Interiors | Tai Po

A former family home transforms into a peaceful refuge

A couple gives their home a refresh after making the decision to retire where they spent 20 years of their life.

When Edmund Lau decided to retire four years ago, he had been living in a village house in Hong Lok Yuen with his wife, Betty, and their family for more than 20 years. “Originally, I planned to move out into a small apartment where I didn’t need to spend too much time to maintain it,” he recounts. “But, finally, I found that this is a very nice place – very quiet and peaceful. So I decided to stay.” With two of their sons getting married and the third moving out, it seemed like the perfect timing for a complete overhaul of the home.

“I wanted to make the home warmer and simpler,” explains designer Ching Lee of Point Living Design, who worked on the project. “We wanted to make better use of the space.” Certain aspects of the home stayed the same, including the beautiful staircase and the ceiling in the master bedroom, which Edmund loves. The traditional dining chairs, also, were retained from the home’s original decor. Ching also took into consideration the couple’s work and hobbies, providing ample space for them to display their collection of Chinese sculptures.

Vintage chairs, bought by the homeowners 20 years ago from France, surround the Atlante dining table by Cantori, Italia in the dining room; the artwork is from Yellowkorner. The living area features an elegant fireplace, a sofa from Decor Collection and a glass coffee table from Suite 22 Interiors in Italy.

The lounge looks out onto the front yard; the throw, yellow cushions and tray are from Home Essentials. The goldfish pond and rock garden were created by the homeowners.

The pool definitely had to stay as Betty is fond of swimming, although it was completely retiled.

The guest room looks out onto the village; atop the bedside table is a bunny lamp from Homeless. The chairs in the study were gifts to the homeowners, bought from China.