Since he rarely cooks, he didn't see much point in redoing the kitchen, and thought it would be a hassle to replace the flooring. Instead, they focused on areas that were important to him, such as the bathroom and creating a spacious walk-in wardrobe for him in place of his second bedroom.
“The kitchen was traditional, but Chris didn't want to renovate it at first, so we had to respect that,” recalls the Ibiza designer who Im chose to work on the project. Masu. A super minimalist design based on white.
“Additionally, he had had bad experiences with renovations in the past, so he was understandably nervous. By the end of the four-month project, he was completely relaxed and approached the entire process. I was able to.
“We renovated the kitchen, refinished the floors and replaced the window frames, none of which were part of the original plan.
I'm a big fan of marble, but I tend not to offer it to my clients because it's porous and difficult to clean.Plus, synthetic alternatives look great these days
“Chris realized that leaving the old elements of the apartment alone would detract from the value of the newly renovated building.”
Lim, who grew up in Hong Kong and works in the hotel industry, wanted an apartment that was stylish, chic, and well-organized to match her sense of style. A fan of monochrome design, he requested lots of crisp white and contrasting matte black accents. It's a place that the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld would have been proud to call his home.
“The concept was not to create the most beautiful home, but to create the most functional home that best served Chris's needs,” says Butler.
At the top of the list was the wardrobe, which needed to house Im's clothes, shoes, and accessories in a precise and tasteful manner (see tried + tested Under).
Butler recalls that this was perhaps the most difficult aspect of the job. Lim had specified the exact number of drawers and compartments to include, but was worried that they wouldn't all fit.
But her careful calculations and numerous 3D drawings paid off. There is also free space in case Im wanting to expand my fashion collection.
The fixed pipe shaft in the corner created a lack of depth, creating a slim black shelf for coffee table books, breaking the regularity of the white wardrobe. Butler also designed a custom desk to fit into awkward corners of the room.
Once a matte black theme was established throughout the apartment, green window frames matched YIM's aesthetic. Although building regulations did not allow any external changes, Butler's contractors kept the apartment's color scheme consistent by using black frames indoors and green frames outdoors. I suggested that.
On the other side of the main room, we installed a large mirror to reflect the mountain green view and illuminate the dark dining area.
To stay within budget, Butler chose high-quality faux materials instead of the real thing. She used terracotta in the kitchen and sourced stone-plastic composite flooring that looks like wood and is more durable than run-of-the-mill laminate.
In the only bathroom, she created a monolithic-looking sink from a single block of synthetic stone. The bottom of that sink has a perimeter gap rather than a traditional drain plug hole.
She also added features to make the space more elegant, such as ceiling moldings and European-style baseboards. These tend to be higher than what is typically found in Hong Kong.
“I'm a big fan of marble, but I don't really recommend it to my clients because it's porous and difficult to clean. Plus, modern synthetic alternatives look great,” says Butler. “The key is to make sure that every detail is perfect so that everything looks much more expensive than it actually is.
“Good interior design doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. What matters is how the space is interpreted to suit the client's needs.”
living area
At the far end of the living area is a Charles Eames elephant chair from Vitra (vitra.com) and custom curtains purchased years ago from a store that is no longer in business.
Directional track lighting is from PLC Lighting (plc.com.hk), and the black soft-touch finish Daphine floor lamps on either side of the sofa are by Tommaso Cimini for Lumina Italia (lumina.it).
Hay's square tray table comes from Finnish Design Shop (finnishdesignshop.com).
living area
Hay's Mags 2.5 seat modular sofa and ottoman was purchased from Really Well Made (reallywellmade.co.uk) and the cushions from H&M Home (hm.com). Innovation Living's black Kiffa round his table is from Homeless (homeless.hk) and the custom-made bamboo silk rug is from Craverugs (via Etsy) (etsy.com).
The TV unit is from BoConcept (boconcept.com) and the faux fur throw was purchased from the Four Seasons Hotel gift shop.
dining area
The Prouvé style black dining table and elbow style dining chairs were from Decor8 (decor8.com). His bronze-finished drop pendant light is from 101 Copenhagen (101cph.com), and the black lacquered sideboard is custom-made by House of Butler.
Matte finish natural pearl gray SPC flooring by Pacific Flooring (pls.hk) flows from room to room without seams or transition strips.
Dining area details
The Lao elephant paperweight comes from Hermes (hermes.com). A custom mirror with a thin black stainless steel frame is from AD Décor (adhome-hk.myshopify.com/) and reflects the view from the other side of the room.
kitchen
The kitchen was designed and installed by House of Butler (houseofbutler.hk) and features terracotta countertops and a splashback. The surround LED ceiling light was purchased from IKEA (ikea.com.hk).
Bathroom
The bathroom was designed and installed by House of Butler. It features an integrated sink made from a block of synthetic stone. The black towel rack was from My Home (myhome-hk.com).
study
The wardrobe and corner desk are designed and made by House of Butler, and the arm-style dining chairs are by Decor8. Aud Rey's portable lamp belonged to a homeless person. The blinds were from Bobo Deco (bobodeco.com).
wardrobe details
The wardrobe was designed and made by House of Butler. The narrow shelves are kept in the same color as the wardrobe interior to keep the palette to a minimum.
tried + tested
Amy Butler designed a clever cabinet in her dressing room that can fit 80 pairs of shoes. Due to insufficient space, his first row on each shelf has a slightly higher heel and is staggered, leaving room for his second row behind it. Shoes are on a pull-out tray for easy access.