The Hong Kong beachfront apartment whose style four chinoiserie lamps inspired, and why the Christmas tree had to match the decor
- When a couple and their baby moved to a South Lantau beachfront apartment, it was the owners’ blue-and-white lamp bases that dictated the theme for its styling
- Beach house with an Asian touch is a good way to describe the resulting look, for which the couple’s newly purchased Christmas tree is a perfect match
“We missed out on a Christmas tree last year: by the time my husband got to Mong Kok Flower Market, they were going for about HK$8,000 (US$1,025) each,” says a still-shocked Lily Smithson, recalling the price gouging that went on as families grounded by the coronavirus pandemic rushed to secure a noble fir or Douglas pine for the holiday. “There was no way we were missing out this year.”
Adding to the desire for a beautiful Christmas 2021 is baby Ella, who had her first birthday a few weeks ago and is an adorable bundle of just-walking curiosity. Following their recent move to a 1,600 sq ft (149 square metre), beachfront garden flat in South Lantau, the Smithsons – Ella, Lily and Australian financier Travis – knew who to call: interior stylist Flavia Markovits, who had helped Lily decorate their three-bedroom, three-bathroom, split-level home earlier in the year.
Opting for a fake fir that can be used time and again, Smithson and Markovits headed to Decor8ion, a Christmas decoration company in Kwai Chung, to stock up from its vast array of samples. They picked out silver and gold tree decorations to complement Smithson’s favourite blue-and-white chinoiserie.
“I am obsessed with navy,” she admits. “The inspiration for the whole scheme for the flat was my Ginger Jar Lamp Co lamps – blue-and-white bases, and pink shades. I have four of them.”
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It was not her first idea. “Initially, I wanted really bright colours – pinks, oranges – but Flavia talked me out of it; she said we would get tired of the clashing colours. And she was right.”
Smithson had contacted Markovits after seeing photographs of a home she had styled on a Facebook group. “We are both Brazilian, so we have that in common, but it was those pictures that really inspired me – there was a hammock in the living room … I loved that,” Smithson says.
The garden was the deciding factor in moving here
Markovits sent her two pictures: one of a bohemian scheme, and one of a Hamptons beach house. “We went for the beach-house style, but with an Asian touch – it goes so well with the location,” Smithson says. “The bohemian picture had Bali boho baskets on the walls and I wanted those, too, so we used bits of both schemes.”
Other pieces of furniture, such as the lacquered wedding cabinet, sideboard and television unit, were custom made in Guangdong, southern China, to Markovits’ specifications.
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In keeping with the beach house theme, a raffia pendant lampshade hanging over the dining table is a repurposed sun hat that Markovits found among Smithson’s impressively large hat collection, most of which is displayed on open shelving in a hallway.
And yes, there is a hammock, but it’s not in the living room. Instead, it sways gently in the shade of a gazebo in the large, lawned garden.
“The garden was the deciding factor in moving here. It’s Travis’ passion and perfect for Ella; there’s even a gate to a path to the beach. On Mother’s Day, Travis got up really early and set up the gazebo and hammock for me as a gift,” Smithson says. “I grew up on a farm in Brazil, and this is my little piece of home.”
Living room
The Kos sofa in white linen was from Harbour (harbouroutdoor.com), the batik cushions were from Timothy Oulton (timothyoulton.com) and the embroidered white cushions came from Indigo Living (indigo-living.com).
The handwoven cotton rug, by Mohini Creations, in India, and the ginger jar prints, by British shop NauticalNell, were all bought on Etsy (etsy.com). The handmade baskets on the wall were from Tree (tree.com.hk) and Indonesian shop Madebyind on Etsy. The Christmas tree and decorations were from Decor8ion (decor8ion.myshopify.com, tel: 6374 8931).
Dining table
Hanging next to the dining table is a treasured abstract aerial painting of Deep Water Bay, complete with golf course and beach, commissioned from Hong Kong-based artist Martin Lever (artbymartinlever.com). The table was a second-hand purchase, and the Provence dining chairs in washed oak and cane were from Decor8 (decor8.com.hk).
The brass candlesticks and Christmas decorations were from Indigo Living and the gold cutlery was from AliExpress. The linen placemats and plates were from Zara Home (zarahome.com).
Dining room detail
Taking pride of place in the dining room is a pair of blue-and-white ginger jar lamps from The Ginger Jar Lamp Co (gingerjarlampco.com), which inspired the entire scheme. The other ginger jars came from R+R (randrshop.com) and AliExpress (aliexpress.com). The faux bamboo pagoda mirrors came from Amazon in the US (amazon.com) and the lacquered elm sideboard was custom made by Maison Home Furniture.
Main bedroom
The shades on The Ginger Jar Lamp Co table lamps add bright pops of fuchsia pink to the blue-and-white bedroom. The Weston bed was from Indigo Living and the bedside tables and desk were custom made in elm by Maison Home Furniture.
The Midnight Blue prints came from US shop Urban Garden Prints on Etsy and were framed by Artmen Gallery (artmengallery.com). Artmen also framed the coral prints, sourced from MyOwnDreamland on Etsy. The Provence chair in washed oak and cane was from Decor8 and the bedding was from Zara Home.
Daughter’s room
“I didn’t want to go for the usual pink for Ella’s room, so Flavia came up with this soft blue and cream scheme,” Lily Smithson says. The Camden House bed frame and Dollhouse bookshelves were from Pottery Barn (potterybarn.com), the hanging rail and toy stroller from Taobao (taobao.com), and the striped rug, rainbow blanket and bedding from Zara Home.
Study
“We originally planned to have a spare bed in here, but with the pandemic nobody is coming to visit and as Travis works from home, we have kept it as an office,” Lily Smithson says. The cabinet and desk were custom made in elm by Maison Home Furniture. The ceramic stool was picked up in Zhongshan, Guangdong province.
The photograph of Smiths Beach, in Western Australia, was a gift from Travis’ family as a reminder of home and framed by Artmen Gallery. The porcelain Chinese lions were from Chinese Whisper (chinesewhisper.se), the Abaca baskets were from Tree, and the Lack wall shelf was from Ikea (ikea.com.hk). The chair was a second-hand purchase made years ago.
Garden
Tried & Tested
A couple of ugly hooks on a rather bland garden wall were initially co-opted by the Smithsons’ domestic helper, Belle, who gave Lily Smithson the first of the hanging baskets as a Mother’s Day present.
“I thought they looked great,” says Flavia Markovits, “so we made a feature of them by buying a load more. The plants are quite hardy and sun-resistant.”
The baskets were from Taobao and the “string of nickels” (Dischidia nummularia) plants were from Wah King Garden Arts (wahking-garden.com). The placemats were from Zara Home and the garland was from Decor8ion.
Photo assistant Timothy Tsang
