Seaside Hong Kong home brings the outdoors in
A couple have blended their contrasting styles to create an enchanting country nest in Shek O village
Text Adele Brunner / Styling David Roden / Photography John Butlin
Estate agents love to stress the importance of “location, location, location”. But when Leonard and Rebecca Zelig moved to an off-the-beaten-track spot in Shek O they were motivated by a different philosophy: “Lifestyle, lifestyle, lifestyle.”
“When I arrived in Hong Kong in 1999 from the United States, I lived in Big Wave Bay and fell in love with the place,” says Leonard, a writer and restaurateur. “I’m a big surfer and love the outdoor beach vibe. I also ran four beach clubs at one point, so I guess you could say I immersed myself in Hong Kong beach culture.”
Rebecca’s family owned a 2,500 sq ft village house in the area that had been rented out for years. When the tenant decided to leave, the Zeligs moved in and renovated.
The design of the house was inspired by post-war American realestate developer Joseph Eichler’s California Modern movement, which typically featured open-plan layouts and glass walls. Working with a contractor, the couple tore down most of the partition walls, redid the wiring, tiled the roof and substituted the propane canisters used for fuel in village houses with industrial-grade electrics. They also installed as much glass as they could, including a skylight in the kitchen and about 60 feet of sliding glass doors and balcony walls.
“My pet peeve about Hong Kong is that we have nice weather and amazing views but people don’t bring the outdoors in,” says Leonard.