New Territories Duplex with a Floating Staircase, by Vogue Hong Kong

The text below is a translation of the original Vogue Hong Kong feature.

As the times change, the meaning of "home" has moved well beyond shelter. Drawing on deep experience and a people-first philosophy, Hong Kong interior design studio Artwill balances function, beauty and the way each client actually lives to create homes that are truly their own.

From the first sketch of an idea to material selection and site management, Artwill has built a mature, one-stop process for realising the home a client pictures. Facing each new space, the designers first understand how the client lives and study the site's conditions, planning the whole scheme around the natural light and proportions. Founder Regina Kwok explains: "When we design, we start by allocating and planning the space, then layer in materials, texture and line, along with more personal or artistic touches to suit the client's taste." The most satisfying moment, she admits, is when the direction is finally set: "We go from strangers to understanding one another; the studio works from the client's ideas and they respond in turn. Once the direction is confirmed, being trusted by the client gives me enormous satisfaction."

Artwill recently re-planned the home of a family of four, creating more independent and generous space for daily life. "The clients already lived in one unit in the building, but as the children grew they needed more room, so the owners bought a second unit and opened up the two floors into a duplex of their own," Regina says. "A single floor had only three bedrooms; now there is twice the space, so every member of the family can do different things in different rooms." A study, a walk-in wardrobe and a dance room: the team carved out leisure spaces a typical private flat can rarely achieve, meeting each family member's needs.

The unit enjoys a natural advantage, with green hills and blue sea filling the windows. The team merged a modern sensibility with a fresh palette, deftly bringing apple green indoors to connect the rooms with the nature beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass. The generous floor area let the team put aesthetics first and design a floating staircase that links the two levels while leaving deliberate negative space, its suspended form adding to the sense of openness. Yet with a ceiling just over eight feet and safety to consider, the staircase posed a visual challenge, which the designers solved by working with the window-sill line. "We calculated the height of each step and ran the first few into the window sill, which actually gives it more character," Regina says. "Even though the children have grown, we still added a handrail to the stair for everyday safety."

Looking ahead, Artwill, now at its 22-year milestone, hopes to collaborate with more furniture brands and artists on its projects. "It could be a beautiful painting or sculpture, or hardware from a particular brand; we want to connect these works with our projects so the design on both sides is lifted," Regina says. She hopes such collaborations will give clients more varied, more visually inventive bespoke choices, writing a warmer new chapter for contemporary interior design.

Originally published by Vogue Hong Kong, 2026-06-02 · Read the original article