Residential Renovation: 土瓜灣冠山苑

A brand new Home Ownership Scheme unit located in Kwun Shan Court has been carefully designed to become a warm and practical home space. This unit was specially purchased by the client for his parents as a retirement home in the future. During the design process, the designer needs to fully consider the living habits of the two elders to create a home that is both comfortable and practical.

This Guanshan Garden project has several special features: the owner’s father is Japanese and his mother is Chinese, and there are some differences in their living habits. Therefore, the design needs to take into account the integration and balance of the two cultures. In addition, due to the limited unit area, designers need to make full use of every inch of space to improve overall comfort and practicality. The client hopes that the new home can match the existing Japanese furniture while retaining the simplicity and lightness of Japanese design.

The whole house is based on simplicity and lightness. In the choice of colors and materials, the designer used soft wood grain and simple lines to create a peaceful atmosphere like a Japanese-style residence. This design not only conforms to the Japanese living habits of the homeowner's father, but also makes the overall space more warm and comfortable.

In order to improve the flexibility and practicality of the space, Italian Scrigno hidden sliding doors were used for the doors of the rooms and bathrooms, which not only saves the extra space required to open the door, but also adds a modern feel to the overall design. The master room adopts the design of a raised storage platform and a tatami-style bed, which combines Japanese tradition and modern storage needs to make the space tidier and more versatile.

In the bathroom design, in order to improve the convenience of use and the sense of space, the bathroom mirror cabinet is embedded in the wall, which not only provides sufficient storage space, but also avoids the inconvenience of bumping heads during daily use. Since the color of the original fire door did not match the overall design style, the designer deliberately used 3M wood grain stickers to cover it to make it more harmonious and unified with the simple and natural style of the house.

Since this unit in Crown Hill Court is a retirement home for two elderly people, durability became one of the primary considerations in the design. For example, extremely durable charcoal panels are used in all corners from the entryway to the living room. The one-piece open-corner design not only reduces wear and tear on the corners, but also facilitates future maintenance. The kitchen wall is made of Firek fireproof and waterproof wall panels. This material is also formed in one piece and has no seams, eliminating the trouble of cleaning the gaps. It also takes into account the fireproof and waterproof functions.

For this unit in Guan Shan Court, the designer has successfully built a limited space into a functional and aesthetically pleasing retirement residence with exquisite design and detailed consideration. Whether it is Japanese-style tatami floors, durable charcoal boards, or hidden sliding doors and fireproof and waterproof wall panels, every detail meets the living needs of the elderly, making their lives more convenient and safer.