Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2021 i Home Journal

I’ve always been an exacting restaurant-goer – not that I quibble over food, or the décor or the furnishings, rather what obsesses me is the je ne sais quoi that gets you to stay longer and keeps you coming back for more. It could be a blunt barista who isn’t shy to admit the coffee he sells is overpriced; a bartender who remembers your favourite drink; acoustics that strike a chord, or even a magazine on the rack that is enjoyable to read. Places that tick all boxes offer a holistic experience that makes you feel rejuvenated, safe and joyful every time you walk through the doors. While much in our daily lives still comes trapped in traditional concepts of form and function, some people are helping us break free…

The search for the right building took nine long years, but finally the NoMad London is open in the historic Grade II-listed building known as The Bow Street Magistrates’ Court and Police Station. One of the most famous magistrates courts in the world, it played a part in some of history’s most notorious and high-profile cases. The transformation of this storied 19th-century building draws inspiration from its history and location. Its dock witnessed the trial of the likes of Lothario Giacomo Casanova, Emmeline Pankhurst and Dr Crippen. Dame Vivienne Westwood was a guest in one of the cells for breaching the peace in 1977; while former politician Jeffrey Archer was found guilty in 2001 on two counts of perverting the course of justice and two of perjury, and sentenced to four…

Perched serenely on a scenic hillside in Sai Kung, this three-storey house is now blessed with high ceilings and abundant natural light. But there was nothing like that when Frankie Wong, co-founder of Pocket Square – a three-year-old local interior design firm – first saw the place. “The original ceilings were low and the windows small, and the entire interior was poorly lit. But it was full of potential,” recounts Wong, who, along with partner Sean Li, was enlisted two years ago to turn this 7,000 square-foot property into a calming retreat for a family of four to get away from it all. “We basically reworked the entire layout and enlarged the windows throughout to bring in more sunlight while creating a serene atmosphere for the couple to unplug and recharge…

The challenges of renovating an aged property are myriad. Do you restore it to a mirror image of its past self? Must the furnishings be contemporary? How do you impart your own aesthetic identity on someone else’s? For Cecilia and Elena Maresca, there was one solution to all these concerns: You instil modernism without undermining the house’s traditional, classical rooting. “Taking old things and giving them new life is invariably a challenge for interior designers, and one that really sparks our inspiration,” says the sister duo behind Maresca Interiors, the UK design firm which recently overhauled a 40-year-old barn in Zurich. The house in question is a colonial-style two-storey farmhouse lying on the fringe of an ancient forest by the Zurich woodlands, now brightened up with warmth and dynamism with…

LOCATION: Sydney, Australia Mixed-use development Sydney-based property developer JQZ has unveiled a collection of four two-storey luxury penthouses poised to top the 88 by JQZ residential precinct when completed. Conceived by PTW Architects, 88 by JQZ will comprise two residential towers of 47 and 26 storeys offering 637 apartments in total, and one Grade A commercial tower of 15 storeys. The penthouses, ranging from 279 square metres to 318 square metres, will be the crown jewels of JQZ’s A$1.6 billion three-tower urban transformation precinct with stunning views over the Sydney CBD, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour, thanks to 88 by JQZ’s geographical advantage perched on a ridge. The interiors, done by Angus Henderson from Henderson and Co, are governed by natural soft tones with soothing curves to echo the…

GO WITH THE FLOW Inspired by water and its fluid nature, Natuzzi’s new Deep collection boasts voluptuous lines that are reminiscent of the ebb and flow of the tide. The sofa, which comes in a variety of shapes and depths, is designed to fit harmoniously and convey a constant sense of calm and balance. natuzzi.com WINDING BACK As the first exhibition at Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery in Tai Kwun, “The Cornerstone”, available from now until the end of August, will showcase a selection of 15 masterpieces from the likes of Marcel Mouly, Georges Mathieu, Zao Wou Ki and Lalan, each work representing different dimensions of the reputed gallery’s 30 years of development. kwaifunghin.com LEATHER UP Deck your wall with Studioart’s 2021 Leatherwall Collections, available at Altfield Interiors. Its bespoke…

There weren’t too many of them in Russia – yet. Spaces filled with curated items, hand-picked and set in place with intention: a book, a vase, a framed print, a cardigan tossed on a bench. No object or its placement is random in places like this, however carelessly plopped on a table or draped across an armchair. Design concept stores, gallery-like in their curation and ambience, are a favourite of Natalia Maslova. She has her go-to’s in London, where her interior design studio 3L Decor is partially based, her time split between there and Moscow. She also has her picks from her travels, and she wanted to find similar options back in Russia. So she created one herself. The 3L Store debuted this spring, not far from the Leo Tolstoy…

Revamping a sprawling house of some 3,500 square-feet to accommodate four people comfortably is no easy feat, especially when those people are the renters. Making it reflect the personalities of the people living in it raises the bar even higher. Mille and Steven, the owners of the three-storey Sha Tin abode, also have particular needs. Having lived in the house for several years, the young couple have embarked on a new chapter of their life in a newly renovated home with their young son and daughter. “The owners value family and me-time a lot. That’s why ‘cosiness’ and ‘airiness’ constitute a huge part of the design brief,” says Meng Jing, founder of Common Room Home Living, the design firm manning the renovation. The home occupies the top three levels plus…

Olga Ashby, of London-based interior design studio Olga Ashby Interiors, has recently completed the interiors of a luxurious London apartment for a well-known Chinese food blogger named Josephine. The 1,938 square-foot apartment is one of the 76 units of a development called Regent’s Crescent, which is located within a historical regency period mansion that was renovated in 2020. Built in 1820 and designed by famous Regency and Georgian era British architect John Nash, the units of Regent’s Crescent have grand proportions that provide the ideal setting for Ashby’s texturally sumptuous and sophisticated interior style. The three-level apartment has ceilings that are more than 13-feet high, and large French windows that imbue all the rooms with plenty of natural light. The entrance and living areas are contained within the second level,…

LOCATION: Sydney, Australia Condominium Developed by Lendlease in partnership with Italian architect and Pritzker Prize winner Renzo Piano, One Sydney Harbour is a new jewel in the crown of Sydney’s skyline. Located in the new Sydney Financial centre Barangaroo, the residential project is situated within walking distance to the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge, with a plethora of high-end dining and shopping options in close proximity, making it one of city’s most convenient residential addresses. The project comprises three series – The Luxury Collection, The Signature Collection and The Harbour Collection. Each tower reflects Sydney’s radiant blue sky and the harbour’s shimmering waters through special treatments on the façades, creating a constant dialogue with its surroundings and the dynamic form of the city’s CBD. Built with sustainability in mind,…

Denise Lau was only a child when she knew she would one day join the family business. Founded in 1970 by William W. Lau, the B.S.C. Group is one of the city’s leading contractors of interior furnishings and suppliers of building materials – counting hotels such as the Mandarin Oriental, the Ritz-Carlton, and Rosewood; residences, including the Austin and the Hermitage; and iconic landmarks such as Prince’s Building, the Landmark, and more recently, K11 MUSEA among its projects. After studying at the London School of Economics, and Cass Business School, the younger Lau first went into corporate banking, then found her way to the company her father built. But she was there to build something new, too. Heading the company’s distribution arm, Lau expanded the family’s business from supplying developers with…

Plain Architecture director and founding partner, Clare Steen, designed her family home in Launceston, Tasmania, to celebrate the site’s stunning landscape. Sitting on a steep 29,601 square-foot north-facing plot directly abutting a famous river gorge called Cataract Gorge, the 2,131 square-foot house consists of two narrow pavilion-like wings with a staircase that climbs the sloping terrain to connect the two wings. On the southern aspect, large concrete walls hold back the hill and allow for the creation of flat north-facing patios. Made of in situ poured concrete, these retaining walls, along with the stepped roof that follows the land’s contours, unite the architecture with the unique and stunning landscape. The other walls – lightweight and clad in spotted gum – harmonise with the surrounding bushland. The functional spaces of the house…

LOCATION: Wandsworth, London, UK Residential village Barratt London has launched Springfield Place as part of the new Springfield Village community, offering a total of 300 apartments housed in a Grade II-listed building, along with 32 acres of public parkland – the first of its kind at this scale since the 2012 London Olympics. A tribute to its historic past, Springfield Place apartments are built in the former grounds of Springfield University Hospital, creating an exciting architectural interplay of old and new. The first release of the homes includes one and two-bedroom apartments overlooking landscaped gardens, with future releases to include three-bedroom apartments and two and three-bedroom houses set back on charming mews streets. Situated in Tooting Bec, Wandsworth (London Zone 3), Springfield Place is part of the wider Springfield Village…

LOCATION: New York City, US Residential GID Development Group has unveiled the finished condo interiors of Waterline Square with model residences curated by interior designers West Chin, Santopietro Interiors, and Minotti. Comprising three luxury residential buildings, Waterline Square, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, offers a variety of residential lifestyle opportunities and comprehensive amenities under one roof. The model apartments have been furnished with custom wall coverings, geometric chandeliers and mixed metals, playing off the sloping architecture and waterfront views the property has to offer. Signature pieces include works by Erik Jørgensen, Living Divani, Porro, and custom pieces from Minotti’s own collection. Residents can enjoy the 100,000 square-foot Waterline Club, designed by Rockwell Group, which features a full-court indoor basketball court, squash court, indoor gardening studio, music studio, bowling…