Art & Lifestyle 17 Nov 2023

Inside The Hong Kong Home Of Award-Winning Creative Director Ruth Chao von Gehren

The designer’s very own tranquil escape nestled in the heart of Hong Kong

by Cathy Huang

Between the hustle and bustle of Central and the lush greenery of the Peak lies the scenic and serene Mid-Levels, where Ruth Chao von Gehren, award-winning creative director and founder of creative agency Ruth Chao Studio (RCS), and her husband Levin call home. “It is a location with a balance between city and nature, just minutes away from a stroll and also from my studio. It has all the quietness and convenience of being right in between the botanic and concrete jungle,” she shares. “Living in a city such as Hong Kong and managing my work day to day, coming home to a part of nature definitely helps me unwind from the buzz of the work days.”

The Jacques Dworczak dining table, Pierre Jeanneret dining chairs, and Eave sofa by Danish furniture brand Menu set the tone for the living room

The spacious open kitchen features an Ikea Vadholma island and high stools from Grupo SDM España

Chao recently tied the knot with her German husband, and the couple’s apartment is a beautiful confluence of two cultures. She explains, “I designed the space with elements from my husband and myself, him being from Germany and me from Hong Kong, we wanted a theme of East meets West, something carefree and creative, expressive and unique. Even though I grew up in Hong Kong and my husband Levin in Germany, our home is like a blend of our story together.” She continues. “There are monkey lamps from Levin that were made with a craftsman in the Congo and keepsake boxes that I designed for our clients and still kept today. On our bookshelf are art books and the Ode Ona fragrance station from me, and books on Asian history and jungle decorations from my husband. What I find beautiful is how seamlessly our different worlds merge together into something balanced and harmonious.”

The artworks above the sofa are all from Ruth, Levin and the RCS team

As Ruth says, traces of the couple’s lives can be found in the details. Looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows of the living room, an immaculate view of Central comes into sight. The dining table by Jacques Dworczak is paired with dining chairs by Pierre Jeanneret, situated alongside Danish furniture brand Menu’s Eave sofa, all set the tone for the spacious open kitchen, which reflects the homeowners’ laidback approach to life. Chao illustrates a typical weekend for the couple, “On a day off, I love to wake up slow, making a matcha and watching the clouds. It is my form of meditation. My husband and I love to cook, and usually enjoy a good old homemade Sunday breakfast at our kitchen counter. We call it the Beebs & Beebs Kitchen.” The happiness she feels in her apartment is evident as she continues, “Afterwards, I enjoy relaxing on the sofa in the living room reading a book and already look forward to receiving friends over for dinner in our dining area. Each area gives me joy.”

Chao's calligraphy art hangs above the Podium shoe cabinet

"Our apartment is a collection of our memories that I look forward to building," Chao shares

Apart from curating pieces from art markets, Chao also draws inspiration from her surroundings to create works herself, cultivating a design language unique to her. “The piece above our dining table is by Tomo Campbell, represented by Double Q Gallery. The blue piece is by Levin’s sister Johanna.” She continued, “The calligraphy piece above our welcome table and the big white piece behind the blue sofa are art pieces I made myself. The pieces are a mirror of my 10 years of running a creative studio. Recently, I have repositioned RCS to highlight our unique way of working: To design art into life. We draw calligraphy, paintings, illustrations, and characters and integrate them into a uniquely artisanal brand experience. In short, we create art that is infused with branding elements to tell a unique story, but what’s more, our artworks are made not only onto paper but to wallpaper, fabrics and soon to the metaverse. Now, with our in-house CTO, Romain, who leads all our digital and meta projects, we expand our Art in Branding initiatives seamlessly across offline and online environments.” Chao’s passion shines through at the mention of her craft, and her apartment embodies her creative pursuits.

Another artwork by Chao hangs above the Menu Godot sofa

Artwork and decorative trinkets adorn every corner of the space, demonstrating Chao’s observative nature as a person. “As a creative, I love the beauty in little things. A small items, such as a dried sea urchin shell, found from a beach in Zanzibar on our honeymoon, became a little flower vase on our dining table. Paintings made on rainy weekends are now hanging above the sofa, and the large neon-sign was the drinks menu at our wedding. Our apartment is a collection of our memories that I look forward to building.”

The colours of the Hans Wegne shell chair, Menu Godot sofa and bookcase compliment each other in the vibrant space

Scented candles and fragrances from French brand Ode Ona

Hong Kong is a city of infinite possibilities, and for Chao, it is a place where she can fully devote herself to her career whilst enjoying the little moments in life. “I like to start the day bright and early and try to squeeze in half an hour to an hour of Flowga whenever possible. Clover, my doggy, and I then head to the studio, and usually, we are there until the late afternoon when we take a break with a short stroll around the Tai Ping Shan area near my studio or pick up a cheesecake from the neighbourhood,” she reveals. “On weekdays, we are usually there in the studio until seven or eight, but no matter how busy, I am always happy that my days of design now are what I’ve always dreamt about since I was young.”