Tiny homes are a fact of life in Hong Kong. With the rents of the apartments being as sky-high as the building in which they are located, every single square foot counts here in the 852. Long known as one of the world’s most expensive residential hubs, the Fragrant Harbour’s residential property prices have skyrocketed by an eye-watering 242 percent in the last decade alone. While recent events in the city may have caused valuations to falter briefly, if industry experts are to be believed, the property bull market is more than likely to regain its momentum in the near future.
While that may be music to the ears of property developers and owners, it still leaves many with the ever-persistent problem of fitting in more into less space. Transforming a small home into a functional yet breathable abode is rather like solving a difficult game of Tetris, and one that requires a fair degree of planning, prioritising, and of course, creativity. As Laura Cattano, a New York-based professional organiser who herself lives in a small 335 sq.ft. studio, advises: “Anyone with a small space should start by thinking about what activities they want their space to support first and then set things up accordingly.”
But of course, that’s easier said than done when you’re jostling to accommodate even the bare necessities – a bed, a wardrobe, a couch, a TV, a dining table – all into a less-than-300 sq.ft flat. While the Marie Kondos among us may choose the de-cluttering route, another equally effective trick to conjure up space is by investing in multipurpose furniture, especially designed for tiny homes. Yes, we’re talking about sofas that double up as beds, study units that can be folded away, coffee tables with secret storage compartments and other convertible furnishings that can be used in more ways than one.
To be honest, this segment of home fittings – while thriving – is not new at all. Hongkongers have long been accustomed to folding tables, stackable chairs and their ilk. But while multi-functional furniture has always existed, the mass-produced modular variety has not been able to shake off a somewhat-rudimentary, lowbrow appearance. For instance, once, if you bought a sofa-cum-bed, neither did it look like a good sofa, nor did it convert into a very comfortable bed.
Recently, however, realising the market potential of modular units, luxury home decor stores and interior designers have come up with designs that are functional yet fashionable, chic yet capacious, proving the age-old adage that sometimes less is indeed more. For instance, Clifton Leung, the brains behind the Hong Kong-headquartered interior decoration company Clifton Leung Design Workshop, has effectively doubled up the space of a walk-in closet in his own Mid-Levels home by using the floor. He has built a series of customised steps with liftable plywood lids that can accommodate everything from bags and shoes to umbrellas and out-of-season clothes. He also suggests such handy tips as fitting storage units behind feature walls and creating mezzanine floors to open up the space.
Luxury Italian brand Clei, meanwhile, focuses solely on transformable pieces of furniture. Specialising in interior decor solutions that have a smaller footprint and can be used for multiple functions, its experts believe that while space should be used strategically, it should never come at the cost of style or comfort. Even a brief perusal of their catalogue reflects this admirable notion. Not only is it replete with smart furniture that can shape-shift from a bed to a sofa and so on, they also boast an exclusive range dedicated to those who work out of home offices. Creative, space-saving and flexible, these innovative home furnishings contribute to creating a home that is not just comfortable to live in, but is also fun to come back to.
Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay