TAI PO, HONG KONG · 485 sq.ft · A couple living with the wife’s mother

Room for Three, Space to Breathe

The surprise in this 485 sq.ft home is how much everyday life can be accommodated without crowding the shared space. Designed for a couple living with the wife’s mother, the home brings together two bedrooms, a dedicated storeroom and a Japanese-inspired bathroom arrangement, while keeping the living-dining area calm and welcoming.

Storage is treated as part of the plan. A full-height wardrobe doubles as the storeroom partition, making one element serve two purposes. Family belongings have a place of their own, allowing pale timber, white surfaces and a softly textured feature wall to define the atmosphere.

Reworking the kitchen and bathroom zones, including the former balcony area, creates separate spaces for washing, using the toilet and bathing. This three-part arrangement supports different daily routines within a compact footprint.

Two timber-framed Japanese-style screens gently define the entrance and reading nook. Around the living area, timber trim brings white paint and light brown diatom plaster together, extending the visual rhythm of the room. The result is a home where shared moments and individual routines can sit comfortably alongside one another.

三人同住，也有自在呼吸的空間

這個485平方呎小家，由一對夫婦與外母同住。設計的驚喜，是在容納三位家人日常所需之後，共享空間仍然安靜舒展。兩間睡房、獨立儲物間與日式浴室分區，各有位置；客飯廳則成為三位家人相聚的中心。

收納從布局開始處理。高身衣櫃同時充當儲物間的分隔，讓同一組家具承擔兩種功能。家庭物品有自己的安放位置，淺木色、白色表面與柔和質感牆身，便能在生活空間中自然呈現。

重新安排廚房、浴室及原有露台位置，將洗面、如廁與沐浴分開，讓三人的不同生活節奏在有限面積內也有序展開。

兩道木框日式屏風輕輕界定玄關與閱讀角；客廳的木線則將白色油漆與淺啡硅藻泥牆面連成整體，延伸視覺節奏。共享時光與各自日常，於是能在同一個家中自在並存。