Inside celebrity hairstylist Kim Robinson’s moody, masculine Hong Kong home
Stylist's Clear Water Bay home is the perfect place to put your feet up, writes Adele Brunner.
Hong Kong-based celebrity hairdresser Kim Robinson has cut and styled the tresses of the rich and famous, from supermodel Kate Moss to the late Princess Diana. As a globe-trotting businessman with multiple projects on the go at any given time, peace and quiet topped his checklist when he started house hunting a decade ago.
“The minute I saw this house I knew I had to have it,” Australianborn Robinson says of the 2,100 sq ft property in Clear Water Bay that has been his home for eight years. “I moved here after years of living in Shek O.
“When I first came to Hong Kong [almost 40 years ago], it was all about the Island. But I had friends in this area and I loved their newfound freedom away from the mainstream. It’s not for everyone but at this point in my life privacy is my greatest luxury.”
Eschewing the services of an interior designer, Robinson worked with contractors to realise his vision. Although no major structural changes were made, walls that had divided the house into pokey rooms were demolished, to maximise the sense of space.
The house now has one master bedroom suite, which includes a dressing area, an open bathroom with double shower and large bath and a walk-in wardrobe, and one guest room. Other areas, such as the art room and gym/den, can be converted into additional bedrooms when needed.
The renovation took just over a year and Robinson admits to driving his contractors crazy – the slate fireplace between the living and dining area alone took six months to construct because, as per Robinson’s design, it had to be put together layer by layer, by hand; the custom-made, floor-to-ceiling steel window frames took considerable time and effort; and he even had to demonstrate how to cement render walls because the contractor had never attempted it before.
“I don’t conform to mediocrity – it’s not in my DNA,” says Robinson, who runs the kimrobinson studios in Hong Kong and Singapore. “I have an aesthetic eye and want to be surrounded by beauty. Plus I’m a bit of a style freak.