Making a 1,615 sq ft Hong Kong rental a beautiful home with reversible design

Confronted with a layout that their clients found angular and unyielding, Macak and Liu deployed furniture as an architectural tool. Organically shaped rugs, rounded lighting and seating, circular tables, and shelving units with subtly curved edges began to neutralise the existing geometry.

“As the property is rented, all furniture had to be free-standing, but it meant we could customise everything to create a cohesive space,” says Macak, who has been living in Hong Kong for four years. “Anyone can buy nice furniture, but without a clear narrative, pieces might seem disjointed.”

The sizeable entrance was a particular challenge because of redundant space and a linear path that led directly to the single flight of stairs descending to the living area. The designers interrupted this trajectory with a seating nook, opposite which they built a shelving unit to frame the entrance of what would become a television den, originally an enclosed dining room near the kitchen.