News - 2016050503 - HONG KONG'S ECO SMART HOME PACKS LUXURY LIVING INTO A MERE 400 SQUARE FEET
As anyone who’s ever rented a studio apartment can attest, a 400-square-foot living space leaves much to be desired. For one such studio apartment located in the Hong Kong business district of Central, utilizing a well-known local interior design firm was all that was required to turn 400 square feet of living space into a spacious, luxury smart home. Officially nicknamed the Eco Smart Home, design company Liquid Interiors took to the tall task of not just renovating said apartment but to minimize its footprint, integrate innovative sleep-wake cycles, and essentially bring it into the 21st century.
During the restoration process, Liquid Interiors concentrated solely on its client’s need for an environmentally friendly apartment that was capable of reducing as much exterior noise as possible. Considering one of the clients works as an airline pilot, achieving a high quality of sleep on a nightly basis was absolutely paramount. To pull off this request — in a typically noisy area of Hong Kong — Liquid Interiors made use of double-glazed windows to keep sound at a minimum and installed circadian lighting that mimics the sun’s color patterns. Additionally, complete blackout blinds were included to facilitate continued sleep while HEPA air purifiers and a high-quality mattress were added for increased comfort.
To achieve maximum space with the paltry 400 square feet, the design firm decided to include an array of hidden storage rooms geared with hydraulics and transforming furniture. Because of this, the client’s living room can quickly turn into a bedroom in part to a hidden TV wall. Even the apartment’s kitchen stove has the ability to be hidden when not in use, along with a carbon water filtration system. Couple this interior’s flexibility with the fact the space comes with an open air roof — of which Liquid Interiors also decked out (no pun intended) — and the typically small studio apartment feels a whole hell of a lot bigger than it should.Related: Amsterdam’s Wikkelhouse takes cardboard to a long-lasting, cozy new level
There’s no doubt Eco Smart Home shines aesthetically, but what about its contribution to the environment? To help reduce the apartment’s overall footprint, Liquid Interiors installed energy-saving LED lights, a heat pump, and expertly placed the area’s windows to achieve cross ventilation. Aside from these key add-ons, the company also installed a solar water heater capable of saving an estimated 87 percent on the client’s water-heating bill. Moreover, roughly half of the waste leftover from the tear down of the prior apartment was recycled and put to use during the remodel process. It goes without saying, but Liquid Interiors’ innovative studio apartment accurately lives up to its Eco Smart Home billing.
