French Designer Brings Joie de Vivre to a 3,230 Sq.ft Discovery Bay Villa

This Hong Kong villa embraces French elegance with a Mediterranean soul.

Tucked away on a quiet beachside lane in Hong Kong's residential Discovery Bay, a 3,230-square-feet villa has been transformed by French interior designer Iman El Zeky. The six-month renovation project covered the living room, family room, lounge and master bedroom for a family of four.

"The homeowners are a French and Hong Kong mixed family who were drawn to the beachside lifestyle that Hong Kong offers. They fell in love with this house because of its Mediterranean soul, which resonated with their vision of a serene yet vibrant home," says El Zeky, who works between Paris and Hong Kong.

Despite its pristine condition, the house presented a significant challenge. "The house had been fully renovated before we started, boasting a crisp white glow and a very neat 'new' feel. However, it felt impersonal and lacked soul."

"We spend a lot of time 'profiling' each of our clients and we design each project with a tailor-made approach," notes El Zeky. "Far from ostentatious interiors, the homeowner wanted a design that reflects her art of living and her feng shui beliefs. The brief was to create soft, serene and natural interiors with artsy touches."

Her solution was comprehensive: designing bespoke furniture in-house and curating a personalized art collection. Throughout the villa, custom oak, teak and travertine pieces feature organic lines and playful asymmetry, complemented by carefully selected fabrics from Larsen Fabrics, Pierre Frey, Brentano, Manuel Canovas and Samuel & Sons.

The living room showcases a striking two-metre high handcrafted floor lamp by Allied Maker alongside a table lamp by Arvo Ray Studio. "Our signature is really to create personal interiors where we combine a sense of elegance and harmony, always with a touch of surprise," says the designer.

Drawing inspiration from Mexican architect Luis Barragán, the family room features a soft pink hue that suffuses the space with warmth. A custom L-shaped sofa upholstered in Pierre Frey fabric pairs with a Moroccan rug from Beni Rugs, while artworks by Monika Gardyla and Anne Nowak energize the walls.

In the lounge, an artisan-made oak console serves dual purpose as practical bar and sculptural statement. The master bedroom houses a distinctive slanted sofa that mirrors the roofline above. "The sofa's shape originated from a pencil stroke, a single hand gesture. Its soft, playful spirit is echoed in the rest of the bedroom through the furniture's organic curves, the fun design of the console, and the space's delicate colour palette," explains El Zeky.

The bedroom also features the "Cairo" rug designed by El Zeky with French maison Pinton, inspired by landscapes from her native Egypt. Throughout the home, ceramic pieces by Barbara Raimondo mingle with artworks by Alessandra Williams, Semaan Khawam, Monika Gardyla, Anne Nowak and Katie Burdon.

"The house was pristine with a sharp white aesthetic and a “brand-new” feel. It provided a perfect blank canvas but needed thoughtful additions to make it feel like home."