Creamy French boiserie and forest views quietly shape a calm hillside escape.
Stepping into this 1,053-square-foot apartment at Villa Lucca in Tai Po, one is immediately enveloped by a rare sense of calm. Designed by Mstudio around a theme of soft French elegance, the residence shuns ostentatious, palace-style mouldings. Instead, the designers stripped away heavy architectural lines, relying on a gentle palette of warm whites and soft timber tones to yield the floor to the surrounding woodland views.
The open-plan lounge and dining room refuse to be constrained by rigid, built-in boundaries. Instead, Mstudio curated a compact modular sofa paired with loose, freestanding rugs to subtly zone the areas. This “light on fixtures, heavy on furnishings” philosophy breaks the tyranny of fixed rooms, leaving the layout flexible enough to adapt to changing family needs over time.
In the heart of the home, a tactile, solid timber dining table dialogues with a vibrant geometric green rug in the living room. This visual cue coaxes the eye towards the semi-open kitchen, blurring the threshold between the lush forest outside and the interior within.
The refinement of the project lies in its understated details. Cabinetry throughout features unified, three-dimensional French boiserie lines finished in creamy white and accented with delicate matte gold handles. By avoiding fussy carvings in favour of clean, tailored lines, the home achieves a cohesive design language that ties the living spaces together, lending the residence a timeless, enduring elegance.
To balance aesthetics with high functionality, spatial planning throughout the home remains exceptionally disciplined. The second bedroom cleverly utilises a raised platform floor integrated with bespoke wardrobes, hiding everyday storage entirely out of sight to protect the room’s visual purity.
The master bedroom serves as the soul of this mountain retreat. Eschewing superfluous decoration, the team leverages on expansive floor-to-ceiling glass doors opening directly onto a private terrace. Natural light floods the room, framing the shifting landscapes of the Tai Po hills into a living canvas behind the bed. Without setting foot outside, the owners can fully immerse themselves in the rolling tree line, washing away the frantic pace of urban life.
Tips
Tailor the boiserie lines
Frame cabinetry and walls with unified, clean French boiserie panelling in creamy white, paired with matte gold handles. Dispense with fussy carvings to deliver a gentle, enduring French texture.
Borrow the scenery
Open the master bedroom with expansive floor-to-ceiling glass leading to a private terrace. This pulls natural light and lush mountain views deep inside, turning the landscape into a living canvas.
Zone space fluidly
Swap rigid built-in structures in the lounge for a compact modular sofa and loose rugs. This flexible approach allows the layout to adapt easily to changing family needs.
Connect with a kitchen island
Dissolve the barrier between cooking and living zones with an open-plan island. Extend the cohesive white and timber cabinetry to connect the kitchen and lounge into a fluid, highly social space.
Hide cosy nooks
Combine closed storage for clutter with open shelving for curation within bespoke wardrobes. Integrate a window bench to turn an empty corner into a reading nook that breaks up the monotony of standard fitted cabinetry.
Mstudio
Email: info@mstudiohk.co
Tel: +852 36140368
Website: https://www.mstudiohk.co/
Address: Rm2607, Global Gateway Tower, 63 Wing Hong Street, Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong
