In one scene of Good Morning, a film by Japanese master filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu, the two young boys of a certain Hayashi family, Minoru and Isamu, were sitting on the tatami having their lunch while mumbling about the lack of television in their home. The interior design of the dining room is simplistic, yet it exudes the sense of serenity and comfort which people always expected to find in the house they call home. In fact, interior home view like this is ubiquitous in Ozu’s films, it never fails to display the delicate everyday interactions of human activities, which may seem mundane at the outset, but the viewers will never fail to grasp its significance as the centre of one’s personal life. 

Designed for a young art and design couple, TATI would implement this renovation project upon our client’s desires of new layout for their needs and expectation of spatial experience. It is located in the residential area in Happy Valley, a short walk from the heart of Hong Kong. The new layout consists of a living/dining room, a guest bathroom, an en-suite bedroom, a study room, a storage area, and a kitchen. The design is inspired by Yasujiro Ozu’s films, whose cinematography, as shown in the above scene, demonstrates visual symmetry and an ability to evoke a sense of poetry in everyday existence. This coincides with the desire of the client to transform their redesigned home into a calming environment with a sense of simplicity. A place for rest, rejuvenation, socialising, and work from home, just like what the characters did in most of Ozu’s films. Life can be simple and elegant. 

The living room offers 3 various settings, i.e. a casual space around the bar, a dining area by the window with ample daylight, and a place to relax on the sofa. It employs positive and negative elements to connect the various functions in the space, whilst providing a new perspective at every corner. The mirror camouflages with the compartment unit, subtle curvatures in the screen, and fine joineries at the corners. Light maple, matt black and white, and marble surfaces accentuate the natural interior and introduce a zen-like ambience, while herringbone tiles with wood patterns give a warm texture and extend the visual continuity through the flat. 

The bedroom carries a similar tone but with softer materials, fabric wallpaper and a plush headboard cushion and a darker shade for a suitable ambience to ease into sleep. It is highlighted by bronze brushed plated trims. The furniture are the two contrasting wardrobes, opaque white and a black-tinted glass, for the mister and missus. The study room can be configured to a home office, fitness space, and a mini theatre. One side of the wall is rendered with light concrete paint finish. It provides ample space for work-related storage and a movable glass panel used as a white board. 

TATI emphasised on sculpting an airy and refreshing space by optimising natural lighting for better comfort, health, and mood.