The makeover of a village house on Hong Kong’s idyllic Lamma Island

Lamma-based interior designer Debi Yeung-Salansy has transformed a tired village house into hotel-style retreat with a stunning roof terrace facing the sea

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Interior designer Debi Yeung-Salansy was commissioned to renovate a village house on Lamma Island in Hong Kong. Photo: Eugene Chan

Adele Brunner

Published: 6:15pm, 28 Nov 2024

Landlords who have bought to let tend not to expend huge amounts of time, effort or money on renovating their properties. However, interior designer Debi Yeung-Salansy’s client, who had invested in a village house on Lamma Island, commissioned her to come up with a hotel-standard concept for the 2,100 sq ft property, complete with interior furnishings, fittings, and even plants.

The house is divided into three flats – one per storey – and although they share the same design DNA, the 700 sq ft, two-bedroom, one-bathroom, top-floor flat also has a sizeable rooftop space. Currently occupied by tenants Natalie Hui and Allan Byrne, it was also the first of the three units to be finished, setting the style for the others.

Tenants Allan Byrne and Natalie Hui love their home on Lamma so much, they no longer feel the need to travel. Photo: Eugene Chan

The house had previously been rented for many years by musicians, who were more interested in hosting much-loved community gatherings than home upkeep. Consequently, when Yeung-Salansy’s client bought the house, it was run-down, so a large chunk of the budget was spent on structural repairs. The designer did everything from repairing and waterproofing the walls and roof, replacing all the windows and substituting the original green mosaic tiles with a more modern facade, to changing the layouts and sourcing all furnishings, hardware and finishes.

“We practically rebuilt the house!” says Yeung-Salansy of Debi Yeung Design, herself a Lamma resident. “Although it took more than a year to complete, it was a great project as I was given a lot of creative freedom, but my client was still very involved.”

The house is divided into three 700 sq ft flats. Photo: Eugene Chan

The new homeowner wanted a contemporary, minimal look, with fresh, white walls and a clean finish throughout, which gelled with Yeung-Salansy’s own aesthetics. She used a raw-looking concrete finish on structural beams but added Chinese elements, such as custom-made lattice doors (that she stained herself) on built-in cupboards, to tone down the industrial style and give the apartment a sense of place. She also used reclaimed wood in the living area to frame the television screen with shelving and cabinets and add a Bali holiday vibe, another client requirement.