Arguably, the only thing more coveted than a peaceful, secure home is a peaceful, secure, luxury home with every creature comfort you can think of. Somewhere like one particular Tai Po penthouse mansion perhaps, a remarkable residence tucked away in the supremely spacious Kau To Shan area. Distinctly European style in design and décor, the house is eminently elegant, sophisticated and cosy, attributes that are immediately evident to anyone who steps inside.
Extending across some 2,356 sq. ft., the home has been thoughtfully designed by the hugely experienced team at Tsuen Wan-based Grande Interior Studio. Occupying two floors and featuring a connected garden and several balconies, the home is constantly bathed in lighting, which not only keeps it appealingly bright but also enhances the sea blue colour palette that runs throughout.
A roomy living area is the first thing you encounter upon entering, which is adjoined by a dining area blessed with gorgeous views of the well-appointed garden. The full-length see-through doors to the garden give the willful illusion that it forms part of the living area, with the touch of external green, a fine counterpoint to the internal shades of blue.
With the living area’s double-height faux ceiling connected to the second floor, the space appears even more commodious than you might expect from its already generous dimensions. Making adept use of this high-ceiling space, the design team incorporated a tremendously glamorous pendant, something that could not feature in most homes on account of space limitations. Another unique detail in this particular area is the floating faux ceiling, which has been fetchingly outlined with a light trough to create the feel of an infinitely extending space.
In order to avoid the dominant blue tone from becoming offputtingly pervasive, an effectively added selection of silvers and bronze have been distributed across the carefully curated furniture items arranged throughout the interior space. Along the TV wall, for instance, a textured grey wallpaper replete with copper details extends to the upper floor, uniting both areas while also underlining the overall luxury feel of this bespoke space.
The new layout design incorporates faux ceilings of contrasting heights between the living and dining areas, dividing them in terms of functionality, but allowing them to be easily united if required. The elegant colour scheme here is a fetching blend of white, Morandi greyblue, and textured grey, a palette extended into the dining room’s lofty feature display cabinets.
Decorated in an artisan home decor style, with coordinated and matching artworks, this majors on the provision of considerable storage space. Clearly looking to maximise this, the design team has prioritised opening up the space as much as possible, including adding an open bar corner for greeting and mingling with guests. The regal feel, meanwhile, is maintained through an array of sensitively positioned and proportioned marble surfaces and metallic pendants.
The highlight of the upper floor is the purpose-built family room, an enhancement designed to give the residents an ample communal hub. Equipped with a TV wall, coffee table and expansive sofa, it features a functional wooden floor ably counterpointed by copper-flecked textured metallic grey wallpaper.
Storage, meanwhile, comes courtesy of several discreet European-style cabinets.
Adjacent to this is an open-style study room for the owner, which features a floor-to-ceiling bronze-framed glass sliding door, an addition that both delivers more natural light and adds to the overall sense of space. The room itself sports more neutral decor, with subtle navy blue highlights marking this out as the ideal spot for serious contemplation and reflection.
Further along on the same floor, two of the bedrooms from the home’s previous incarnation have been merged into one decidedly capacious master bedroom. Sensitively decorated in shades of sea blue and white, it is a singularly serene location, a sense heightened by the room’s classic lines, textured wallpaper, deeply cushioned headboards and unobtrusive lighting.
A centrally-set partition wall houses a TV on one side and a dresser on the other, smartly dividing the space into sleeping and grooming areas, with the latter also leading to a spacious walk-in closet. This recessed wardrobe facility features a number of embedded cabinets and an array of mirrors, all of a distinctly contemporary European design. A mini-island centred within the closet and marble highlights throughout provide the perfect finishing touches, maintaining a sense of femininity and luxury.
The remaining two bedrooms are set on top of one another, with one on the ground floor and the other on the first. This allows both to enjoy commanding views of the extensive gardens and easy balcony access. In keeping with the younger demographic of their occupants, each room is sharply themed with playful, bright, colour combinations bestowing upon them an eminently kidfriendly vibe. The exception here is the wall cabinets with their classic white contours and recessed lighting features, unashamedly modernist in style.
Throughout the residence, there is a distinctly regal tone, emphasising that this is indeed a home that, while maybe not quite fit for a king, has more than a hint of nobility about it. Indeed, any family fortunate enough to take up permanent abode here would certainly count their blessings amid its fine furnishings, thoughtfully delivered decor and bright, natural spaces.
(Text: Zaira Abbas; Photos: Grande Interior)