There’s something different about this Hong Kong village house
At the end of a winding lane near Sai Kung stands a modern home that shares the same bold eclecticism as the hotel interiors its tenant styles
Pik Uk, a village south of Sai Kung best known for the nearby prison, seemed a dubious prospect for long-time Hong Kong resident Diane Nittke (née Ellermann) and her family. In 2015, the creative director of Ellermann Flower Boutique and Diane Nittke Interiors and her husband had sold their Clear Water Bay home andgrudgingly followed their agent to a “must see” house at the end of a steep and winding lane.
The three-bedroom property was the standard 2,100 sq ft, but in many ways an atypical three-storey village house: it was contemporary, full of light and featured an open, double-height living area. And the view was a revelation.
“It was such a wonderful surprise,” Nittke says of the wide terrace and secluded lawned garden overlooking Marina Cove. “I’ve driven past this area for years but I had no idea that something like this could exist down here.”
The element of surprise is central to Nittke’s creative work, which includes styling and accessorising luxury hotels, most recently for the Rosewood properties in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. “Whether it’s floral arrangements or interiors, I’m always drawn to bold and daring designs that have something witty and unpredictable about them,” she says.
Nittke, who is German, moved to Hong Kong in 1997 and lived in Sai Ying Pun and Happy Valley before making the move to Clear Water Bay about eight years ago. The furnishings in her home are sourced “from everywhere”, with the same eclectic quality she brings to her hotel projects. In the open living and dining area, vintage lamps and seating refurbished with bold fabrics nestle amid a collection of books and sculptures that range from high art to amusingly oddball.
