The quest for a quiet home life ended for one returning couple when they found a Pokfulam apartment with stunning sea views.
Most people who come to Hong Kong do not do so expecting a quiet life. When Louisa Williams and husband Johannes Duttenhoefer returned after an absence of seven years, they knew what they were letting themselves in for. 'We had a tranquil, peaceful flat in London, overlooking the Thames,' Williams says. 'We decided we would only move back to Hong Kong if we could have a home we wanted to return to every day.'
With this brief, Williams (tel: 9497 5908), a British-trained architect and designer, set about creating a serene and peaceful Pokfulam abode in which every detail pays homage to its sweeping ocean views.
'It really was an introverted flat,' Williams says about the original layout. 'There was an S-shaped living room and it looked in on itself instead of out on the views.'
Williams went into action to redirect the perspective. The 1970s beam-and-column construction posed no obstacle to her wrecking ball and after demolition, all that remained standing of the former three-bedroom, two-bathroom flat was one structural column in 1,600 square feet of space.
Williams set about creating a sanctuary that made the most of the scenery. 'Being so unrestricted structurally meant we could have done anything,' Williams says, 'but, to produce a calm space, we needed to make sure there was no clutter.'