Inside a luxury real estate developer’s art-filled Hong Kong home
- Statement pieces inform the interior palette of a Mid-Levels apartment
- It stays true to its environment through a merger of contemporary and classic design details
Having renovated one home in London, England, Luke Fehon could have been forgiven for taking the easy route and simply duplicating its interior in his Mid-Levels flat. But even though the co-founder and chairman of luxury developer Fuin Real Estate chose to work again with the creative force behind his British pad – London-based Dutch designer Rients Bruinsma – that was the last thing he wanted to do.
“I believe that a home should not only reflect the people who live in it but also have a sense of place,” says Fehon, an Australian by birth, a New Yorker by upbringing and a Hongkonger at heart. “I didn’t want this apartment to look and feel as if it could be anywhere, without any context. Hong Kong is a modern, vibrant city and yet it is steeped in tradition. I wanted to merge the two.”
Because the 3,230 sq ft apartment, which takes up an entire storey, was new, the project was more cosmetic than structural. Bruinsma left the kitchen and four bathrooms untouched but turned four bedrooms into two, including the vast main suite, which boasts a luxurious dressing room. He also improved the wall treatments.
Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, the design process, which took six months in total, was a breeze. Bruinsma visited the apartment three times but otherwise he and Fehon worked via video calls.
Says Bruinsma: “We finished most walls with specialist paint: we applied a coat of gloss wax to make them look like stone – a bit like Venetian stucco but without the busy spatulato [a polished plaster finish] effect. We panelled the TV den in grey oak so it became more cosy and we installed dressing room cabinets in one bedroom.”
Always make rugs as big as possible and try to place the furniture fully on them
This “wardrobe”, a gorgeous walnut-lined cocoon, made by local craftsmen, is as stylish and sophisticated as the rest of the apartment.
“I prefer to display my clothes so they can all be seen and, therefore, used – but the dressing room isn’t just for storage,” says Fehon. “It’s a nice space to be in and I usually do my morning emails in there. It’s a real luxury for a Hong Kong apartment but I don’t have children so I can be flexible with my space.”
While his London apartment is all soft, muted shades, he wanted colour in his Hong Kong home. More than decoration, art was the starting point for the interior palette, notably the diptych in the living area, by London-based artist Matthew Stone. Bruinsma also suggested using an array of subtle greens in the open-plan communal areas as an interesting and slightly unusual contrast to the reddish-toned flooring.
“I also chose to install a bright-green oversized silk rug so the wood floor would become a ‘picture frame’ in the room and connect the furniture,” he says. “The silk with all the shimmer works really well and its shading in the sunlight creates wonderful effects. Always make rugs as big as possible and try to place the furniture fully on them.”
Along with the silk rugs, Bruinsma used rich materials such as shagreen, leather, custom-woven fabrics and wallpaper to lend textural depth. He also worked with upholsterers and furniture makers to create bespoke pieces that are comfortable and work well in their immediate surroundings and in the wider context of the flat.
“My style is modern yet based on classic principles,” says Bruinsma. “I always try to use the best materials possible for a project, to create a sense of luxury. I avoid showy interiors and prefer them to be understated and elegant. It’s important that my clients feel comfortable.”
“At first, I was a bit worried about working in Hong Kong because of the distance from London [where he lives] but that turned out to be no issue at all,” says Bruinsma. “The main challenge turned out to be getting a large coffee table up 18 flights of stairs because it wouldn’t fit in the lift. I love the city very much – it’s an exciting place with hardworking people.”
Main bedroom The suede bed (£8,600), ottoman (£5,600), polished stainless-steel and high-gloss walnut bedside table (£5,300), silk rug (£17,500) and polished-nickel daybed upholstered with sateen wool (£7,250) were all custom made through Rients.
