Advancing to the top 5 nominees at FRAME AWARDS was already very encouraging news. Yet, it is not where they stopped this year…

INWARD JOURNEY, the nominated project went to the LIVE CRITICS with the other four nominees in Amsterdam at the ceremony on Feb 20, 2020. Max Lam Designs won the jury price award!

Frame Awards are an annual design competition organized by Frame Magazine, one of the leading international magazines in the field of architecture, interior design and product design.

INWARD JOURNEY

Now this will bring you to INWARD JOURNEY. Allow the art, culture and design symphony to flourish you to a realm of Zen.

Stepping into this 3,000-sq-ft flat in Sky Oasis in Macau, you will be welcomed by the warmth of the natural materials – a simplistic, minimalist symphony of three kinds of wood, stone, paper and an occasional hint of brass. The demure lighting throughout immediately stills your mind and invites you to explore this forest of details. Meandering through the bar, the dining area and towards the living room, your best guide is the curvaceous wooden structure which is visible from all directions. The rustic yet graceful centerpiece-combo – the coiling ceramic vase and the floral arrangement by Hong Kong ceramist Ryan and WY and florist Jan respectively – flanked by terrazzo and washi adorns the space with a splash of zen.

While you are mesmerized by the Eastern charm of the installation, the modern, westernized elegance of the living room on a lower level takes you to another realm – a den that exhibits timeless luxury made possible by neutral hues, custom-made low furniture with clean-line silhouette and tactile fabrics. This contemporary area is linked effortlessly with the adjacent dining room and bar by the conscious, repeated application of terrazzo and the pared-down three types of wood, contributing to the unity, clarity, and continuity of the common areas. The dining room, on the other hand, is modulated into a minimal, clutter-free wooden space whereby the paper ceiling lamps and the wooden stripes on the wall are reminiscent of staring at the clouds quietly in the woods, which aptly echoes the commissioned meditative calligraphy – “Silence” (靜) and “Observe”(觀)- by Hong Kong contemporary calligraphy artist Packy Lai. Such mono ambiance is, on the other hand, balanced and enriched by the discreet infusion of brass and stone in the bar on the other side, showcasing a modern interpretation of Eastern aesthetics.

The rhythm of the common areas extends to the Japanese tearoom and the primary room on a raised level, meticulously connected with the rest of the flat by, again, terrazzo and the identical types of wood. Visible through the curvy centerpiece, these rooms receded and tucked away near the main entrance can be flexibly opened up and closed when one needs privacy – thanks to the Japanese-inspired folding doors. The sakura-patterned wooden screens, the bespoke Art Deco style mixed-media vanity table and the stone wall in the primary bedroom together are a manifestation of understated extravagance. The effect of emptiness in the connecting tearoom, however, adds a beautiful void and pause attributing to perfect breathing space.

Art Collaboration in the Journey

This is a show-flat – yet it is not showy. The designer seeks the equilibrium between being a part of nature and maneuvering an artistic curation, ensuring the most meditative and immersive living experience for the future owner. Various Hong Kong artists boasting different talents have been commissioned to create works of art inspired by the ambiance of this piece of interior design – Ryan and WY for ceramic vases and tea wares and vessels; San Chiu-yan created an ink wash landscape painting for the tearoom; Raymond Pang’s gold-thread painting inspired by the ocean in the tearoom; metalwork artist Po Fung made gongs and copper wares, contrasting the softness of the wood; Japanese knots tying artist embellishes every door handle, sending peace and harmony to space. Insinuation, imagination, and seduction are provided for the dwellers as they reside in this exquisite setting where subtlety and details are not fully revealed until they indulge and emerge themselves in the space. Even scents and music are well taken care of, giving the design the fourth and fifth dimensions – scent expert Xavier, showers the space with the scents of green tea and sandalwood; zen-inspired background music provides a backdrop for calmness, concentration and a reflective inward journey when one is home.

Residing here is meditation.

This is a close-up view of the dining area that has a rectangular wooden dining table topped with a large spherical lighting that glows faintly like the moon. From this angle you can see the lovely details like the decorative wooden accents with the display of a simple jar.

A closer look at the displayed jar shows that it is in the center of two elegant curved wooden panels that has a unique look. On the far side, you can see the large wooden dining table and the couple of large spherical pendant lights.

The living room has a long gray sofa paired with a couple of cushioned chairs and a coffee table on a white artistic area rug that stands out against the dark hardwood flooring.

This living room also has a cushioned bench on the side with a lovely garden background outside the large sliding glass doors. Across from the living room setup is the wall-mounted TV beside the unique and decorative curved wooden panels.

A closer look at the coffee table of the living room shows that it is made of wood and topped with a different material like a gray tile that is perfect for protecting the wood and set a nice contrast for the light wooden body. This is topped with various decors knick knacks.

The charming living room has a distinct Japanese feel to its character artworks leaning against the wall that is filled with minute elegant wooden detail accents that match well with the slightly darker wooden tone of the dining set.

Across from the dining area is the bar. It looks beautiful with its bar that has artistic details and lighting at the base that matches well with the lighting of the built-in shelves at the back that makes it stand out against the bright white ceiling that is lined with details on the side serving as some sort of ventilation vent.

The top of the rectangular wooden dining table is adorned with tea and a rustic centerpiece that is complemented by the background of the minute details of the wooden wall accents as well as a view of the wall-mounted art on the next room.

Near the curved wooden panel with the jar in the middle is another decorative panel filled with flower-like patterns that invites you to get lost in its details with the same light wooden tone as the rest of the home.

There is also a quaint corner of the house wherein you can enjoy a Japanese tea the authentic way while sitting on the floor on cushions facing a low wooden table with its own minute details and has a background of a wall-mounted painting depicting nature.

This tea area is located at the other side of the curved wooden panel with a jar in the middle fitted with a flower-filled branch. From this vantage, you can clearly see the bedroom through a wooden walkway.

Across from the small wooden table is this gorgeous piece of wall with gray stone on one side and an opaque material on the other side. The gray stone wall is adorned with a small wall-mounted framed artwork with distinct ancient Japanese designs.

This tea area that leads to the bedroom is on a raised part of the house accessed through a couple of dark gray marble steps matching with the flooring tiles and the gray stone wall accented with embedded lights at the bottom.

The white platform bed of the bedroom is flanked by small wooden bedside table that match the tone of the couple of decorative wooden panels filled with floral patterns. There is also a wooden vanity area at the side with a simple wooden design and a circular vanity mirror.

The circular headboard of the bed is made of wood of the same tone as the wooden wall behind it. The headboard is outlined with backlights making it stand out against the wooden wall. Beside the bed is a quaint reading nook with a built-in wooden bench that has cushions on top as well as pillows.

A set of photos highlighting the minute details of the designs.

The FRAME Awards setup before the arrival of the guests.

A group of people in the middle of a discussion.

The FRAME Awards guests attending the awards ceremony.

A photo of the winners of the FRAME Awards in celebration.

Data Sheet

Design Studio: Max Lam Designs (Hong Kong)

Designers: Max Lam, Andy Wong

Floor area: 280 square meters

Project type: Show flat

Concept: Eastern aesthetics and Art collaboration

Date of completion: May 2019

Location: Sky Oasis, Macau

Awards: Frame Awards 2020 (Amsterdam) – Jury Prize Award, Show flat of the Year Sky Design Award 2019 (Japan) – Interior Design A&D Trophy Award 2019 (Hong Kong) – Excellence Award, Show flat Further materials

About Max Lam Designs

Max Lam Designs Limited is a Hong Kong-based, award-winning interior design studio specializing in bespoke commercial and residential projects. As expressed in its logo, the professional team of designers and engineers of Max Lam Designs dedicate their creative ideas, good management, and innovative skills, to rebuild a space into a remarkable interior space for people, by fulfilling people’s needs, emphasizing on the importance of lighting and collaborating art and culture. “To Create, Not to Follow” is our motto. We craft the space by writing the client’s story in the interior where they stay in. To us, every space has a story, every interior is unique. This passion for creativeness brings us recognition locally and globally.