Alessandra French, co-director of State of Kin
The architecture and design of the house connect intimately with its site near Lake Monger. The main door, located at the base of the steeply sloped site, opens to a triple-storey foyer that features Perth- based artist Elle Campbell’s art and a Fordite 3 rug from CC-Tapis.
These lively additions complement the fluid design of the staircase’s handrail. “The handrail winds seamlessly around the spine of the staircase like a delicate ribbon that curves and flows up, over and around the path of travel,” describes French.
The CC-Tapis Fordite 3 rug by Patricia Urquiola echoes the colourful brushstrokes on the wall-hung painting by Elle Campbell
Fancy living on the sea? For HK$21 million, you’ll be able to call Dot, a converted Star Ferry home.
Formerly named Golden Star, Dot spans over 6,000 square feet of living space, and an additional 4,000 square feet for storage and utilities, reported Asia Pacific Boating. The boat’s design was inspired by New York-style lofts, featuring industrial-chic warm wooden brown floors, and clean white walls to contrast.
The tour continues, with four spacious cabins that feature floor to ceiling windows, ensuite bathrooms with baths and showers, as well as a cinema room and an office. While it’s hard to find traces of what the boat previously looked like, you’ll be able to spot the workmanship of Golden Star on the deckhead and the teak deck, with added upgrades such as iron powder for a rust finish. A cosy living room and dining area are also present, as well as an al-fresco dining and sunbathing area.
The fruits of such a close collaborative journey are seen in delightful little nooks and spaces within the house. The unique L-shaped library and study area, for instance, was an innovative way to maximise awkward and constricting spaces in the overall mission to preserve the old structure of the building.
Dressed in a soothing palette of blacks, whites and soft greys, the entire home was a creative exercise in balancing architectural challenges with bold and uncluttered contemporary design.
A careful selection of outdoor plants add a pop of colour to this monochromatic property
While the notion of building around the bungalow s original structure sounds romantic, it was a lofty ambition, one that involved weeks of intense planning and what Tseng describes as lots of creative crisis-management and collaboration both with his client and his team members.