bothered Maggie Mo, design studio Starz Pasha's creative director. Mo is constantly inspired from wearing multiple hats and adds new ideas to her impressive portfolio of commercial and residential projects.
Initially wanting to be a fashion designer, Mo regularly went with her father to view show flats in her childhood and this is where she found another passion. She was amazed at how spaces could be decorated like candy land every time, and how it can change people's moods. After completing related courses in Canada, she came back to Hong Kong, engaging in several projects from show flats, homes to offices. In the early stages of her career, she was busy conducting onsite visits, instructing renovation workers and liaising with clients, and on top of this, there were numerous late nights sitting in front of computer doing design drawings. It is no secret that a successful design requires effective communication but being a female designer also gives Mo the added edge. Her soft sentimental touches were reflected in a refitting project she and her team did for Loyal Dining after their relocation; much of the furniture utilised green tones that are reminiscent of Hong Kong's colonial era, while the pendant lamps from the former space were retained to represent the eatery's history.
Mo's studio has worked on a number of quality residential projects such as Mayfair by the Sea, Capri and The Visionary. When it comes to residential design, she always pays close attention to the five senses, referencing the space and light to sight, furniture texture to touch, aroma to the scent, music to the ears and healthy food to the mouth; all of which is experienced when stepping inside a home and are too important to ignore when designing a home.
Having lived in Canada for ten years, Mo sees that the locals enjoy entertaining and celebrating with friends at home. To bring that positive sentiment to a living space, she puts emphasis on creating a cosy atmosphere, not just as a way to showcase personal style but also to create a place that can be filled with happy memories. She listens to a client's wants and desires before crafting a bespoke home for them; by doing so, she has a complete understanding of what they like and what their story is about.
This year, Mo led her team to win two awards in the HK PRO ID Awards 2019. She explains that commercial designs target a larger audience compared with residences, and hence a forward-thinking approach, albeit more challenging, is preferred. In the case of Jabra GN'S office renovation, Mo's team injected durable and minimal elements, such as highlighting the concept of clarity through the use of lines, into the entire space as a nod to the brand's image, the company's brand colours were also adopted as the colour scheme.
Surprisingly, being a mother enables her to be more attentive to her work and to improvise more efficiently, as she hopes to strike a balance between her family and professional role. Watching her daughter grow up has also made Mo pay more attention to the home environment of the elderly she resides with, suggesting to install small and motion sensor lights in their homes to make sure they can move around safely. In the face of an aging population, Mo hopes to work closely with welfare organisations to find ways to improve elderly's golden years with her expertise and passion in creating a warm and friendly home.
Mo hopes to work closely with welfare organisations to find ways to improve elderly’s golden years with her expertise and passion.