Whether it’s a colonial touch or traditional Chinese-style architecture you seek, ever-versatile timber’s your answer
Building with wood is as much about feelings as aesthetics. Upcycled trees are warm to the touch, pleasant on the nose and, as a biophilic material, psychologically soothing.
Hong Kong might be bucking a global movement back to timber construction, but inside their concrete towers, some residents are finding that designing with wood transports them to a place of calm.
“In my first year of secondary school, when teachers taught us about the architecture of the building, I was not very interested,” says Leung, a chromatic harmonica player. “Over time, I started to enjoy the atmosphere around me, which felt warm and cosy. I thought those vintage interior elements would be nice to have in my own apartment.”
In the two-bedroom, two-bathroom 840 sq ft flat, vintage-inspired patterned floor tiles are complemented by walnut wainscoting and a walnut ceiling, the deep chocolate wood tones and ruby ceramics imbuing, Leung says, “warmth and character with a colonial touch”.
