Regarded as one of Hong Kong’s greenest spaces, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon’s most understated luxury residential district, is a truly family-oriented oasis. A world away from the urban congestion and pollution that typifies downtown Hong Kong, its hilly foliage is still within easy reach of both Admiralty and Central.
In addition, it is also set in close proximity to many of the city’s leading educational institutes, including the Chinese University of Hong Kong. All in all, it’s a hugely convenient location for bringing up a young family while enjoying a relaxing and time-efficient lifestyle. In a further plus, the area is also handy for a wide array of parks, sporting facilities and private clubs.
One of the most desirable residential properties in the area can be found perched on the hillside along Wylie Road as part of the exclusive Parc Palais estate. A luxuriously modern three-storey home, it extends across a truly sumptuous 2,600sq.ft.
Of course, ensuring such a grandiose home meets all the needs of an affluent and wholly contemporary Hong Kong family can be something of a daunting task. Fortunately it was a role that fell to Viz Design, a Wan Chai-based firm that has distinguished itself over the last 10 years with the success of its transformative projects.
Given its profile, it should be no surprise that the design work was personally headed by Viz co-founder Waif Chan, a man deeply steeped in the demanding lifestyles and tastes of Hong Kong’s most affluent socialites and professionals. Keen to take full advantage of the property’s high ceilings and wide acreage, he set out to deliver an undeniably modern and truly magnificent abode.
Starting at the ground level, the space is divided across two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a maid’s room, which together occupy around 50 percent of the floor’s blueprint. The remainder comprises three distinct spaces, all optimised to facilitate family bonding and hosting impromptu social gatherings.
From the off, the bold display of striking gold, white and glossy black hues on the walls, railings and furniture, all in an array of appealing patterns and textures, give the prime areas of the house a distinctly contemporary aesthetic. This appealing ambience is only enhanced by a tactical emphasis on an array of dark wooden motifs that can be found throughout the home.
For its part, the living room, complete with a bar area, provides the family members with ample space to both gather and entertain guests. Thoughtfully, it seamlessly connects to the dining space, with both spaces facing a line of floor-to-ceiling balcony windows, creating an eye-catching feature with sweeping views over Victoria Harbour and the surrounding skyline. Ultimately, this conceit serves to extend a spacious feel of the home, propelling it virtually outward to the breathtaking scenery beyond its walls.
Nestled just behind the dining space, the lounge area offers its residents a ready reprieve from the day’s activities, all within in a hushed enclave that is just perfect for coffee and chats. This resonates well with the upper lounge area, a modest space that occupies a quiet nook just above the living room. Adjacent to a wall of shelves, it’s an intimate recessed reading corner separated from the rest of the room and offering a little respite from fellow residents when required.
The kitchen, meanwhile, as might be fully expected, is truly state of the art, boasting facilities that all but guarantee every family mealtime requirement will be met if not wholly exceeded. Fitted out with pristine white kitchen cabinets and a commanding central island resource, the ample space noticeably provides more than enough counter space to cater for fairly substantial dining parties.
It’s on the second floor, then, that the master bedroom suite and balcony-facing TV room can be found. The connective tissue here comes courtesy of an elegant hallway, a stylish conduit giving access to the grand sleeping area and one of the home’s primary entertainment hubs.
The highlight of tri-levelled flat, however, can be aptly found a little higher up in the form of a top floor that boast a dedicated relaxation zone, personal fitness room and discreet access to the external Zen-like sky garden, with its stunning views across the surrounding landscape, complete with pebbled grounds that encase the wooden floor panelling of the alfresco roof space, a steel-kitchen-and-sink unit lies handily nestled against one side of the wall. All in all, this upper deck serves as the perfect perch for a relaxing outdoor feast with either a multitude of acquaintances or a more intimate affair with just family and loved ones.