Seeking a cost-effective luxury home, one former landlubber found the perfect solution in a custom-designed houseboat.
When Stuart Walker says he misses little about living on land, it's easy to believe him. After all, the slick, contemporary three-storey home he built for himself, wife Kylie Waterstrom and their three young children has 1,600 sq ft of living space, expansive outdoor areas and a Jacuzzi. And being a live-aboard boat, it is also right on the water.
Constructing the vessel, Walker says, afforded him a cost-effective luxury home. With a budget of about HK$3.6 million, Walker set about designing and outfitting a vessel that provided a high degree of comfort and style inside, looked good on the outside and allowed him to take his family for jaunts around Sai Kung, where it is moored. 'We wanted to live on a boat that was like an apartment,' he says of their 18-metre vessel, named Sacred Site. 'But we also wanted to take it to the beach.'
To this end, Walker worked with an existing hull but designed the shape from the waterline up. 'I like trawler-style boats with front windows that lean forward,' he says. 'These look a bit more like boats than junks.'
With the help of interior designer Cimone Vikor-Lam of CVL Design (tel: 9121 1700), he drafted plan after plan to ensure maximum use of space. This was particularly important for the lower level, which accommodates a scenic master bedroom with en suite bathroom, a room for each child, a second bathroom, an office and a spare room-cum-play area. In this flexible space, at the nose of the boat, bean bags can be removed to allow guests to use a fold-down Murphy bed. Ample built-in storage keeps toys and television paraphernalia neatly tucked away.
Walker, who was new to boat designing when he worked on his own, now builds custom-designed live-aboards for others who recognise their charm. Layouts are flexible, he explains, so the bottom deck can accommodate suites that would be the envy of all.