Towering ceilings, full height windows, grass lined al fresco terraces and sweeping city views — these are not quite the characteristics that one usually associates with apartments in Hong Kong. Which is why this sun-drenched penthouse, perched atop a residential high-rise in Fo Tan and boasting all of the above qualities and more, feels like such a rare gem in this concrete jungle.
"The owners wanted a home with a hospitable and friendly personality," says Maggy Cheung, art director of award-winning design studio Grande Design tapped by a young busy working couple to transform their originally four-bedroom, traditionally structured abode into a chic contemporary haven for two that is all at once fit for entertaining large groups of family and friends — an activity that the couple relish in and undertake often. Scroll through the gallery below (Photograhy: Grande Design) to discover more of the refreshing design:
Spanning full four metres in height and framed by specially-built floor-to-ceiling glass windows that lead out to an outdoor terrace overlooking 180-degree views of New Territories, the very silhouette of this lofty residence is enough to delight even the most discerning guests.
For Maggy, designing the home was as much a feat of revitalising its interiors as it was accentuating the home’s enviable proportions in the best light.
That, she achieved to beautiful effect through opening up the apartment, getting rid of any unnecessary obstruction and enhancing its flow. “We wanted the 180-degree landscape to be seen as soon as one enters the home,” explains Maggy, who points to a floor-to-ceiling glass screen that was installed between the minimalist living room and the entrance, serving as a playful partition delineating the space without blocking the views.
A cooking area and bar have also been thoughtfully tucked behind a set of cabinet doors that blend into the walls.
With only two people residing in the apartment, the team further gutted three of the bedrooms in favour of one palatial master en suite; chic, contemporary yet decidedly cosy, this private haven encompasses a large cloakroom complete with an island set in the centre to create extra storage for the owners to display their accessories.
"The cloakroom is similarly separated from the bedroom with a glass sliding door," explains Maggy of the feature. "It invites sunlight inside the cloakroom and further enhances the sense of spaciousness."
This delightful mix of comfortability and chicness pervades the rest of the home, as seen in its thoughtfully muted colour palette and Scandinavian-style furnishings.
Anchoring the sweeping open plan living, dining and kitchen area are black-and-grey Normann Copenhagen bell pendant lamps – such a challenge to install on the further-elevated roofs that scaffolding was set inside the house for workers – that set the room's stylistic tone; various shades of grey are mixed in with a similarly cool palette of charcoal, whites and blues across matte walls, couches and area rugs.
“To keep the design warm and sweet, wooden elements such as the flooring and dining table were added to the design,” adds Maggy. When it comes to the home's most covetable – and guest-friendly – spot, however, nothing tops the expansive outdoor balcony and upper rooftop area. There, one will find a foliage-covered oasis cocooned in breathtaking scenery on one side and a statement leafy wall on the other.
"We beautified the terrace and created privacy with the vertical garden wall," says Maggy of her favourite accent in the apartment. "Being the most eye-catching part of the home, it serves as a bridge between the house and the scenery while further bringing calm to the place." This tranquillity, blended with the design's thoughtful play on proportions and colour, resulted in this one-of-a-kind urban sanctuary.
