The light of day illuminates this Hong Kong family home in Hung Hom
While some sharp angles in the irregular-shaped building posed design challenges,
Edward Lau Tak-tai, director of ED Design , relished the opportunity to harness the passage of sunlight throughout the day.
Especially in densely built-up urban areas, maximising natural light in interior design can be beneficial for overall health and children's growth,' he says.
Reducing reliance on artificial lighting is also more eco-friendly and lowers energy costs, he adds.
The 25-year-old, 1,400 sq ft apartment had been renovated previously, but was looking tired and dated when Thomas and Alice Chan bought it in March 2023. Happily, the floor plan was functional, with bedroom zones flanking a large central living/dining area, minimising the need for space-hungry corridors. And with the kitchen and helper's room situated in two protruding 'wings' on either side of the entrance, there were fewer doorways to contend with when it came to furniture placement.
This enabled the original four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom layout to be retained with only minor alterations. But for cosmetic reasons, the interior was gutted to allow for a more contemporary aesthetic.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Reimagining what an urban flat can be in Hong Kong's Tin Hau
In a city where space is at a premium and apartments often follow a rigid template, one homeowner in Tin Hau has reimagined what an urban flat can be. Advertisement The 700 sq ft apartment, built in 1976, once conformed to a familiar sequence: living room, two bedrooms and a narrow corridor leading to a compact kitchen and bathroom. But when Karl Laing, a Hong Kong lawyer who uses the unit as his pied-à-terre, teamed up with Edge Design Institute founder Gary Chang Chee-keung , the space was transformed into something far more personal. Bedroom and workplace. Photo: Gary Chang Laing bought the flat 12 years ago, with a tenancy agreement in place. When the lease expired, he seized the chance to tailor the space to his own needs. 'This is my private club and my workspace now,' he says. With his primary residence – where his wife and children live – only five minutes away, Laing's one-bedroom retreat serves as a venue for entertaining, working and, crucially, housing his collection of art, books and audio library. 'For me, a big home, a family house, is always a compromise for design. This is the only place where I know where my things are,' he says in jest. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Younger Hongkongers are taking it slow and steady? Good
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@ or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification One afternoon in Mong Kok, I watched a mother place a milk tea beside her daughter, who sat quietly with her laptop closed. No lecture, no judgment – just quiet understanding. That small gesture stayed with me. As someone who works in vision coaching with Hong Kong youth, I see this same quiet recalibration in many of my sessions: young people choosing to pause. This shift isn't about laziness. It's a sign of reflection. After years of racing towards grades, titles and expectations, many are asking better questions. One young client said, 'If I keep sprinting like this for 10 more years, what kind of person will I be?' That isn't apathy – it's awareness. There's even a name for it: 'cozymaxxing', a trend where young people build comfort and recovery into their daily lives. I've seen clients replace all-nighters with slow walks, side hustles with sleep. They're not rejecting ambition, they're reshaping it. In a recent Randstad study, 45 per cent of Hong Kong millennials reported that they have 'quiet quit' due to job dissatisfaction, with around one in three having skipped work for the same reason. The system many grew up trusting, it seems, no longer guarantees a life worth living. Think of the Peak Tram. It doesn't race. It climbs steadily, at its own pace, and always gets there. That's the kind of ambition I am seeing more of: slower, more intentional, grounded in long-term well-being.
South China Morning Post
19-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Quirky China trend shows kids, pets hugging giant winter melons to stay cool at night
The scorching summer heat in China has sparked a trend where people hug a giant winter melon while sleeping to find relief from the sweltering temperatures. The topic 'sleeping with a winter melon is cooler than using an air conditioner' has gone viral on mainland social media, with one Chinese platform alone garnering 4.4 million views. Many individuals shared photos of themselves slumbering while clutching these large vegetables, which are comparable in size to a toddler, highlighting their remarkable cooling effects. A resident of northern China's Tianjin municipality, known as Longma, claimed to be among the first to introduce this effective cooling method that ignited the trend. She purchased a 14kg winter melon from the local market for her child, who complained that the summer heat was making it difficult for him to sleep at night. A resident from northern China's Tianjin municipality is reported to be one of the first to popularise this effective cooling technique that sparked the trend. Photo: RedNote Longma noted that she refrained from using air conditioning in the bedrooms to avoid catching a cold, and saw the 'ancient method' of hugging a winter melon as a viable alternative.
