Cover Carol Chugani, wearing the Gisele top and Lily shorts from DCV’s ConneXions range, gives us a tour of her Hong Kong home
Carol Chugani, wearing the Gisele top and Lily shorts from DCV’s ConneXions range, gives us a tour of her Hong Kong home
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Tatler pays a visit to Carol Chugani’s Hong Kong home, a meticulously designed space where thoughtful details are tucked behind every panel and hidden beneath every cushion
Inside Carol Chugani’s home in Hong Kong Island’s Southside district, almost every surface conceals a secret. Looking at the interiors—if you can peel your eyes away from the glorious views of the ocean, that is—you’ll find hidden storage solutions at every turn, leaving space for art, family photos and the scenery outside to stand out.
Entering the 3,000 sq ft, five-storey residence, which has a garden and rooftop, the living room comes into view. It features an aquarium that’s more of an architectural feature than a simple fish tank. Behind its glass lies a powder room from which guests can see out but remain unseen—a playful touch that exemplifies her approach to design.
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Above The minimalist living room with gorgeous views of the sea
The minimalist living room with gorgeous views of the sea
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“I designed everything,” says Chugani of the interiors. The Taipei-born founder of the fashion house DCV Cashmere—for her shoot with Tatler, she wears DCV designs, including pieces from its new collection, ConneXions, which was presented at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year—moved into this home 14 years ago with her husband and children. While interior designers and architects can help elevate a home, she adds, “nobody can tell you better than yourself how you’d like to utilise the space.”
She is particular about how the design of each space reflects its function. Under her watch, the home underwent a complete transformation. Before the family moved in, “it was very much the previous owner’s home. We have very different styles,” she recalls. “I decided to tear down absolutely everything.” This choice was not only stylistic but also practical: “It is easier for the contractor when you decide to keep nothing. We built it the way I wanted it.” The result is a home with four bedrooms, all en-suites and two further bathrooms.
Above The garden, seen from the kitchen
The garden, seen from the kitchen
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But it’s not the scale that impresses so much as the thoughtfulness of every design decision. In the living room, a minimalistic, stylish space, there are layers of hidden functionality. The inviting sofas, positioned against large windows that face the water, have plenty of storage underneath them. A sleek marble surface opens to reveal hidden storage; an elegant wooden panel conceals the home’s technical controls. Under the fish tank are vases for Chugani’s floral arrangements, while custom cabinetry hides a large television. In fact, the “amazing storage everywhere” is what she’d consider the most special part of this home. “You could never complain you have too much storage space.”
This painstaking attention to detail, when it comes to hidden functionality, extends to the flow of movement through the house. The living room has a concealed door that means guests can enter the garden directly, bypassing the kitchen—a design Chugani describes as creating a good flow of entertainment. Another panel opens to reveal a hidden bar. “When I entertain, I can open both doors [to the bar], but I don’t need guests to see the bar all the time.”
The kitchen reflects Chugani’s serious approach to cooking—“I have seven burners; it shows how much I love cooking”—and demonstrates the careful planning that went into it, even down to the positioning of plugs that allows for the possibility of using several devices simultaneously.
Above The kitchen is both functional and stylish
The kitchen is both functional and stylish
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Elsewhere in the home, materials lean towards the enduring rather than the trendy: stone, marble, wood and stainless steel dominate the space. Chugani likes stone thanks to its durability, explaining, “over time, I wouldn’t get tired of it.” It also serves a practical purpose: “I can drag heavy things around and not leave any marks.”
Chugani is known among friends for her love of changing things around the house. “My friends ask, ‘What? You changed your furniture again?’ I [would have] only changed the configuration. That’s what I love—the creativity.” This flexibility serves her entertaining style, where the same living room furniture can accommodate intimate family moments or parties of up to 20 people. “I think that’s important for every home—you want the cosiness [when with] family, but you’re [also] able to host friends. I love entertaining at home and it’s almost [a way to] destress for me.”
Above “Stop the Bomb” by Yoshimoto Nara is one of the artworks that line the walls in Carol Chugani’s Hong Kong home
“Stop the Bomb” by Yoshimoto Nara is one of the artworks that line the walls in Carol Chugani’s Hong Kong home
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Meanwhile, family photos throughout the spaces reflect her appreciation for printed memories over digital ones. “I really miss those times ... [when] we printed out our memories and were able to see them, rather than scroll up and down on a phone.” Chugani is also a lover of art; precious works that line the walls include Stop the Bomb by Yoshimoto Nara, Summer Hill by the late American artist Lynne Drexler and Pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama.
This sense of thoughtfulness and of surrounding herself with pieces that carry meaning echoes her approach to her work. DCV Cashmere is guided by the same principles—where quality and a personal touch are always at the heart of everything she creates. “I want guests to feel that it is a home, appreciate the unique design and feel that it has my personal touch.”
Andrea Lo was the Executive Editor of Tatler Hong Kong and Editor of Tatler Macau.
Born in Canada and raised in Hong Kong and England, she started her career in journalism in 2012.
Follow her on Instagram @andreastephenielo.
