Nestled between the green mountains of Tai Tam at Hong Kong Parkview is an apartment modelling a beautiful blend of the Orient and the Occident. Offering blissful views of the verdant landscape, the home embodies the spirit of nature with its regal materials and soothing palettes of ocean and sea.
In a resourceful multipurpose manner, the whole space has been designed to offer comforts of a home as well as the attractions of a clubhouse. Sprawling across a generous 4,616sq. ft, this is a happy dwelling of a family of four, a couple and their two daughters. Interior designer Danny Chiu changed the initial layout of the apartment to suit the needs of its sociable owners, who are accustomed to hosting parties and events. To echo the spectacular outside views, the new design brings natural elements like mountains, water, waves and marbles into the interior.
The previous floor plan was quite symmetrical with mirroring twin units, distributed in eight rooms on the left and right. Chiu intelligently remodelled the apartment to remove obstructions and make areas more spacious, allowing free movement and increased functionality. It took almost two years to realise the vision of the designer so the family could have their ideal home.
The entrance opens into a hall-like living room that has an adjoining dining area with wide windows, allowing the domed hills to peek inside. The hall has a wooden Yamagata false ceiling rising up to 17m, starting with a bar table and spanning across the entire dining area and living room. The ebbs and flows of the tray ceiling, which is equipped with a smart home lighting system, are designed to mimic ocean waves.
Opposite the windows is an indented feature wall dressed in a textured wallpaper of panoramic mountains reminiscent of a traditional Chinese landscape artwork. The blue hue of the wallpaper is a thematic reflection of the dining area, where a table for 10 stands in handy distance of the bar table and decorative cabinet behind it. Meanwhile, the kitchen boasts wide Italian cabinets from Arclinea that are sleek and minimal in design to highlight the marble patterned walls.
Moving towards the more convivial space of the living room, it is thanks to the modular furniture here, courtesy of Theodore Alexander, that the family can enjoy the flexibility of adjusting the layout and appearance of the space to fit different occasions and number of guests. At the far end, a smart Planika fireplace with a marble TV feature wall is cleverly proportioned to serve as a partition that seperates the cosy sitting area behind.
Here, designed to accommodate the homeowners’ cherished hobbies, is an area for calligraphy and tea-tasting. The carpet reflects the living room’s flooring of marble pattern – a recurring theme throughout the unit. Axolight chandeliers, on the other hand, cast 3D mountain-contour patterns overhead, together the elements perfectly echo the tranquil theme of the home.
Heralding a breezy encounter, the large terrace affords a breath of fresh air of Tai Tam and the panoramic views beyond. Here, they can enjoy breakfast in at daybreak, sip tea in the twilight, or host barbecue parties on warm sunny days with a scenic backdrop – the hangout spot. The apartment also houses a massage room, a theatre room and a wine cellar replete with the owners’ favourite collections.
Within the more private quarters of the house, the master bedroom is nothing less than a royal suite. Earthy tones and wooden floors offer a calm, warming and tender ambience for the sweet comfort of its dwellers. To the side, a raised platform with modified curved columns provides a relaxing little corner for reading or simply enjoying the the hillside views beyond the wide plane of window to the side of the bed.
Within the master en suite sits an I-spa jacuzzi and sauna that proffers a five-star experience at home, while the large carpeted dressing room complete with a vanity area ensures privacy and comfort while getting ready.
The bedrooms for the two daughters are equally appealing, each with her own personal touch to match their contrasting tastes and preferences. One daughter enjoys the shades of blue which is aptly, so cool shades that decorate the textured walls and carpet to reflect the ocean. The highlight of this room is a curved platform near the window that is raised and shaped to create the effect of a bubble.
Since the floor is lit with LED lighting strips, the platform gives an illusion of floating. The bathroom also matches the theme, with blue diamond-shaped tiles and tinted glass.
The other daughter’s bedroom, on the other hand, is a stark contrast to the first. Monochromatic greys and whites largely make up the interiors of this space, featuring ample indentations on the wall behind the headboard that form soft, gradual reflections on the fabric segments of the décor when lit – an effect that instils a sense of calmness and zen.
The bathroom – shared between the two sisters – features a wide Coelux LED skylight in that replicates the warmth of natural light. In its entirety, the home manifests the beauty of its surroundings through the natural elements within, while boasting subtle touches of luxury that exudes comfort and sereneity enjoyed in a tasteful, convival design.
Text: Zaira Abbas Photos: Danny Chiu Interior Designs LTD