How to turn a Hong Kong flat into a Japanese-inspired sanctuary
Who hasn't gone on holiday to a place so beguiling they toyed with the idea of moving there?
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One Hong Kong-based Malaysian family felt that way about the soothing, otherworldly bamboo forests of
Kyoto, Japan
But since it wasn't practical for Daniel Tan, a stay-at-home dad, and See See Ooi, who works in finance, and their adult children Jieh Jia 'JJ' Tan and Shuen Shuen Tan, to uproot and relocate, a solution was to bring the forests to them – at least, in spirit.
A new 1,200 sq ft four-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment in Lohas Park, in the New Territories, would provide the starting point; boutique design studio Canter & Gallop Design (CGD) the impetus.
'When we travel to Japan, we find it very serene, peaceful and connected to nature – it's almost healing for us to spend time together there,' says JJ, a designer. 'Hong Kong is known for using bamboo scaffolding, so there's a bit of storytelling, too. It's nice to reference these two things in our home.'
The living and dining area. Photo: Common Studio
Jonathan Ng and Rafael Pardo, co-founders – along with David Kung – of CGD, based their concept on mindfulness and simplicity.
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