coastal chill

A Hong Kong residence is injected with a casually natural vibe to reflect its South China Sea setting.

- Rebecca Lo

The south side of Hong Kong island is blessed with a number of scenic bays and headlands that makes it the ideal place for those who appreciate an escape from city life. Here, it is possible to reside in a house with open views of the South China Sea and easy access to beaches, yet be within a half hour’s drive to Central. It is the reason why a young couple decided to purchase a mid-2010s property in the residential neighbourhood of Chung Hom Kok. Yet after taking possession of the three-storey house with basement, they found the home’s design deterred them from fully enjoying its seaside locale. That is when architect Briar Hickling of Linehouse stepped in to help.

The New Zealand native is co-founder of Linehouse and heads up the Hong Kong studio, while fellow cofounder Alex Mok oversees its Shanghai one. “The house was initially closed off from the exterior spaces,” Hickling recalls. “It was dark and heavy – completely unrelated to the site. We wanted to open it up and create connections between the exterior and interior. Our brief was to make a bright and airy space, with a coastal feeling.”

white wash