Are you looking to turn your home into a marketable property with a designer look that will get it noticed? Jane Drew finds out how
Sales and purchases may be on the rise but the rental market is still flooded with choice as supply exceeds demand. In this environment landlords need to maximise the value of their homes by making sure they stand out from the crowd. While refitting the bathroom and kitchen is a sure-fire way to increase an apartment’s appeal, there are other low-cost solutions to consider.
“People want something special – there’s so much choice out there,” says designer Yann Kolenc, who, in conjunction with local boutique real-estate agency Qi-Homes is offering clients a design service that is new to Hong Kong – the ‘same day extreme makeover’. Kolenc, who prior to his move to Hong Kong a year ago, was the star of Interiors, his own television show in Paris, advocates revamping an apartment with inexpensive furnishings that have a cohesive colour scheme and a designer feel. “Spend HK$10,000 to HK$20,000 on giving an apartment a contemporary touch, and you’ll rent it out right away,” he says.
Contemporary, comfortable, chic and cosy are the four C’s of Kolenc’s design philosophy. And to achieve this, he is quick to point out that homeowners need not go to all the expense of renovating. Unlike many local designers, he even prefers not to open up the floor plan. “I worked that way 15 years ago,” he says, “now I prefer to have a wall or a sliding door demarcating different rooms. This way you have more options.”
At the heart of Kolenc’s design style is colour, something he uses even in tiny 500-square-foot apartments. “I used to believe that dark colours make a room look smaller but that’s actually only the case with dark ceilings,” he says. “What’s important is how you organise the space.” It would be okay, then, to paint a small room red? “Of course, red works if you want to create a small, sensual, private cocoon. Paint the walls red and you make a style statement right away.”
For a peaceful ambience, Kolenc advocates the use of beige, grey and brown, but, unlike many designers, he does not limit his palette to just three colours. “I’d use beige, grey and brown for the floors, walls and curtains, and after that add in a little light blue,” he says. “This gives a chic touch, and it’s something different. Light green would work well, too, to make a contrast.”
Importantly, you can accent a room with colour without breaking the bank. “You can change the ambience with two or three coordinating cushions and a throw,” says Kolenc. “Add some blue and brown towels in the bathroom, and some blue plates on open shelves above the stove, and you’ll feel the difference.”
To avoid the bland beige-on-beige appearance of the typical serviced apartment, Kolenc also suggests you make the most of what you have. “Many designers remove all the old furniture and accessories a client owns. But that’s not the way I work. You can’t throw out pieces people care about; pieces that have been in their family for years, or that remind them of trips abroad.” Instead, Kolenc says you can refresh a space simply by changing the position of existing pieces or changing their use.
By devising a design style that mixes pieces you already own with a few choice buys, Kolenc says it’s easy to stay within budget. “I design the way I dress,” he says, “spending a lot on a really nice accessory and making a saving on larger pieces.” When revamping a home, he’ll typically shop at the local markets, for key Asian pieces, and at IKEA for cheap but well-designed items. For ultra-contemporary pieces with a higher price tag, he rates G.O.D. and Ovo Living.
When upgrading an apartment, Kolenc recommends you pay special attention to the lighting. But, again, costs don’t have to be high, as simply changing the existing bulbs can make a huge difference. “In a dark apartment, a combination of yellow and white lights will give the effect of natural light,” he says.
“Using just yellow light will give you an end-of-day ambience that can be a bit drab, and all white light can be too strong.”
Follow Kolenc’s lead – by getting the lighting right, and the mix of furnishings and use of colour – and it’s likely you’ll rent out your flat the following day.
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