Forging Ahead

Forging The timing couldn’t have been worse: starting a large-scale renovation as a pandemic was breaking out. But interior designer JENNY PERRY persisted with her project. The result? A classy and colourful new look for a Sai Kung village house – which also happens to be her own home!

When Jenny Perry relocated from her native Shanghai to Hong Kong for work in 2007, she initially suggested to her husband that maybe it wasn’t the right move. In some ways, it felt like leaving one city of high-rises for another. However, once she discovered the fabulous outdoor lifestyle on offer – from hiking to beaches – she changed her mind.

Jenny’s career also began to flourish. After first studying fashion design at university in Shanghai, she then completed an interior design course, which she began to put into practice soon after the move to Hong Kong.

“The first home I renovated was in 2009,” she says. “I hired a local contractor and sourced materials from Shenzhen. This was the start of my renovation business, Perry Contracting, and from there I went on to do four or five houses a year.”

Family and community

This time around, it would be her own home she’d be working on. The 2,100-square-foot village house is in the Jade Villa complex in Sai Kung; she lives there with her hubby, their three kids and two dogs, and Jenny’s mum.

“We brought it at the end of 2019, finalised the design and then started the renovation at the beginning of 2020 – just as the pandemic broke out!”

Jade Villa stood out for many reasons; the lovely family community vibe was one thing, and the easy proximity to Sai Kung town another. In fact, SK is only a 10-minute walk away, so there’s no need even to drive there on weekends.