A Hong Kong village house gets a stunning transformation that makes the most of its tropical setting
Olive feature walls, a large and airy kitchen and new split-level garden set a breezy indoors-outdoors atmosphere in this 2,100 sq ft Sai Kung house
Design ideas can come from anywhere – a stay in an exotic hotel, a favourite colour, the latest trends. For Hong Kong-born Willy Fung, interior inspiration comes from the property itself, no matter what state it is in. Now retired, the former strategic planner likes nothing more than finding an old property and turning what might be perceived as “trash” into something special.
“Renovation is my hobby and I love finding a property and unlocking its character,” says Fung, who has designed and renovated more than 20, for himself and for friends. “I try to tap into a home’s potential and find ways to bring out its best features. Every place is different so what works for a city apartment might look strange in a rural house.”
When he first viewed his current home two years ago, the 2,100 sq ft village house in Sai Kung was so rundown it was bordering on derelict. Although he was living in Mid-Levels at the time, he felt the 30-year-old house would be somewhere he’d like to live and was worth his time, effort and money.
Once purchased, the house was taken back to its bare bones – walls gutted, windows replaced – by Fung and his contractor. It took a year to rebuild and the result is spectacular.
On the ground floor, equal space has been allocated to the living room and kitchen but there the similarities end. The former is opulent, with plush furniture, a grand piano (which his 18-year-old daughter plays), and two attention-grabbing pendant lights, one of which is made out of brass trumpets.
The more muted contemporary kitchen/dining room, with its pretty, patterned floor tiles, expanses of white cabinetry and black-framed bifold doors, contrasts in colour and style but is no less arresting.
