Home Journal January/February 2022

With every new year comes new goals and perspectives. Gracing the cover of our first issue of 2022 is a 5,000 square-foot men’s salon in Tsim Sha Tsui by celebrated make-up artist and stylist RickyKAZAF, with his colourful character and playful flair weaved throughout. This is a project very special to us, not only because it marks the first all-round men’s styling salon in Asia, but it’s also the first interior design project brought about by Home Journal and the suave make-up KOL via multiple pitching processes and reviews exclusive to members of the Asia Designers Community. Taking part in the pitch has been a lot of fun for us, as has the process through which the new salon has unfolded. Find out more on page 42. On our working theme of…

TOUCH OF NOSTALGIA “Meta Nostalgia”, a new NFT digital art exhibition presented by ArtistsVerse, is taking place at TOWER 535 in Causeway Bay. Featuring nine local artists, including award-winning director Victor Wong, and renowned comic artist Elphonso Lam, the exhibition recreates the collective memories of the old Hong Kong through the most cutting-edge art technology spanning interactive digital art installations and virtual reality. artistsverse.io STUNNING DEBUT The MetaArt Club’s NFT debut is a collaboration with 35 international digital artists. As the first dedicated NFT platform linking emerging and established digital artists to global blue-chip art collectors, the collection of 9,888 NFTs is one of the biggest the world of fine art has seen. Guided by the theme “a new beginning”, it captures a fascinating range of creative styles – from Afro-futurism to surrealism, abstract…

As the pandemic rages on, 2022 is set to be another year of challenges. Which is why the colour of this year, as named by Pantone, is a periwinkle shade that melds the “energy and excitement” of red with the “faithfulness and constancy” of blue, which, together, displays a sense of warmth and vitality that is able to help us open to a new vision and embrace new possibilities. These two primary colours – red and blue – are indeed essential for home decoration as we make wellbeing our priority in these tough times – red being a warm hue that embodies prosperity and good luck in Asian culture, and blue conveying much-needed serenity for a perfect balance. To channel positive energy into the home, go for a tinge of scarlet, or…

High-end Japanese omakase restaurants are popping up all over Hong Kong. The newest kid on the block is Kushiro, tucked away in a secluded corner of The Peninsula. At a hotel synonymous with refinement and decadence, it’s fitting the restaurant decor is every bit as enticing as the omakase meals it serves. Curated by Kenwin Chan, of KS Studio, the interior is based on a moon-themed zen-garden setting that shares Japan’s minimalist psyche, with a seamless flow from the entrance to the main dining area. “Each section of the restaurant is inspired by different moon phases and depicts beautiful scenes on a lovely day,” Chan explains. At the entrance, the autumn gold ginkgo and full golden moon against the wall reflect off swathes of light, imbuing the space with romantic tranquillity. As guests…

Tucked away in Zhejiang province’s Jiashan County is Xitang Ancient Town, a historic town dating back to at least 770 BC to 476 BC. A water town criss-crossed by nine rivers, Xitang is a beautiful ancient town with a harmonious ambience frequently depicted in Chinese landscape paintings (Shan Shui), making it the perfect setting for urban dwellers in need of a scenic escape from the hustle and bustle of their busy lifestyle. “It creates a diversified living scene and vacation experience that conforms to the contemporary trend” The ideal vacation spot for some much-needed deep relaxation, Nature Times Art Design’s new project – VILLA in Xitang Ancient Town – offers a peaceful, yet introspective stay. Situated in an architectural complex with the spatial pattern of a “vertical courtyard”, and complemented by the nearby…

There’s a reason why RickyKAZAF deserves his success. From his boyish good looks to his astute business sense and broad skill sets spanning hairstyling, make-up and vlogging, he is one of the most significant figures behind a male beauty revolution in Asia. There’s also the fact he’s managed to amass something of a rabid fan base – his YouTube channel has more than 37 million views and 325,000 followers to date, with boys and girls routinely turning to the KOL for beauty advice. “The words ‘make-up’ and ‘beauty’ have such feminine connotations. No man wants to admit they are wearing make-up, as that would imply that he’s becoming feminine,” the 36-year-old says while taming his own hair with a pair of straighteners. We’re speaking in the fashion room of his newly opened men…