Once bitten, twice shy

Interior designer Nathalie Weston knows all too well the pitfalls of renting property in Hong Kong. After creating picture-perfect rooms and installing a modern kitchen in a Happy Valley flat several years ago, a rapacious landlord inflated the rent and forced her out. When an agent showed her a Clear Water Bay duplex, however, her spirits were raised. The opportunity to create another photogenic family home in a completely different setting was a cause for optimism.

“It had such a strong mid-century feeling,” Weston says of the 2,100 sq ft house, referring to the modern aesthetic that flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. In particular, she was taken by “the shapes, the colours and the height of the ceiling”, all of which called for a sympathetic touch when it came to furniture and furnishings.

This time around, however, Weston, who is South African, wasn’t as keen to invest in a property that wasn’t hers; but she injected many of her design trademarks.
Distinctive lighting, for example, was installed throughout the house, old furniture was painted to give it a new lease of life and large animal hides cover the parquet flooring in several rooms.

“In dining areas they are one of the best floor enhancers because of their shape, and because they’re forgiving,” she says. “You can spill things on them and wash them.”