Spa-like bathroom, gym room, rooftop oasis – outdated Hong Kong village house has a major overhaul
- A couple who jumped at the chance to own the house they had been renting in Sai Kung in Hong Kong’s New Territories gave it a complete overhaul
- After renovations, the 2,250 sq ft home now boasts a gym room, a bathroom that feels like a five-star spa experience, and a stylish and tranquil rooftop oasis
It was a leap of faith for Bianca and Jonathan Williams to make the move from a convenient flat on Hong Kong Island to a village in the hills above Sai Kung in the New Territories.
But once there, the couple and their dog became hooked on the relaxed pace of life and a living space almost four times what they had been used to – so much so that when the opportunity arose in 2022 to buy the 2,250 sq ft (210 square metre) house they had been renting for a couple of years, they jumped at it.
The 40-year-old, four-bedroom, three-bathroom house needed a serious overhaul. For help, the Williamses asked Britta Butler, founder and design director of B Squared Design.
“As we had already lived in the house for a few years, we knew exactly what worked for us and what we wanted to change,” says Bianca Williams, who is originally from Indonesia but has been living in Hong Kong for 20 years.
“The kitchen and bathrooms in particular were outdated and needed a complete rethink.”
Butler gutted the interior and altered the layout so it worked better for the couple’s lifestyle. First up was reconfiguring the kitchen, which was Williams’ priority.
An avid cook, she wanted a lighter, more sociable area, with a large island, where friends could sit while she prepared the food.
Although Butler wanted to make the kitchen fully open plan, a structural wall behind the bench seat prevented her from widening the space. An alternative was to make the wall thicker to incorporate an arched alcove with display shelving, giving an impression of additional depth.
On the other side of the wall, she created a pantry-cum-preparation-space as well as made use of the hollow area under the stairs for more storage (see Tried + tested below).
“The kitchen design was a challenge but it was a positive exercise in thinking out of the box,” says Butler, who took seven months to complete the project from design to handover.
“We created a wide archway to improve the flow of light and movement and unite the space between the kitchen, preparation room and dining area.”
On the first floor, Butler installed a Murphy bed in one bedroom so it could double as a home office. Another bedroom became a gym while a third was converted into a gorgeous teal laundry room with patterned floor tiles.
Butler raised the washing machine and dryer to waist height and installed a pull-out shelf beneath them to make bending down to load the appliances unnecessary.
“Nobody likes to do the laundry but if you walk into a lovely space, it instantly becomes less of a chore,” says Butler. “Stylish laundry rooms are becoming more common in the United States but they are a luxury in Hong Kong.
“My design aesthetic tends towards white and modern but Bianca and Jonathan wanted to inject a bit of colour without the house looking busy so we went for a bold, more adventurous palette in here.”
The main bedroom and bathroom on the floor above were given a complete revamp.
Because the couple no longer wanted the narrow walk-in wardrobe, Butler merged it with the bathroom to allow for a spacious en suite.
With individual cubicles containing a full-sized bath, separate shower and toilet, and double sinks, it feels more like a five-star spa experience. A wall of wardrobes in the main bedroom houses their clothes and accessories.
“The previous bathroom was old and tiny; it was so small we couldn’t both use it at the same time,” recalls Williams. “There wasn’t even a countertop around the sink where you could put soap. After living here a while, we realised the small bathroom really bothered us.”
Perhaps the pièce de résistance is the rooftop, which Butler transformed from a run-down space into a stylish and tranquil oasis.
Working with a landscape gardener, she added lush plants and areas for entertaining and quiet contemplation.
“I love plants and the views of nature around us, and the rooftop is one of my favourite places along with the kitchen,” says Williams, who moved into her “new” home in mid-December.
“The house was fine to live in before we renovated but Britta’s designs have taken it to a whole new level.”
Dining room
The window seat storage in the dining area was designed and made by B Squared Design (bsquareddesignhk.com). The pendant lamps were bought years ago and details have been forgotten.
The Miro tripod lamp was from Staunton & Henry (stauntonandhenry.com). The dining table and chairs were all from Tree (tree.com.hk).
The Eclat glasses and Sicilia plates and bowls were all from Maison Sarah Lavoine at Lumeun Home (Instagram @lumeunhome).
A wood grain plank tile flooring from Hop Hing Lung Ceramics & Sanitaryware (310 Portland Street, Mong Kok, tel: 2391 2348) was used throughout the house for ease of maintenance.
The artwork was from Dafen Oil Painting Village in Shenzhen (dafenvillageonline.com).
Living area
The Easy Time sofa, Anders coffee table and Fallon rug were all from Tree. The Sicilia table lamp, marble side table, Basile tray and Eclat glasses and carafe were all from Maison Sarah Lavoine at Lumeun Home. The Deco chandelier was from Staunton & Henry.
Kitchen
The Todd pendant lights came from Stockroom (stockroom.com.hk). The kitchen cabinets were designed by ProKitchen (138 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2838 1871).
The island (with Arabiscato white marble from JES Stone, 301 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2156 9980), bench seat and alcove shelving were all designed by B Squared Design.
Rooftop
Keeping the roof terrace cool is a sail shade from Garden Plus (gardenplus.com.hk). The Carona swing chair was from Stockroom and the Grappa sofa from Patio Mart (patiomart.co).
The Bondodo dining table and chairs were from HK Outdoor Furniture (hkoutdoorfurniture.com) and the Hazel rug was from Miss Amara (missamara.hk).
Main bedroom
The Decker bed and Vintage mirror both came from Tree. The curtains were tailor-made by Bricks N Stones (bnscurtain.com).
The Bouclé armchair was from Zara Home (zarahome.com) and the Verona pendant was from Docos (docos.us).
On the chest of drawers, which was part of the new custom-made wardrobe system designed by B Squared Design, is a Stellar lamp from Staunton & Henry. Details about the artwork have been forgotten.
The bench was from Tree and the rug was sourced through The Editors Company (editorscompany.com).
Main bathroom
The main en suite was designed by B Squared Design with wall and floor tiles from Hop Hing Lung Material (235 Lockhart Road, tel: 2511 3013). The worktop is made of Corian and the vanity cabinet doors and medicine cabinets feature Toppal laminate (toppal.com).
Laundry room
The floor tiles in the laundry room came from Lotte (lottebm.com) while the teal units and shelves were designed and made by B Squared Design.
Powder room
Blue baton tiles from Omega (Shop A, 31 Fleming Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2877 0019) add colour to the ground floor powder room, designed by B Squared Design. The Thinline sink was from Scarabeo (scarabeoceramica.com) and the mirror from Zara Home.
Tried + tested
An often-overlooked source of extra space is under the stairs. Britta Butler reclaimed this hitherto wasted area by designing several pull-out units on wheels and transforming it into an accessible and organised storage system. The artwork, titled Kaleidoscope Woman, was from the Dafen Oil Painting Village.
