How Atelier Shan transformed this gloomy Hong Kong village house into a chic minimalist home

A dim and dark Lamma village house provided the ideal template for a minimalist, meditative retreat from the hustle of city life

with impressive ocean and mountain views. The original property was dark and uninhabitable, with no air conditioning, an odd layout and an electrical supply stuck in the 1990s, without sufficient power to run multiple appliances and hot water at the same time.

Yet the fact that the house was in such desperate need of TLC was a selling point for the couple, who didn’t want to feel guilty at starting anew. The design brief was clear: strip back the house to its bare bones and create an organic dialogue with its environment. Architect Ketty Shan, founder of design studio Atelier Shan, did all this and more, working closely with her colleagues, clients, a team of artisans and a Lamma contractor.

“I have zero design experience but developed a passion for the project,” says the owner. “I drew most of the floor plans and became obsessed with even the smallest detail. I had more than 200 PowerPoint pages of ideas. Ketty was very brave to take us on. It was hard to find a designer who would even consider coming to Lamma for an initial meeting – not to mention the difficulty getting all the materials, furniture and everything else delivered as there is no transport on the island other than [the contractor’s] small flatbed truck.”

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Despite these and other challenges (step forward, Covid), the two-bedroom, three-bathroom house was completed in a year. Unlike homes that seek to dazzle, this one is stunning in its simplicity. It embodies what Shan calls “quiet design”, minimal but beautifully executed decor that lets the architecture speak for itself.

“Rather than bending the environment to the will of the house, we wanted to create a space as a response to its surroundings – as a continuation rather than a contrast to the natural world outside,” says the owner, whose love of plants led to the transformation of the weed-infested plot in front of the house and the cultivation of a kitchen patio, bedroom terrace and rooftop lounge filled with greenery. “We wanted a home that balanced modern comforts with a pared-back aesthetic – one that, untypically for Hong Kong, didn’t maximise every inch of space.”

Shan reconfigured the layout, incorporating designated areas for moments of spiritual reflection and meditation in addition to rooms for everyday requirements. She earmarked a large ground floor space for activities such as yoga as well as dining and entertainment, and opened up the hitherto walled-in mezzanine level, which overlooks it. Here, she incorporated a library with zones for reading and study that lead onto an authentic Japanese tatami room.

As ornamentation was limited, every interior element, down to switches and sockets, had to be meticulously considered. Tactile materials such as French linen curtains and handcrafted tiles provide understated visual appeal while the imperfections of reclaimed timber on the library floor, staircase and main bedroom ceiling were deemed a reflection of the character of the house.

In keeping with the ethos of minimalism, lighting was also designed to be unobtrusive. Downlights feature only in necessary areas; elsewhere, lighting at various levels add warmth and intimacy.

Although quiet in its approach, the house is anything but dull. On the second floor, bold colours emerge, offering a striking contrast to the muted decor of the storeys below. The green-themed guest bedroom and en suite bathroom (the only room in the house with the same original dimensions) pay homage to the lush jungle outside while the seductively smooth oxblood Veneziano plaster on the walls and ceiling of the main split-level suite offers an unexpected wow factor.

“Warm colours usually make rooms feel smaller, especially if they cover the ceiling but here the colour electrifies the space. This is achieved by using plaster containing marble chips applied to a very high-gloss finish, which is not only waterproof but causes light to bounce off all surfaces and make the room look larger,” says Shan. “The plaster has a subtle sheen and looks beautiful when the sun hits it.”

Bedroom terrace

The main bedroom leads onto a spacious terrace, which features a Nassau outdoor furniture set and Tribal side table, all by Timothy Oulton (timothyoulton.com), and Gioi table and chairs from InternoItaliano (internoitaliano.com). The lantern was from Zara Home (zarahome.com); all flowerpots came from Deroma in Italy (deroma.com) and Bergs Potter, Copenhagen (bergspotter.com). Reclaimed wood on the ceiling from Wood-Ideas (wood-ideas.com) and Terra Crea floor tiles by Kronos (kronosceramiche.com) from Anta Building Material Supplier (antahk.com) continue into the main bedroom, linking indoors and out.

Staircase

Beige Marmorino walls with limestone powder were supplied and applied by artisanal plasterer Poise HK (poise.com.hk) on the staircase. The original banisters have been retained but now have a solid wood handrail that has been customised to fit the existing curve. Stairs are covered with reclaimed Oak Cloud oiled engineered wood by Imondi (imondi.com), purchased from Arnhold (arnhold.com.hk), with risers also finished in Marmorino plaster. The Soul Story wall lights are from DCWeditions (dcw-editions.com).

Mixed-use Room

Doors from the garden open onto a large mixed-use space that is used primarily for activities such as yoga and meditation. The CarriEre du Kronos floor tiles were from Kronos and purchased from Anta Building Material Supplier and the handcrafted rug was by Casegoods from India (casegoods.in). A vintage wooden bench from Yunnan province features a singing bowl from Meinl Sonic Energy (meinlsonicenergy.com). The Ghost sofa bed was from Gervasoni (gervasoni1882.com) and the Captain Uplight standard lamp was from By Rydens (byrydens.com).

Tatami room

Japanese-style screen doors designed by Atelier Shan, featuring rice wallpaper from Japan from Altfield (altfield.com.hk), divide the library from the tatami room. The tatami mats were from Ito Futon (itofuton.com) and the low table and floor seats were all from Mumo (chinadesigncentre.com/works/mumo-return-to-the-true-colors-of-nature.html). The Kuulto Small 9101 ceiling lamp was from Secto Design (sectodesign.fi).

Main bedroom/bathroom

In the main bedroom, the bed, designed by Atelier Shan, was supplied and installed by Charming Furnishings. The bedside tables were from Fleur Studios (fleurstudios.com.au) and the TTM Corta bedside lights were by Santa & Cole (santacole.com). The GD5610-WH powdered white cone ceiling lights were from TP Lighting (tplighting.hk). Red finger tiles by Omega Tiles cover the bath and shower in the adjacent bathroom while the red Veneziano plaster finish with fine marble powder was supplied and applied by Poise. The vintage console table came from Yunnan province and the w163 Lampyre t2 table lamp by Inga Sempe from WAstberg Lighting (wastberg.com) came from Sweden.

Library detail

In the home office/library, the furry chair and Affi stool (used as a side table) were from InternoItaliano. The Oak Cloud oiled herringbone flooring is by Imondi from Arnhold. The shelving and sink unit, with a hammered brass sink, from Etsy (etsy.com), were designed by Atelier Shan and supplied and installed by Charming Furnishings.

Guest bathroom

In the guest bathroom are Japanese unglazed ceramic wall tiles by Inax (inax.com.hk), which were supplied by Welltiles Building Materials (welltiles.com.hk), and Beijmat Biscuit Matt floor tiles by Wow Design (wowdesigneu.com) from Kokocolor (kokocolor.com). The sanitaryware was from Brodware (brodware.com), and the sink unit was designed by Atelier Shan and supplied and installed by Charming Furnishings. The Traffic wall lamp was by Toscot (toscot.it).

Kitchen

The kitchen was designed, supplied and installed by Wincci Holdings (wincci.com) with cabinetry from German company SchUller (schueller.de) and a backsplash comprising Mastizaje Zellige white gloss tiles by Wow Design from Kokocolor.

Breakfast nook in kitchen

A Tekio Circular pendant light by Santa & Cole floats above a Togrul marble table by Tacchini (tacchini.it) in the breakfast nook. The banquette was designed by Atelier Shan and supplied and installed by Charming Furnishings and the small bench came from Timothy Oulton.