Pattern of Life
AMRITA KHANNA OF ZIP CODE 888 REINTERPRETS THE BEACHSIDE LOCATION OF THIS HOME INTO A SERENE CANVAS OF VIBRANT PATTERNS
Taking cues from its seaside location, this apartment is the epitome of coastal style
As one of the world’s great maritime cities, the sea has permeated every aspect of life in Hong Kong for generations. It’s no surprise that it also served as the first point of inspiration for Amrita Khanna, interior designer at Zip Code 888, who was tasked with renovating a Repulse Bay home for a couple that overlooked the oceanside neighbourhood. “The apartment has a serenity about it with beautiful views of the sea and light filtering in through the day,” says Khanna on her modus operandi. “We wanted to enhance that by keeping the apartment calm and uncluttered.”
GEOMETRIC FEAT
The resulting colour palette tends heavily towards taupes, deep blues and sea greens. In a conscious effort to avoid a rustic aesthetic, Khanna depended on sophisticated geometric patterns such as the one found in the eyecatching carpet in the living room. “It was a bold design and they were a little hesitant at first but decided to trust me on this one,” she quips. “It turned out to be our star feature and the basis for the rest of the design.” The carpet also serves as an anchor for the apartment’s generous living space, which was divided into a more formal seating area, dining area, and a lounge with a standing bar—the idea being that the homeowners’ guests could naturally flow from one space to another as the evening progresses.
ART ATTACK
The devil-may-care attitude of the couple greatly informed what could be achieved, with special regard to the comprehensive art collection that they wanted to take centre stage. “They were keen to use as much of their existing art as possible so we reviewed all the pieces together and picked the ones that complemented the design best, as well as picking out a few new pieces together,” says the designer. In the hands of a lesser creative mind, so many attention-grabbing elements and patterns would have become muddled into an incoherent mosaic, but Khanna’s expert eye for layering was vital to ensuring that the home exhibited a strong and consistent aesthetic throughout. With the carpet having
“The lovely lady of the house mentioned that she looks forward to coming home and enjoying her new space. That is every designer’s dream”
set the tone, she tackled the wallpaper, which then informed the curtains, custom upholstered couches, and finally the softer touches like cushions and accessories. “It helped that the clients were willing to wait and do it right,” Khanna adds. “The whole process took between four and five months as many of the elements were ordered from the UK. They knew what they wanted and were happy to wait for it.” That kind of conviction to a certain aesthetic undoubtedly carried the project through a tight timeframe with speed— nonetheless the result is beautiful. “The lovely lady of the house mentioned that she looks forward to coming home and enjoying her new space,” the designer confesses. “That is every designer’s dream.”