Hong Kong Housing Characteristics
Hong Kong’s accommodation per capita is becoming smaller, and there are a lot of nano flats. In recent years, the interior design direction and the procurement of furniture and home items, including sofas and desk chairs, have become more miniature. Multi-functional shape-shifting combination cabinets and hideable designs are becoming popular too. In addition to meeting the living needs of the family, the space of the “help” also has to be taken into account with such limited space.
The use of glass walls enhances the sense of space. Hideable door designs can also make the space calmer and more harmonious. Even if the space is small if the design adopts light-colored wood as the main tone. The area would feel fresh and minimalistic like a Japanese home. Creating storage space along the walls and on the floor can avoid any obstacles in the space and add to the spaciousness, while natural lighting can brighten up the entire household.
Living Room Design
The living room is the most important area of a household. To create a spacious, comfortable common area, a good living room design meets the family’s daily preferences and living habits. Great decoration can highlight the design of a living room, showcasing your style. Florals and plants can bring a fresh, natural aura to the atmosphere; but avoid excessive placement to prevent visual chaos and a loss of focus.
The preferences of young households have shifted from industrial style to Nordic minimalist style, Japanese style, and MUJI style in recent years. Nordic style design gives a feeling of comfort and relaxation, adding breathing space to our crowded environment. Light-colored wood matched with light oil colors, with some metal rims to increase design layering and display personal taste, is the most popular design material. Japanese style and MUJI style usually adopt white as the main color, alongside warm wood tones and a stack stone sofa as a backdrop to create a stress-free Japanese ambience. Minimalist design requires open light sources to bring in natural light. Small potted plants and bright containers can help add more bright colors to the space.
Bedroom Design
A meticulously-designed, well-planned bedroom helps people rest well and improve life quality. One of the biggest benefits of custom furniture is making full use of every inch of space while increasing storage space for clothes and miscellaneous items. Bedroom design is recommended to go with natural colors to give a relaxing feeling. You can also consider using glass as a partition to enhance the sense of space as well as to let in natural light, making the bedroom more comfortable.
The bedroom area of private properties in Hong Kong is generally around 50-80 square feet. We recommend raising the floor level to the height of the windowsill to increase storage space. The space can accommodate even large suitcases. Besides, the bed can be placed on top of the windowsill, increasing the activity space in the room. If the room area is about 20-30 square feet, we recommend choosing a multifunctional combination bed, e.g. bed on top with storage and a desk at the bottom. Remember to pay attention to the height of the space. Distance between ceiling and bed is best to be at least 1 meter so that you can sit up straight.
Kitchen Design
In addition to well-equipped kitchenware, the key to good kitchen design is to accommodate the cooking habits of the family. The stove, washing and working table area, and kitchen cabinets should be planned according to the size of the space to maximize practicability and storage capacity. Adopting more built-in appliances, such as steam ovens, refrigerators, and washing machines also helps to enhance the overall visual level and keep the space neat.
An L-shaped kitchen is the most common kitchen design in Hong Kong. The corner of an L-shaped kitchen adds to cabinet storage and dining space, which is highly suitable for small families. We suggest you place the refrigerator, sink, stove, and oven along the two lines of the L shape respectively, forming a triangular flow that makes cooking more convenient. To match new unit styles, one-wall kitchen design is becoming more and more popular. The kitchenware of a one-wall kitchen set along the wall is well-suited for a smaller home area.
Open Kitchen Design
Many young households prefer an open-kitchen design, which gives a spacious ambience to the dining room and connects people even when cooking. Induction cooking works best for open kitchens, minimizing cooking fumes and smells. Meticulous design as well as a high-efficiency, high-CFM range hood can also help ease the problem. A kitchen island is another key feature of open kitchens. It breaks the traditional kitchen wall and adds to the openness of the space. We can use a kitchen island as a bar counter or breakfast table, and comes with a storage cabinet, satisfying daily needs.
Dining Room Design
To enhance the space for activity, dining room designs have adopted hideable, extendable dining tables. It can increase space, accommodating both family and friends. A proportional dining table is an important element in dining room design. A shorter or round table may be more suitable. If you often invite friends and family over for meals, you can choose a long table.
In addition, lighting design is very important to the dining room. A warm, glowing ceiling light helps make your dining time warmer and cozier. A single large lamp is suitable for a table of 2-4 people. With a clear distinction between light and dark, it gives a stag spotlight effect, naturally drawing everyone’s attention. High and low lighting design can create a visual flow of a beautiful rhythmic effect. For restaurants that provide dining, banqueting, and other services, we should consider retaining the flexibility of adjusting the height and spacing of lights. Not only we can adjust the light source according to the number of people, but the ambiance can also be adjusted at any time.
Bathroom Design
Bathrooms are relatively more hydrated. In addition to the basic separation of wet and dry bathroom design, we should select waterproof and non-slip materials for the walls and floors to ensure safety. They are easy to clean as well. Doors and cabinets with highly waterproof or anti-corrosion materials are more durable. For example, aluminum ceilings are more practical, while moisture-proof gypsum board is more aesthetically pleasing.
We should choose a floor tile that is at least R10, and an R9-R10 tile is sufficient for average households. Any tile marked as R10 by its brand is a top choice for a non-slip bathroom floor. Tile texture, color, size, and other features are only secondary. The texture characteristic of R10 non-slip tiles is an uneven surface, or raised granules, to increase the anti-slip coefficient. The use of harmonious colors and matching different materials, lighting design, and a good selection of bathroom products can showcase your style while enhancing the design style of the bathroom.
Green Interior Design
A green lifestyle has gradually become a part of our lives. The demand and requirements for green interior design have grown higher. Apart from the use of odor-less anti-formaldehyde paint and energy-saving appliances, green and smart homes are becoming more popular. The adoption of smart systems allows people to keep track of the power consumption in their daily lives at any time. Although environmentally friendly building materials are 10%-20% more expensive than regular building materials, they are strictly controlled and certified by the government and professional organizations. This is why they are more secure in performance, environmental standards, and health and safety.
We also adopt certain design techniques to make environmental improvements. For example, we change the opening direction of doors and windows, so that wind can flow in naturally to reduce the use of air conditioning. Using more environmentally friendly wood and plastic veneers instead of solid wood can reduce the use of paint. Besides, we ask workers to control the amount of waste produced to stay environmentally friendly.
Residential Design FAQ
Although Hong Kong’s office renovation is a complicated process, if the preliminary preparation work is done well and the requirements are clearly expressed, there would usually be no over-expenditure. If the unit belongs to a relatively old building, deterioration of internal structure, such as damaged steel reinforcement, will be discovered during demolition, resulting in additional costs.
- Check to make sure the interior design contract specifies the correct quantity of supplies.
- The time required for the project should be specified.
- The length of the maintenance period should be specified. The more detailed the quotation, the better.
It generally takes 20-40 days for Hong Kong companies’ office renovation work. But of course, it depends on the size and the project’s requirements. Residential renovation work takes a little more time.
In general, workers might not be able to create the effect based on photos. Instead, they might ask clients to provide plans or require external designers to create plans. Therefore, simply choosing a Hong Kong interior design company with a one-stop service is a good choice.
It mainly covers appointed contractor work for some buildings, such as air conditioning, fire protection, water supply and drainage, or something related to public areas. If clients have their construction team, they have to inform us, the interior design company, so that we can communicate with them.
Our “Design & Build” quotation lists fees for materials and manpower separately. Designers first select materials that are suitable for the Hong Kong office design plan. Clients can also choose the materials they prefer regarding the unit prices on the quotation.
Our designers follow up with our clients from the beginning of initial planning until project completion. Our designers communicate with clients via WhatsApp any time.
Most Hong Kong contractors will list the office renovation project time on the quotation. If the project is delayed, the customer is entitled to the terms of extra compensation. Therefore, when customers choose an interior design company, they should understand the content and terms of the quotation.
Regarding office renovation and workplace design fees in Hong Kong, many people think that it should be cheaper to directly find a renovation master. However, the fee for finding another interior designer is often overlooked. If the master cannot work well together with the interior designer appointed by the client, it will lead to a greater chance of delay in the renovation project. It is therefore recommended to find some one-stop companies for design & decoration. A full set of design drawings usually includes 3D renderings, floor plans, ceiling drawings, electrical drawings and construction drawings of the whole Hong Kong workplace design. Interior design fees are usually charged as a percentage of the project cost.