MYSTILO

After the success of Central 88, my clients decided to build their second branch. They bought a newly built residential building in the district of Happy Valley, Hong Kong Island that was perfect for conversion to a Boutique Hotel . Each floor can accommodate two guest-room units. The top two floors were reserved for the client's private use, which became another separate project for me. Branding in the 88 style was of course the design direction. However, since Happy Valley was in a less commercial area, it was decided that the style should be more casual than Central 88's.

I only had a net area of 33.5 sqm per guest room to work with, so I had to device special planning solutions to make the room feel more spacious than it really was. I designed three-panel sliding glass doors with modern Chinese lattice work which made it possible to convert the room from a studio layout to a 1-bedroom layout in an instant. Later, this proved to be one of the very good selling points of the room. Using glass walls instead of the usual brick walls for the bathrooms was also one innovative solution which saved valuable space plus it made the whole room feel wider. The bathroom had privacy blinds that could be operated via a remote/switch. The bathroom sink faced a window which was actually another selling point - the view of the famous Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The owners had a vast collection of antique furniture and artefacts as they used to own several antique stores. On the wall facing the main entrance door hangs an antique robe. To protect the robe from dust and damage I covered it with a clear acrylic frame on top. I found a number of colourful jewellery boxes in their warehouse and thought of displaying them in recessed mirror boxes on the wall of the reception lobby. To deter theft, each jewellery box was fitted with an alarm chip. The modern Chinese lattice work could also be seen on the reception desk which illuminated like a Chinese lantern.

The colors red and golden yellow are the chosen dominant hues which added to the warm atmosphere.

The hotel successfully opened in 2006 and has been very well received.