That Flat: Inside The Hong Kong Home Of Amelia Sidwell, Creator Of Amelia Sidwell Art

Full of light, colour and personality, check out the Aberdeen home of New Zealand born artist, Amelia Sidwell.

Showing us how to take a bright, white canvas and make it your own, artist Amelia Sidwell‘s southside apartment is giving us some serious home inspo. Filled with plenty of her own unique and ocean-inspired pieces (we love the L U N A plates and Au naturale pots!), along with plenty of greenery, we can’t get enough of this stunning space. We chatted to the New Zealand born creative about how she’s made Hong Kong her home, which design trends she loves (and hates), and even got some simple tips on how to add some personality to your own apartment.

Tell us about your background and where you’re from.

I was raised by the ocean in New Zealand. I am a resin and ceramic artist heavily inspired by nature, specifically the sea, and I have spent the last three-years exploring Asia and making it home. Hong Kong is a wonderful base for constantly exploring.

Where do you live and why/how did you choose this flat as your Hong Kong home?

I live on the southside of Hong Kong Island with views of Aberdeen Country Park, with the water only a quick stroll away. We chose to move to this side for a change of scenery, as after staring at the bright lights of Central every night for a year, we decided to find a place where the air and surroundings were more calming.

Where have you taken inspiration? Did you initially have a theme in mind?

I’ve taken inspiration from the beach house in New Zealand where I spent almost every summer of my life at. We didn’t have a theme in mind, but definitely had a colour scheme. Finding a place with white walls and beautiful concrete floors gave us the perfect canvas for that. I also take inspiration from my travels and the little crafts I bring home fill our house with memories.

What has been the biggest home improvement you’ve made/want to make? Any tips and tricks for easily updating the look of a room?

We have added personality to our house with an abundance of art and plants. As an artist with a home studio it’s really important that our space is calm and positive so we only keep things that make us feel happy and creative.

Lighting is my biggest tip for easily updating the look of a room. Whether you do this by using mirrors (or in our case disco balls) to spread the natural light around the room when the sun hits, or by adding some special lightbulbs to your bedroom for a more relaxed vibe. The light in our place is probably what sold us on moving in here.

What’s your favourite piece in your home?

Our table for SURE. We got it custom made by a guy we met when I was selling my art in Discovery Bay. I’ve always wanted a natural wood slab table. It’s made hosting friends for dinners or board game nights easy and it’s my favourite place in the house to sit and paint.

Favourite place to shop for homeware in Hong Kong?

I really enjoy exploring the second hand, vintage or antique shops in Hong Kong, or try to give items a second chance.

Organic Modernism in Horizon Plaza is where we got a lot of our big furniture from. It has a great collection.

Tips for combining style with functionality? 

Start with thinking about what you need. Try to use things for multiple purposes, and try to avoid using plastic products and go for high quality reusable products that can last longer.

What advice would you give before you move in? Any tips for styling a home?

Measure your elevator! We are lucky with the size of our lift, but in the past we have had to pass couches down six flights of stairs because we didn’t measure the lift in a friend’s building.

Which interior trend do you wish would come to an end?

Marble and ALL the metallics.

Favorite interior trend?

Wabi Sabi, the Japanese concept of finding the beauty in simplicity and naturalness of spaces and objects.

If you could design your home from scratch name 5 of your must have pieces

1. A wicked turntable sound system with speakers set up around the house
2. A really good shower
3. A piece of art that makes me happy
4. A Large kitchen space
5. A comfortable bed

One item you’ve had for years but can’t part with?

My first original resin art by me. It’s not particularly good or good looking, but I like to see how far I’ve come and how my style has developed as an artist.

On a scale of 1-10 how shocked were you at the size of Hong Kong homes? 

Oh I’d say a 9, taking into consideration the living standard for many people in Hong Kong.

If the sky was the limit what would you splurge on?

A beautiful unobstructed view of the ocean.

Keen to feature your home on Sassy? Send in your photos to [email protected]!

Thanks to our talented photographer April Yau for all of the beautiful images above! Find her on Instagram here!

Check out our other That Flat features here.