The imposition of quarantine restrictions force the majority of us to stay at home for prolonged periods of time. With shared space and limited movement, we find ourselves adjusting to our new life – even inside our homes where we are sharing space with our family.

Each member of the family has their own needs. Parents are forced to work from home, while kids switch to homeschooling. Not an ideal for a regular household in Hong Kong’s city centre; a concrete jungle composed of masculine apartment living. Because of limited space, the ability for homeowners to create a division of purpose in the space can cause a multitude of frustrations, especially during quarantine.

Remarkably, we were gifted an opportunity to create this division in household space a little further away from the centre of the city. One of our latest projects, a beautiful house in Clear Water Bay became a sanctuary for a family during this challenging time. A luxurious vacation at home was the ultimate goal to make our clients feel the perfect giveaway that can effectively keep stressors at bay.

Render: Small dining area

Natural Light For A Warm and Welcoming Home

The presence of light is a major factor during the design process. Each corner of the house has their own share of natural light, which can help regulate stress, and emotions and keep it at bare minimum. Studies have shown that light can alleviate depression and improve mood swings which contributes to optimal health and well-being.

Render: Living areaActual: Living area

It is vital that there is a power workspace at home and proper study space for the kids at the same time. Especially when the mom decided to shift to work more at home, and get more involved in the kids’ learning and create more influencers in their lives. They love to do a lot of activities together.

The kids didn’t feel restless at all staying indoors, and even had a fun time being homeschooled. On some days, the family gathers and lounges outside, either playing drums or engaging in other outdoor activities. There’s freedom to move and be mobile. Even the dogs can roam around the house.

Spaces for Wellness and Movement

Apart from comfort, we place great emphasis on wellness, Wellness can mean differently to everyone. For our client, a mom who is a busy CEO, her time to rejuvenate is a change to soothe her mind and body.

Her favorite part of the house is composed if a built in a spa area with an outdoor jacuzzi, massage area room, dry sauna, outdoor shower, shaded outdoor relaxation chairs and outdoor lounge. You definitely need not leave the house to escape from the city.

Render: Wellness roomActual: Wellness room

Why spend a dime to pamper yourself when you can just hop over to your wellness area for an instant pick-me-up mood booster? Having your own wellness area at home keeps your from unnecessary hassle of going out. You can stay safe at home and still pamper and splurge yourself.

An outdoor fireplace was built and customised with shaded outdoor relaxation chairs and lounge to bring luxury and wellness to another level. The owners of the house made arrangements to install solar panels in the future that will help regulate energy efficiency consumption in the long run, becoming a sustainable and environment-friendly house in the city.

There is a place for every activity; whether it is for work, family bonding, wellness and relaxation.

Overall, our client is delighted and feels very safe and at ease in their home despite the difficulties of being in quarantine. With a spacious ambiance that can accommodate work, study, play and relaxation all at once, every corner of the house is utilised accordingly.

Maximising Comfort

It is important that our design process matches our primary clients’ preferences and heritage – a Macanese family.

For this project we are happy to present a home with splashes of blue textures over a neutral background. It makes any livable space bigger and also promote movement and extra space for future family activities.

To stay true to the purpose of promoting wellness and relaxation in every space, we added layers of blue design elements to set a campaign and peaceful effect. Porcelain displays with hints of blue were also an added character to set the place. In turn, these display elements can become an object of conversation to visiting guests.

With a good design practise, we make sure that there is enough room for natural air ventilation to circulate throughout the house. It has been proven that good air quality contributes to the overall health and wellbeing of the people living in the house. Fresh and clean air regulates the temperature and humidity and establishes a relaxing environment.

Dining for Nourishment

While the house is designed for bonding and entertainment, we also built and customised small pockets of space that are perfect for intimate moments such as the dining area. We know the importance of eating comfortably without interruption from work calls, social media and other digital means and ensure that the dining area remains technology-free. The television can be hidden behind an artwork for convenience in eliminating technological distractions during meal times and allow people to exchange conversations over a hearty meal.

Apart from ergonomic appliances to promote healthy eating, design also plays a great factor to improve eating behaviour and enhance nutrient absorption.

The house has two dining areas: an intimate breakfast area complete with a coffee station for an instant, perk-me-up routine. At any time of the day, it can also be easily converted into a wine bar for your water cooler conversation moments.

This is perfect for couples who want to spend quality moments before they tend to their kids or their work. We painstakingly take great care to ensure that our sustainable design practice translates to better sustenance and is easily adaptable to the family’s immediate needs.

The small breakfast station is connected to the outdoor area fostering a connection with nature. The second larger dining area is in another dedicated part of the house, which is meant for family gatherings and bondings.

Deep Focus for Work and Study

The overall design and theme of the house is to allocate space for everyone when it comes to entertainment, wellness, and work or study. We relocated the work and study area to the basement. With adequate workspace privacy, it allows anyone in the room to dive deep into work with great concentration and clarity.

Sufficient exposure to light is beneficial for one’s well-being and increases productivity and keeps the mind performing at its optimum peak while working. To integrate natural daylight indoors, we installed coelux skylight, a makeshift sunlight in a corner space to give the illusions of blue skies all year round.

Render: Study area

There are also windows in the basement that allows everyone to take a peek and establish connection with the outdoor space, while comfortably staying in the basement to quickly resume working.

Actual: Study are lights off

Designed For Fun and Interaction

Family bonding and relaxation is fun and achievable whether engaging in outdoor activities or relaxing indoors. Both indoor and outdoor entertainment space is built with eco-friendly and sustainable materials to ensure longevity of space that can be enjoyed by family, and close friends in the years to come.

To foster communication and prevent idle time among family members, the main sitting area and formal dining area has a technology-free option by concealing the television with an artwork of choice.

There is a separate den for the home theatre system to recreate an environment of pure entertainment pleasure. It is also replete with large storage for board games for the children and the child-at-heart to enjoy, as well as a storage space for artwork.

Render: Entertainment areaActual: Entertainment area

The outdoor space has a grand bonding and entertainment ambiance with multiple couches and a large eating area, and is meant for everyone who wants to get in touch with the outside world. This space promotes physical activity and interaction.

It also has a BBQ grill and a herbs garden to liven the area. An indoor food recycler is situated within the area to prevent food litters and keep the space spick and span. We designed the home to be well-maintained and clutter-free as possible by ensuring that each home appliance is strategically placed in order to maximise movement and eliminate unnecessary distractions. A clean and organised home reduces stress and increases happiness and productivity.

A Sustainable Home Leads To A Happy Well-Being

It has always been our principle to incorporate good design and sustainable materials to any home. To minimise unnecessary distractions and improve the home’s ambiance positively affects the overall health and well-being of the family.

We create healthy home space to make it lovely and relaxing to stay, especially during quarantine lockdown. Healthy living and living comfortably doesn’t have to be grand and luxurious. It’s about making use of your natural home habitat and utilising it to your needs. Good air quality, natural lighting, and a clean and organised home are just simple lifestyle arrangements that can make the difference of quality, healthy living at its best.