Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2018 i Home Journal

1. FIVE MINUTES WITH Known for his fearless use of bold colour and pattern combinations, designer Gert Voorjans speaks to Home Journal about nostalgia, the necessity of modernity, and his love for chaos. 2. WHO LET THE DOGS OUT What would a home designed around a dog look like? The Dog House in Beijing, designed for a canine-mad owner, explores this concept in depth. 3. FELINE FIX Treat your cat like the lord of the realm it thinks it is by investing in our pick of the best feline furniture pieces. 4. HANOK TALK Architect Teo Yang renovates a traditional hanok dwelling in Seoul, creating a new conception of Korean heritage in the process. 5. AUTUMNAL ADDITIONS Fall-inspired accessories and furniture pieces to help create that cosy fall vibe in…

The art of imperfection, known as “wabi-sabi” in Japanese culture, has become increasingly prominent in the design industry in recent years. This aesthetic concept is a search for beauty in innate imperfections and serves as a life philosophy embraced by modern tastemakers. From organic linens, pottery and ceramic homewares with a human touch to neutral, rustic tones, wabi-sabi’s presence is certainly boundless. By celebrating the beauty of craftsmanship and by decorating with terrazzo accents, natural wood, textural weaves, grained marble and organic sculptural forms, you’re set to curate a living environment that can stand the test of time – regardless of the size of your space.…

If you had driven down Queen’s Road West during the better part of this year and reached the bend in the road delineating the neighbourhoods of Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun, you would most likely have been struck by a massive, minimalist mandala two storeys tall, composed of concentric blue rings and bound by a humming purple field, standing in juxtaposition to the surrounding grey hodgepodge of ‘60s-era tenement buildings. Such was the artwork (titled La voltice spirituale) that 3812 Gallery used to announce its flagship exhibition of the year: leading post-war Taiwanese painter Hsiao Chin’s To An Infinite Ascendance. The interior of the gallery was no less colourful, with Hsiao’s brightly coloured, meditative compositions exuding an insistent vibrancy, feeding off of the energy of the mustard yellow walls…

Milk and cookies, Batman and Robin, Netflix and chilling: some things in life are just better together than apart. The same is true for Max and Michelle Cheung, a married couple tasked with the project of refurbishing their 770sqft home in Tai Hang. Though neither of them are designers, the duo joined creative forces on their home, enlisting only a contractor to help execute their vision – to exquisite results, melding together classic details with modern touches. As self-confessed homebodies – “we are definitely a couple that likes to stay in,” says Michelle – it was important for them that their abode be spacious and storage-smart. “We actively took decisions to artificially expand our space,” she explains, unpacking the changes made to the original floor plan: adding a guest bathroom,…

They say that if you do what you love, you’ll never work another day in your life. Zurich-born Valerie von Meiss embodies this ethos and more, having turned her greatest passion – specifically collage art – into a recognised profession. After studying International Communications in Paris, she worked in advertising for several years in Amsterdam, before moving to Berlin, where she founded Curve in 2017, an art space for contemporary collage located, of all places, in her own apartment. The century-old building in which Valerie’s apartment can be found is situated in Berlin’s bustling Mitte Kiez neighbourhood, among galleries, restaurants, trendy boutiques and concept stores. The white-washed building features a magnificent (and for Berlin, quite unusual) grand spiralling staircase. For Valerie, it was love at first sight. She reminisces: “What…

Straight, broad and serene, the Kamogawa River has served as the lifeblood of Japan’s ancient seat of high culture, Kyoto, for innumerable generations, channeling fresh water from the mountains to the north into the city’s heart and giving rise to its unmatched traditions of kyo-yuzen dyeing, pottery, and a thriving culture of haute cuisine. At the height of the autumn foliage season later this month, an amble along its riverbank would bring you across many vignettes: the grey herons wading past flocks of waterborne spot-billed ducks, families gathered for momijigari, or leaf-viewing picnics, and, through a break in the blazing foliage, a glimpse of the low-slung yet regal form of the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto. Sat on the edge of the water, the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto caused quite a splash when it opened…

CALVIN HUI I CO-OWNER, 3812 GALLERY When you curate a space, it’s about giving a chance to create conversations or to trigger the imagination, or to let visitors connect with one another. HEIDAR SADEKI I CO-FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, RICHARDSON SADEKI As a generation we have become aware of our reckless expenditure of resources. I think smart homes will make life easier and preserve resources. MICHELLE CHEUNG I PR PROFESSIONAL A home is a place you feel most relaxed in, where you can find zen. We like the warmth that wood brings to a home, but we also made sure to incorporate modern design touches to balance it out.…

FABRICS WITH FINESSE Designed by Paola Navone for Kieffer by Rubelli’s 2018 collection, these new fabrics available at Altfield Interiors come in a range of textures and palette combinations – gauze, linen, tweed and velvet, in bold, pastel and neutral colours alike – with special attention paid to minute details that lend a touch of the handmade. ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES Explore vibrant shades and graphic motifs with furnishing fabrics and wallpapers from Hermès. Ranging from geometrical figures to latticing and foliage, each creation is a sophisticated study of intriguing compositions and expressive layers.…

CHEAT SHEET Embrace authenticity by using wooden pieces with uneven grains, handcrafted containers or wrinkled fabrics. Opt for materials that mature well, such as leather, stone, wood and clay. Come undone with a loosely made bed or a casually put-together vignette for a subtle statement. FOR MORE PRODUCTS AND IDEAS, VISIT HOMEJOURNAL.HK AND FOLLOW US ON PINTEREST @HOMEJOURNAL…

It’s all an illusion. Mirrors are a design element with both practical and decorative purposes. Not only are they beautiful objects, they also enhance the sensation of space by reflecting light and bouncing it back instantly – lighting up shady spots that don’t get much sun, harnessing any daylight and visually extending the area by tricking the eye. They help create mood, add dynamism, perfect and exaggerate symmetry and multiply views. Mirrors with a geometric design and different sized panels and thicknesses affect depth of field. We can play with these to further manipulate light and reflection, creating eye-catching fragmented reflections that add extra drama and visual entertainment. Placing mirrors where we least expect them, such as on a table top, creates a magical effect. Fitted to shelving, kitchen and…

INTERIOR DESIGNERS ARE INCREASINGLY SEEING MICRO-FLATS AS THE PUREST EXPRESSION OF THEIR CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES “Designing a chair presents the opportunity to express my position — it is like a testing ground for ideas that interest me,” renowned Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye once said when asked about why chair design is seen as a rite of passage for architects. In the same way, at least in Hong Kong’s utterly unique housing market, interior designers are increasingly seeing micro-flats in the same light, as the purest expression of their core design principles. To YC Chen of hoo, this exercise began in earnest when he and project lead Arsan Law were tasked by a young female professional to redesign a studio unit that clocked out at a mere 340sqft – the…

It doesn’t have the cachet of being Canada’s capital, nor the distinction of multi-cultural mountainous Vancouver, but in recent years Toronto has become a dynamic destination with an appeal all of its own. Here we pick our favourite parts of this spirited city. VISIT Starchitect Frank Gehry’s first building in Canada was the redesigned Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, popularly known as the AGO. The building itself has typical Gehry traits including a dramatic glass-and-wood curved façade, while inside there’s an excellent collection of Canadian art through the ages, including works by internationally renowned Canadian Jean-Paul Riopelle. For something more contemporary, The Power Plant at the Harbourfront Centre is Canada’s leading public gallery. The intriguing space, formerly an actual power plant, has mounted conceptual and groundbreaking shows by Canadian…

A AECORE | Shop 6, 28 Java Rd, North Point; tel 3169 5383, aecoreshop.com ALTFIELD INTERIORS | Rm 1101, 9 Queen’s Rd Central, Central; tel 2524 4867, altfield.com.hk ARCA FIRMA | arcafirma.com ARTEMIDE | Flagship Store, Unit 102-103, Ruttonjee Centre, 11 Duddell St, Central; tel 2523 0333, info@artemide.com.hk, artemide.com B B&B ITALIA | 31/F, China Online Centre, 333 Lockhart Rd, Wan Chai; tel 2295 3612, bebitalia@colourliving.com BOCONCEPT | 73 Wyndham St, Central; tel 2668 0027 or Shop 206-210, Level 2, Lee Garden Three, 1 Sunning Rd, Causeway Bay; tel 2110 9705 or Shop 118, Level 1, HomeSquare, 138 Sha Tin Rural Committee Rd, Sha Tin; tel 3468 7102, boconcept.hk BONTEMPI CASA | Matisse Limited, Room 1802-3, 18/F, Shun Kwong Commercial Building, 8 Des Voeux Rd West, Sheung Wan; tel 3184…

Following the great response from our Small Homes Issue earlier this May, we have returned with this year’s second edition of compact abodes that tackle the realities of micro-living with punch and panache. Utilising a blend of ingenious floor planning, innovative light and colour play, and adjustable or custom-built furniture, our selection of small homes demonstrates that limited space does anything but put a cap on creativity. Among our local homes are a Wan Chai studio unit that utilises vertically-oriented design to be able to fit all the necessary amenities (Pg 130); a couple’s apartment in leafy Tai Hang that combines the best of both their aesthetics (Pg 100); and an open-plan family home in Tai Wai that carves out enough space for young children (Pg 114). We complement this…

SHINING LIGHT Inspired by Russian avant-garde artist Kazimir Malevich, Suprematic by Noom is a fun collection composed of geometric shapes. Apart from adding a striking touch to your decor scheme, the functional pieces also double as vases and lamps that boast both beauty and practicality. SWEET AND SAVOURY Japan favourite A Happy Pancake has opened its first overseas location at Lee Garden Three, bringing their signature soft pancakes to the city’s bona fide foodies. First served in Osaka in 2014, the fluffy creations come with sweet or savoury pairings, from combinations that include banana in chocolate syrup, to mushroom cheese omelette or salmon and avocado. AROUND THE BEND Designed by Ini Archibong for Sé, Collection IV captures the essence of the brand – sensual beauty, celestial perfection and sensitive fragility…

Long gone are the black and white days of photography, cinema and television, when the images were more elegant, the silhouettes more graphic, and room was left to the imagination. Yet architect Marzio Cavanna did not design his home out of nostalgia. Rather, the 860sqft apartment is a tribute to Scandinavian countries where the lack of natural light is compensated by the skillful use of black and white. Located on the first floor of a building from early 20th century Milan, the house’s original layout – hallway, two bedrooms, a bathroom and kitchen – was abolished by Marzio’s reinterpretation of the floorplan. Today, half the space is occupied by an open plan living, dining and kitchen area, while the remaining square feet have been distributed across the sleeping quarter, wardrobe…

“PRESERVING HISTORICAL ELEMENTS HAS BEEN OUR UNDISPUTED PRIORITY, BECAUSE THE PAST IS ALWAYS A GREAT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR US” If you asked Parisian interior designers David Chaplain and Alexandre Roussard what their definition of luxury is, they’d list concepts such as “craftsmanship, details and experience.” Although they’re fairly young, they show a deep, nuanced understanding of luxury, with a careful view and a mastery of highly individual tastes. David is in love with Italian style, from Gio Ponti to Vincenzo De Cotiis, while among the French names he prefers Jean Royère and Jean-Michel Frank, as well as Rotterdam-based designer Sabine Marcelis’ light installations. Alexandre’s tastes are equally eclectic; he admits loving the splendour of Bollywood Regency style and the glamorous interiors of Portuguese interior designers Oitoemponto, but he is…

Pick! CHATEAU D’AX ITALIA UTILISE A WALL-MOUNTED FOLDABLE DESK TO CLEAR CLUTTER INSTANTLY 01. BOCONCEPT With the Cupertino Wall Office, everything – desk surface, cables, storage compartments – can be neatly hidden away when not in use. Its wall-mounted form frees up floor space while providing plenty of leg room. 02. B&B ITALIA The Harbour Collection is based on research into upside-down truncated cone shapes by its designer, Naota Fukasawa. The new Harbour Sofa comfortably seats two people and comes in a choice of fabric or leather. 03. BONTEMPI CASA Measuring just 49cm tall and 45cm in diameter, Alfred is a perfectly petite side table. Offered with either a natural or lacquered wood top, it also sports a practical steel magazine rack. 04. CHATEAU D’AX ITALIA The compact 257E electric…