The New BAR DE LUXE is a Japan-Inspired Affair

Recreated by local designer Myron Kwan of M.R. Studio in its new home in H Code, BAR DE LUXE is now a sultry lounge that combines traditional Japanese craft and contemporary elements

Design Anthology: How did you first meet the client?

Myron Kwan: The client approached us after seeing our work on Monte Carlo Whisky Club in Hong Kong. They liked our approach to creating a unique style by paying attention to unusual details.

What was their brief to you for the project?

BAR DE LUXE was moving from the Asia Pacific Centre to its new location in H Code. For the new location, the client wanted us to create a unique Japanese style mixed with more contemporary Western elements, inspired by the extensive menu of Japan-inspired cocktails.

Where is the bar located? 

The bar is in a 160-square-metre space in H Code, a relatively new lifestyle development at the top of Pottinger Street in Central.

Please tell us a little about the material choices for the space. 

The colour palette was inspired by the old location. Raw timber is used throughout, as is a turquoise hue that appears in various elements, most notably the velvet drapery and handmade tiles

Please tell us about some of the custom pieces for the space.

The centrepiece ceiling lighting above the bar was designed as an homage to wagasa, the traditional oil-paper umbrella, which plays an important role in tea ceremonies and kabuki theatre. It’s considered an objet d’art that represents Japanese culture. For the bar itself, we retained the original solid wood bar counter from the original location.

At the entrance, the porthole embedded with infinity mirrors draws inspiration from the moon gates that are often found in Japanese gardens, and is echoed in the moon gate-inspired opening in the bar shelving, which houses a simple and elegant floral arrangement.

Images / Steven Ko