Happy Valley Residence: A Flexible Living Space

Blurring Boundaries and Maximizing Usable Space

Lim + Lu's apartment transformation alludes to a flexible living environment that reflects the versatility of modern-day living. By removing and restructuring the walls within the space, the resulting interior appears more expansive. Glass and steel sliding doors replace the walls that once compartmentalized the apartment, allowing natural light to pass through from room to room and flooding the newly reconfigured dwelling.

The aesthetic of Happy Valley Residence is clean, fresh, and sophisticated. While evoking the spatial continuity of a loft, Lim + Lu deliberately avoided any association with the now ubiquitous New York industrial style. The walls of the living room and bedroom are painted white with black accents, signaling spaces of rest and relaxation. In contrast, the kitchen, study, walk-in closet, and master bathroom feature rich pastels and dark jeweled tones, tastefully combined with patterned ceramic tiles to juxtapose the core living space with the extensions. These subtle distinctions of color, texture, and material create thresholds that maintain a fluidity, allowing the space to blend effortlessly together as one.

One of the key design elements of Happy Valley Residence is the use of suspended metal sliding doors. This crucial element creates one continuous space, giving the impression of a loft situated inside a traditional Hong Kong apartment. By eliminating the need for tracks or guides on the floor, the suspended sliding panels ensure that inhabitants do not feel as if they are stepping over a physical threshold, further enhancing the seamless flow of the space.

Happy Valley Residence is not just about aesthetics; it is a functional and adaptable living space. The sliding panels can be manually operated to divide or merge spaces based on the configuration. The study can become an extension of the living room or be closed off to become a bedroom. This adaptability allows the apartment to become a living organism that can adjust to the user's needs, making it more flexible for today's transient lifestyle.

Completed in November 2016 in Hong Kong, Happy Valley Residence is a testament to the meticulous research and creative problem-solving undertaken by Lim + Lu. As a newly founded studio, the design duo faced the challenge of working together for the first time. They had to compromise and find a balance between their ideas, incorporating elements of mass and void, masculine and feminine, and East and West. Through rigorous brainstorming and relentless pursuit of solutions, they achieved a harmonious design that pushes the boundaries of traditional apartment living.

Happy Valley Residence has been recognized for its outstanding design and creativity. It was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Interior Space, Retail, and Exhibition Design category in 2017. This prestigious award acknowledges designs that demonstrate resourcefulness, technical skill, and contribute to quality of life improvements.

Elaine Lu & Vincent Lim's Happy Valley Residence is a testament to their innovative approach to interior design. By blurring boundaries, maximizing usable space, and creating a flexible living environment, they have transformed a traditional Hong Kong apartment into a modern, sophisticated, and adaptable home.