Once bitten, twice shy
Having learned about Hong Kong's greedy landlords the hard way, a tenant went on to create another stunning family home, this time without any costly renovations
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.”
Weston’s otherwise standard balcony, meanwhile, was given a budget-conscious “living-wall”, with potted plants hanging from a large trellis. Elsewhere, eye-catching pockets were created with colourful paper lanterns and art, including a tone-setting Vladimir Tretchikoff portrait of a green-hued Chinese girl and a large painting by J.A.H. of Cornelius, the sensitive chimpanzee scientist in Planet of the Apes.
In fact, animals decorate almost every room: busts hang from walls on both floors; five-year-old daughter Lola’s room hosts a menagerie that includes an illuminated duck; son Cassius, two, sleeps beneath a duvet bearing an illustration of a wolf; and in the master bedroom hangs a Victoriana-inspired illustration of a beast – part-man, part-deer – imagined by British artist Dan Hillier.
Unlike in her previous flat, which was a showcase for interesting transfers and gorgeous wallpaper, Weston largely avoided any such additions in this house to save money and because the main walls are blighted by airconditioners and shelving niches. On one wall in Lola’s room, however, she added a large fairy-tale decal, which is complemented by an intricately decorated French antique bed.
“Her original bed, which I painted grey, is in my son’s room,” says Weston. “She went through a phase of not wanting to sleep in it, so I hauled the spare bed out of the garage and said, ‘You’ve got a princess bed now.’ It worked!”
While much of the furniture came from previous homes, the move gave Weston an excuse to acquire “new” kit. Her eclectic assembly includes vintage chairs from the Clignancourt flea markets in Paris, France, and a bespoke carpet that complements an original 1972 Munich Olympics poster designed by Pierre Soulages.
Effort was also extended beyond the house, with Weston and her British husband, Simon, putting in a lawn in addition to stepping stones, bamboo fencing and an array of leafy plants.
“In summer we spend a lot of time outside,” Weston says, gushing about birthday parties with children splashing about in a blow-up pool and food sizzling on a barbecue. But in the end, she has accepted that theirs is rental accommodation and their future in it is uncertain.
“I love this house; who wouldn’t?” she says. “If we are here for two more years, I’ll do more. But I don’t mind moving again … if we have to.”
Living room detail The bookcase was bought years ago from Homeless (29 Gough Street, Central, tel: 2581 1880) and the artwork is an original 1972 Munich Olympics poster bought from the Clignancourt flea markets in Paris, France.
Staircase The vintage pendant lamp was bought in Paris years ago. The large painting on the right is by Weston and the photographs beside it were taken by Simon in New York and of Mong Kok.
