In Hong Kong, where compact apartments are part of city living, designers Ada Wong and Eric Liu of littleMORE Interior Design transformed a 35-year-old apartment into a bright and modern home for a young woman and her cat. The original layout was divided into several small rooms, making the apartment feel enclosed and disconnected from the natural light coming through the windows.
The renovation focused on opening the interior into one main living space that feels lighter, calmer, and far more functional for modern city living. Instead of filling the apartment with walls and doors, the designers introduced smart built-in elements that separate areas softly while still allowing the entire home to feel visually connected.
The Wood Feature Wall That Hides Everything In Plain Sight
One of the design elements in the apartment is the Pecan wood feature wall that stretches across the main room. Instead of serving a single purpose, the wall cleverly hides multiple functional elements throughout the apartment.
The door to the bathroom disappears into the wood finish, while a structural column and wardrobe are blended seamlessly into the same surface. The wall also creates a warm backdrop for the television, helping the entire room feel visually unified without adding clutter or heavy decoration.
The use of wood adds warmth to the modern interior and helps balance the clean lines and minimal palette found throughout the apartment.
A Small Workspace With A Pop Of Color
At the end of the wood feature wall, the apartment shifts into a compact workspace designed for flexibility. Blue textured wallpaper introduces color into the otherwise neutral interior, helping define the area without the need for walls or dividers.
The workspace sits beside a generous window seat that doubles as another place to unwind during the day. In a small apartment where every square meter matters, creating multiple ways to use the same area becomes an important part of the design.
The addition of the window seat also helps draw attention to the natural light, making the apartment feel softer and more welcoming.
A Platform Bed Separated By Shelving Instead Of Walls
Across from the living area is a raised platform bed that subtly defines the sleeping zone without completely closing it off. A small wood bookshelf acts as the divider between the bed and the living room, creating separation while still keeping the apartment visually open.
This approach allows light to continue moving through the apartment while giving each part of the home its own identity. The shelving also introduces extra storage and display space, something that becomes especially valuable in smaller homes.
By avoiding a full partition wall, the apartment maintains the spacious feeling created by the open-plan renovation while still offering privacy for sleeping and relaxing.
A Glass Sliding Door Keeps The Kitchen Feeling Light
The kitchen is hidden behind a sleek charcoal black metal-framed sliding glass door that adds an industrial edge to the otherwise warm interior palette. The transparent glass keeps the small kitchen connected to the rest of the apartment while still allowing it to be closed off when needed.
Inside the compact kitchen, the designers managed to include essential appliances, including a washing machine, without making the space feel overcrowded. The dark frame of the sliding door adds contrast and helps anchor the softer wood tones used throughout the apartment.
The kitchen may be tiny, but it continues the apartment’s focus on efficiency and openness.
A Bathroom That Continues The Warm Modern Palette
The bathroom carries the same modern material palette into a smaller space, combining wood accents with glass surfaces for a clean and simple look. A wood accent wall adds warmth, while the glass-enclosed shower keeps the room feeling open and uncluttered.
Even in the smallest areas of the apartment, the materials and finishes remain consistent, helping the home feel cohesive from one space to the next.
This apartment renovation shows how thoughtful space planning and multi-functional design can completely transform a compact home. By replacing solid walls with shelving, sliding glass, and built-in elements, the once-divided apartment now feels brighter, more open, and far more adaptable for modern urban living in Hong Kong.