Latest news with #WinKeyWorkshop
South China Morning Post
04-08-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
The dream flat in Hong Kong's Repulse Bay that was a fortuitous find
Hong Kong lawyer Kapil Kirpalani had almost given up on trying to buy the perfect apartment when he had his very own Christmas miracle. Advertisement It was December 24, 2020. He'd just missed the bus home to Mid-Levels after a dinner in Stanley and, while waiting for the next one, the bachelor's eyes were drawn to a real estate shopfront. And there it was: a Repulse Bay beauty with curved windows framing knockout views of the sea in front, and mountains behind. Dining area. Photo: Eugene Chan 'It looked too good to be true,' says Kirpalani, who jumped in a taxi and asked the driver to take him to that address. From outside, 'it was absolutely stunning'. After persuading the agent to meet for an inspection the following morning – Christmas Day – the good vibes kept on coming. By the new year, he was the proud new owner of the 848 sq ft flat. The 30-year-old building had benefited from recent facade, facilities and amenities upgrades, but the apartment's interior looked dated. Together with Vincent Leung Tsz-chun, Win Key Workshop's designer and project manager, Kirpalani was a hands-on renovator. Dining area detail. Photo: Eugene Chan 'Vincent had ideas for making better use of the space,' he says, 'while I was very particular about the look and feel.'
South China Morning Post
11-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- South China Morning Post
Wood may just be the next ‘quiet luxury' trend for Hong Kong homes
Building with wood is as much about feelings as aesthetics. Upcycled trees are warm to the touch, pleasant on the nose and, as a biophilic material, psychologically soothing. Advertisement Hong Kong might be bucking a global movement back to timber construction, but inside their concrete towers, some residents are finding that designing with wood transports them to a place of calm. Professional musician Kelvin Leung became so attached to his alma mater, King's College, in Sai Ying Pun , that he had his wedding photos shot there. Not only that but the wooden walls inside the boys' school, a classical declared monument built in 1926, informed the design of his Tai Wai home. Like the rest of Leung's apartment, the bedroom favours rich timber hues for a British colonial touch. Photo: courtesy Win Key Workshop 'In my first year of secondary school, when teachers taught us about the architecture of the building, I was not very interested,' says Leung, a chromatic harmonica player. 'Over time, I started to enjoy the atmosphere around me, which felt warm and cosy. I thought those vintage interior elements would be nice to have in my own apartment.' In his client's preferences, Vincent Leung Tsz-chun, Win Key Workshop's interior designer and project manager, detected a British gentleman's club sensibility. Although this design genre called for dark wood, rather than the lighter, Nordic-style timbers dominant in Hong Kong, Win Key's design made it work. It might even herald a trend , says Leung, who senses a shift back to the depth of classic timbers such as mahogany and walnut, alongside a growing appetite for 'quiet luxury' and appreciation of heritage. In the two-bedroom, two-bathroom 840 sq ft flat, vintage-inspired patterned floor tiles are complemented by walnut wainscoting and a walnut ceiling, the deep chocolate wood tones and ruby ceramics imbuing, Leung says, 'warmth and character with a colonial touch'. 'The colour of this timber also works well with the sunlight coming into the apartment's windows from different directions,' says Studio Adjective's Wilson Lee of this Parkview home. Photo: courtesy Studio Adjective The use of veneer, rather than solid wood, balances sustainability with sensibility, he continues, and avoids vulnerability to expansion and contraction as humidity levels rise and fall. 'Wanting the visitor to feel the richness of the decor, but without the heaviness, we layered the entranceway with floor and ceiling lighting,' he says.
