Houzz Tour: Airplane Efficiency for a Minimalist Hong Kong Flat
Stowaway snack carts, sliding doors, window desks — this tiny modern Chinese apartment is big on small-space design savvy
Houzz Editorial Staff; writer, musician, father and husband.
Houzz Editorial Staff; writer, musician, father and husband. More »
Hong Kong architect Clifton Leung didn’t have much space to work with when designing this 1,000-square-foot flat. But taking cues from airplane galley kitchens and a minimalist mentality, they made their tight space feel like a spacious home by adding smart storage, knocking down all the walls and adding 10 sliding doors that can transform the now-open space into a variety of intimate areas.
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Vantage Park, Hong Kong
Size: 1,000 square feet; 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms
Budget: About 1.1 million (HKD); $144,000 (USD)
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Vantage Park, Hong Kong
Size: 1,000 square feet; 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms
Budget: About 1.1 million (HKD); $144,000 (USD)
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| To save space in the living room, Leung mounted the TV on the wall and, instead of having a traditional bulky sofa, pushed two benches together that can be separated to create more seating when friends visit. |
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| Rollable airplane snack carts in the kitchen space say it all: Leung is wild about creative efficiency. He confined the prepping, cooking and cleaning to its own tight space at the back of the kitchen, allowing for an open space with a dining table. A collection of vintage Chinese water bottles is displayed on an uplit shelf above the microwave. |
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| The dining room transitions into the living room, but Leung added a change in flooring and sliding doors to define the two distinct spaces. |
Unconventional knobs from Japan embellish the natural wood kitchen cabinets.
Leung created functional spaces out of what he had. A bay window became a workstation, while a recessed portion of the wall became a perfect spot for his upright piano.
Leung created this plywood desk to fit into the former bay window.
While many of Leung’s collectibles are hidden away, he was able to personalize the house through numerous mini trough-lit display shelves.
The neutral palette and soft, subtle furnishings in the guest bathroom let the tight space breathe. A raw concrete ceiling adds just a peek of urban design.
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| Soft and indirect lighting was key to making the small master bedroom comortable. All the lamps are remote controlled. |
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| More bay windows in the master bedroom were converted to another workspace, with bustling city views. |
Simple and functional design makes the master bathroom feel open and relaxing. A curtain conceals a nearby walk-in closet.
You've heard of a walk-in closet, but how about a step-up closet? Leung created these storage stairs to maximize space for clothes.
A step-on light button lets the homeowners quickly illuminate the closet.
When the sliding doors are open, the rooms off the central corridor — lit by a strip of LED lights to mimic those in an airplane — feel connected to the rest of the space.
When the sliding doors are closed, the spaces feel more intimate.
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| It's the same with the master bedroom. When the doors are open, there’s an open feeling. |
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| When closed, the experience is completely different — more private. Tell us: How have you transformed your living areas? |
Ideabook updated on March 22, 2013.
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The one thing I like most about this apartment is the flexibility achieved by the sliding doors. No handles or hardware visible, that's a nice touch too. The step-on light button in the closet is super smart. The tile in the guest bath is beautiful. The built-ins create a lovely, cohesive look.
Other decisions seem to have no special benefit to me, like the airplane containers in the kitchen (do they ever roll them out?), the step-up thing in the closet (looks as if it hampers accessibility elsewhere?), and my behind hurts already from looking at the bench in the living room. A long, but not too deep sofa would have been a better choice, imo. After all, you normally use it more often alone than you need flexibility to sit lots of guests.
Looking at the skyline of Hongkong, I often asked myself how it might be to live there, in a highrise amid highrises. It's very interesting to see how people dwell in foreign countries, under conditions that are so different from my own. Thanks for the insight.
This can't be $1.1 million US.
Can Houzz please, please stop describing 1,000 sq ft spaces as a challenge? In urban setti G's, especially in Asia, theses are are very nice sized.
Living space is at a premium due to the population density.
I've been there many times and have met people who are on a waiting list to buy available space.
As others have said, for Hong Kong that place is HUGE. (And I think that it is actually quite cheap for 100 sq. meters - I have heard that the prices may be well over 3 million HKD for smaller apartments.)
Otherwise, I like it a lot. Very crisp, very clear, very calm and effective. I love the kitchen and the display shelves.
What is the track for I am seeing in between kitchen and dining space?
i live in 1100 sq/f... i have an enormous master bedroom that 12.5''x25' that everyone that see's it is envious a small guess room that's 12,5'x14' a enormous bathroom/washing room thats about the same a dining room that 12.5'x15 a Kitch/lab that's 14'x10' and an open living room that's an extension that around 14'x16' and the hall way is 28'x5' and my apartement seems MUCH BIGGER than this layout! But it sure is beautifully decorated!