093 PERSPECTIVE 092 PERSPECTIVE

DEGUSTATION Le Boudoir / Hong Kong

Mystery beckcns frcm the heavy, red veIvet
upholsLered lronL door, promisinq advenLure as
one spirals down Lhe narrow, plushly carpeLed,
|ewelLoned sLaircase ol Le Boudoir in CenLral.
LiL hoLred in a manner beliLLinq a lounqe wiLh
Lhe name ol Boudoir, small qlimmers ol |ewel
like qlass and plush carpeLinq on Lhe sLeps
reveal Lhe deLailorienLed minds ol desiqners
JeanLouis Arensma and BenoiL Barras ol
Hanlord ConsuiLanLs.
WhaL l i es behi nd Lhe li nal door? A
counLerbalance ol naLural and dim liqhLinq.
A cornucopia ol LacLile experiences. A bevy ol
shiny ob|ecLs |uxLaposed wiLh deep |ewel Lones.
Lxqui si Le repl i cas ol ql obal and hi sLori c
arLilacLs. "We really have worked on a loL ol
sensibiliLies. You have Lo use all your senses. l
have a sLronq leminine side in me, and l Lhink il
you wanL Lo be elevaLed spiriLually or menLally
or physically or emoLionally, you have Lo make
sure LhaL everyLhinq you do is noL 'heavy'. 1o
desiqn a boudoir wiLhouL makinq iL heavy is a
challenqe," says Arensma, who was qranLed
almosL carLe blanche on Lhe pro|ecL. "You could
be blind and sLill en|oy Lhe place because Lhe
place is so LacLile."
1he experience bursLs open like a briqhL new
year upon openinq Lhe door Lo Lhe 550 sqlL
lounqe. Niche vaulLed ceilinqs rise ma|esLically,
Lhe walls open like ouLsLreLched arms, ob|eLs
d'arL leed Lhe eye and LexLures reward Lhe Louch
lor a synesLheLic |ourney.
FirsL, Lhe eye caLches on Lhe bar. lnLerminqled
shapes ol marble in weL moss qreen and coal
black hues play. 1he carelully upholsLered
barsLools and Lhe bar's lacade cohere in minL |ulep
qreen velveL. Sconce lamps Lwinkle amonq Lhe
collecLion ol cockLail qlasses and a wide, qold
qilded mirror belore Lhe eye Lravels up Lo an
acrylic painLinq ol ManeLlike lilies.
SLill lurLher up, a verLical vision presenLs a
caLhedral ellecL amonq Lhe cei l i nq' s
archiLecLural embellishmenL. ParL handcralL,
parL Lrompe l'oeil, Lhe vaulLed niche displays a
qeomeLri c i nLerpl ay. SwaLhs ol Li qhLl y
inLerwoven qold and bronze silk and saLin
panel s Lri ck Lhe eye i nLo Lhi nki nq Lhey' re
painLinqs, while beLween Lhem, winLerberry red
wal l paper pi eces seemi nql y beari nq qol d
Lhreadinq appears Lo be labric. 1he niche lilLs
Lhe lonq, narrow space ol Lhe lounqe, creaLinq
verLical dimension.
A vasL crysLal chandelier hanqs below Lo
qranL lurLher qlory and use Lhe void ol space Lo
qeneraLe more liqhL. lL is buL parL ol Lhe well
planned liqhLinq scheme. Serene liqhL bounces
oll brass, copper, and qold liliqree, prevenLinq
Lhe space lrom seeminq cramped. Durinq Lhe
day, a demilune sLained qlass window aL Lhe end
ol Lhe bar, below which perches a hall banqueL
in pale qreen velveL, allows more liqhL in.
Perpendicular Lo iL, leadinq Lo Lhe ouLdoors
smokinq area, a seL ol French doors made ol
LranslucenL whiLe panels allows in more liqhL
and lends lurLher horizonLal dimension.
ParqueL mahoqany lloors, Lypical ol 7Lh and
8LhcenLury French casLles, are seen LhrouqhouL.
Lach wall bears dillerenL, complemenLary colours
such as Lhe same berry red and various qreens
like cousins ol Lhe bar's marble Lop. 1he walls are
noL acLually labric, buL wallpaper.
1oward Lhe end ol Lhe bar, Lwo canopied,
velveL solas llank checkerboarded, mirrored
end Lables. Silky, |ewelLoned velveL canopies
drape alonq Lhe sides ol Lhe solas and luncLion
as privaLisers lor Lhe siLLinq areas, while Lhe
velveL bead curLain inLo Lhe washrooms aqain
reveals Arensma's aLLenLion Lo deLail.
Alrican masks, lndian hunLinq Lrophies, Sri
Lankan reliqious idols, Moroccan mirrors, French
chandeliers, BriLish posLcards, LaoLian sculpLures,
Chinese phoLoqraphs are |usL some ol Lhe
decoraLive iLems, helpinq creaLe Lhe ambience ol
a laLe 9LhcenLury boudoir. Arensma may have
decoraLed every possible inch ol Lhe space, buL in
no way does Lhe desiqn leel heavy or laborious. lL
leels like a space decoraLed by a woman ol
luxury, a woman ol means, a woman ol worldly
Lravels. LveryLhinq is handpicked, as one's mosL
privaLe spaces are. "ln a boudoir, Lhere is no
repeLiLion. You don'L need Lo balance Lhinqs Lo
make iL livable, because iL's your own very privaLe
space,' he says. "LveryLhinq is here lrom my
world Lravels in a 550 sqlL space, which makes
Lhe place noL only inLeresLinq lor your eyes, buL
also lor your mind."
Just as its name suggests, Le Boudoir is
an intimate, highly personal space where
the senses are enticed and beguiled
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What lies behind the final door?
A counterbalance of natural and dim lighting.
A cornucopia of tactile experiences. A bevy
of shiny objects juxtaposed with deep jewel
tones. Exquisite replicas of global and
historic artifacts
Bedroom
highs
094 PERSPECTIVE
DEGUSTATION Le Boudoir / Hong Kong

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