Innehållsförteckning för May 2022 från Home Journal

The birth of the metaverse has forever upended our perceptions of the world as we know it. With the right AR and VR headsets, your friends from the other side of the other side of the planet can now stand right in front of you three-dimensionally as holographic images, or you can now turn your confined darkened city dwelling into a light-flooded beachside summerhouse. Rather than a complex technology, the metaverse is more a concept of how we interact with technology. It enables us to meld the physical and digital worlds, creating a hybrid space that is shared universally, where everyone can have access to social connections, work, entertainment, shopping and learning. In the realms of interior design, the metaverse unlocks tremendous opportunities for flexibility and imagination. The elimination of…

Open kitchens have always been favoured among homeowners, but given the many choices available in the market, setting up a home kitchen that melds function and form is no easy feat. Gary Lui, founder of Hong Kong interior design firm Lova Design, has years of experience designing large-scale residential developments, and an open kitchen is something he always opts for. Many of his clients have high requirements for cooking space, but also pay attention to the perfect combination of practicality and beauty. Mia Cucina, supported by Towngas, is a kitchen cabinet and premium appliance brand he often recommends. We recently sat down with Lui to get his thoughts on the brand, recent kitchen design trends, and the dos and don’ts of crafting a gorgeous and functional open kitchen at home. WHAT’S…

Patrick Frey – president and creative director of the renowned family-owned French interior design and textile brand Maison Pierre Frey – and his wife Lorraine have created a warm and welcoming holiday home in Provence where they can enjoy their own creative pursuits, and also spend time with their adult children, grandchildren, and friends. “We wanted a place where we can rest, have fun, cook, and garden; a place we can enjoy as a couple as well as when we are surrounded by those we love,” Lorraine says. Spellbound by the fairy tale beauty and divine light of Provence in the South of France, the couple purchased an old farmhouse in the historic village of Cabrières d’Avignon in the picturesque Luberon region a few years ago, and transformed it into their…

LOCATION: Pontassieve, Italy Villa Imagine living in a castle-like home and enjoying a lazy poolside afternoon in a lush garden – this Italian countryside villa has it all. Nestled amid the hills of Chianti, near Florence, this nine-bedroom villa features 623 square metres of living space, surrounded by verdant landscapes fitted with century-old plants, an orchard and olive grove, and a mosaic swimming pool – perfect for those who appreciate nature and the outdoors. Timeless and inviting, the villa retains much of its original architectural details and finishes in the good hands of the owners, with a centuries-old ancient tower granting the property an extra dose of historic charm. The ground floor is home to a living room, a large storage space, a laundry area, a gym and the caretaker’s…

ART CENTRAL Rarely has the art scene in Hong Kong been so proactive and dynamic as it has been over the past two years, with pop-ups and an intriguing line-up of exhibitions more than making up for postponed and cancelled shows. Now comes the year’s big-ticket entrant to the market. Art Central is taking place from 26-29 May, with a focus on local artists and galleries. The four-day art fair will see more than 50 galleries – over 20 of which are first-time participants – presenting hundreds of artworks for visitors to view and buy at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, along with a dazzling programme of art talks, video presentations, art performances, and installations. Curated by Qu Chang this year, Art Central 2022 showcases the next generation…

Yamanashi Prefecture is a true natural gem. A one-hour train ride from Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station, it is one of Japan’s most scenic and nature-rich regions. With emerald mountains scattered across the low plains, along with awe-inspiring gorges and lofty rock walls and cliffs against azure skies, it is home to a remarkable variety of hot springs within easy reach. It’s home to one of the country’s best wineries, along with a cradle of fruity frontrunners such as peaches, grapes, and plums. And it is where David Awai was born and raised. “Mount Fuji is in the southern part of Yamanashi and my childhood home sat right by the mountainside. The natural landscape is stunning and it’s a beautiful place to live in,” he reminisces. Little did he know he would…

Surrounded by green parkland and the Andes mountains beyond, the Mirador Santa Anita – designed by Chilean architect Jorge Figueroa in 2011 – is a luxury apartment complex with a staggered level architecture that affords every apartment its own private entrance and large travertine terrace that looks out to the Andes. One of the units in the complex is a duplex penthouse with an interior floor area of 4,520 square feet and a 2,990 square foot terrace that was impeccably redesigned by Santiago architecture and design firm Estudio Paula Gutierrez. Within the duplex’s lower level, where the main entrance is located, is a hallway, living area, studio, dining room, pool, kitchen, master bedroom, and the outdoor terrace. On the upper level is three en suite bedrooms, a gym, family room,…

LOCATION: Antigua Villa Waking up to a sandy beach, and dining by the sun-dappled water of the Caribbean sea, is no longer a dream, with the stunning Villa Papillon on the beach-fringed Antigua island now open for rent. Conceived by London-based interior design and architecture studio Ward & Co, the six-bedroom villa is set over four floors that set back into the hill with expansive openings punctuated throughout to let the stunning vistas in, and coastal winds flow through. With cosiness and relaxation at its core, the villa adopts a calming neutral palette from the inside out to echo its natural surroundings, while setting the tone for a colourful cache of artwork sourced from Lots Road to shine. The first floor – where the main entrance is located – is…

The pandemic has brought about many changes in our lives – and reshaping our concept of home, and how we use our spaces, is just one of them. When a couple decided to makeover their newly purchased home on Old Peak Road, interior designer Tommy Choi’s ingenuity was put to the test. “This isn’t our first time working together so we know the clients well and understand what they need,” Choi says. “Because of the pandemic, the couple is inviting friends over more often, and given they live with a toddler and a pet, space is a big part of the brief.” The 2,270 square-foot abode is housed in a residential building built in the late 1980s and was blessed with a square and practical backbone. Choi adjusted the layout…

LOCATION: Brisbane, Australia Mix-use development Combining living, retail, hotel and entertainment purposes, Queen’s Wharf Brisbane will be a striking new addition to Brisbane’s riverfront when completed in the first half of 2023. Developed by the Star Entertainment Group, in conjunction with Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium, the AU$3.6 billion integrated development will welcome its second residential building, billed the Queen’s Wharf Tower, which will offer 819 apartments of one, two and three-bedroom dwellings and penthouses spanning 71 floors, slated for completion in 2026. Set to be Brisbane’s new lifestyle hub, Queen’s Wharf Brisbane will boast a whopping 40,000 square metres of retail and F&B space featuring a host of bars and restaurants, as well as a Star Casino, a 1,500-person Sky Deck that sits 100 metres above…

Location: Melbourne, Australia Mixed-use development The first residential phase of STH BNK By Beulah residence has now hit the market at HK$3 million-plus. Situated on the Southbank area from across the Melbourne CBD, STH BNK By Beulah is a multi-use complex comprising two twisting towers, with one of them set to be the tallest in the country when completed in 2027. The AU$2 billion development will offer residences, Grade A office spaces, the Four Seasons Hotel, vacation hotspots and cultural precincts under the concept of what the Dutch architectural practice UNStudio bills as the “Green Spine” – a set of vertically networked platforms, terraces and verandas that form a multifaceted spine designed to increase public flow while allowing either side of the tower a view to the city. Housed in…