After about a decade studying and working in New York, a short trip home during the pandemic flipped a switch in Tiffany Kwan. “I saw Hong Kong in a different light. I saw it as more of a place with opportunities, rather than [a reminder of] high school life,” shares the interior designer. “At the same time, in terms of work, there were no visa restrictions because I’m from here, so it was easier for me to potentially start a business.” Fast forward to 2021, she launched her own spatial design studio, Studio TK, and found home once more in the city she grew up in. 

I ring the doorbell to Kwan’s apartment and hear an enthusiastic skittering of paws from behind the door. “Hellooo, come in, come in!” She answers the door with a warm smile and a bowl of yoghurt in hand, while an excited Chihuahua/Jack Russell Terrier mix beams at us from her feet. We are led through a hallway flanked by a gorgeous black walnut Butcher block bench by Hardwood HK, and brought into the main area of the home. The space is filled with soft morning light, and the sun’s rays are softened as they filter in through white linen curtains that frame the living room’s expansive balcony windows. It smells like Treehouse by Byredo and the pre-typhoon stillness is palpable even inside the apartment. 

This feeling of calm is the ethos of Kwan’s home. When asked what first drew her to this particular apartment, she says it’s the quietness. “I actually chose to face this way; I don’t want to see anybody except the people at the barbecue,” she says jokingly, gesturing towards the slope of trees that comprise her entire view. “I previously lived in Sheung Wan, so I faced the water—which was really nice—but it’s where all the hoi mei pou [dried seafood shops] are. I walk Bean every day, and when you have to do that walk in the morning during their delivery time you’re dodging a lot of yelling and cargo trolleys. I was used to that sort of thing because in New York I lived on a busy street as well, but I was like ‘Damn, I actually really need something a bit more calming before I come home’ and I didn’t want to start my day like that.”

The living room is serene and inviting, characterised by neutral colours and plush textures that encourage rest and relaxation. Along one wall, a spacious sofa is a sprawling symbol of uninhibited comfort, and its companions are a plump bouclé armchair and the highly coveted Cassina Le Corbusier LC2 armchair, offering similar configurations that allow one to physically sink into themselves. It is also a harmonious blend of natural and modernist elements that put the mind at ease. The coffee table is a Studio TK original, crafted from a slab of travertine atop a brushed stainless steel frame, and to its corner, a teak wood stool sourced from Indonesia exudes naturalistic warmth.

This approach extends further into the dining area, where the minimalist Lorient table from Belgian furniture store, Furnified, mimics the look and feel of stone. A built-in shelving unit provides a backdrop of charming one-of-a-kind wheel thrown ceramics made by Kwan herself, a miniature model of a large wooden totem she produced in collaboration with Hardwood HK for a client, and Brendan Fitzpatrick oil paintings of opened fruits. For Kwan, comfort ultimately comes from the vitality of nature. 

“There’s got to be some life—some plants, some flowers. I usually try to get new flowers every week if I have time, and I’ve recently become a plant mom, so plants are always around,” she says. And indeed they are. From hefty Monsteras and a brimming China Doll plant, to a baby ZZ plant and fresh white hydrangeas, all sorts of leafy potted friends sprout across different corners of the home, effectively bringing the outside in.