When visitors walk through the front door of Carolina Esposito’s home and turn right, they invariably catch their breath in wonder at the magnificent open living, dining and kitchen space and the dramatic sea views. This apartment is in one of the low-rise set of buildings at Hellene Garden’s residential development on Hac Sa beach, Coloane. Across the road below is the beachfront promenade lined with colourful landscaping and palm trees, and beyond, the blue-grey waters of Hac Sa bay that glint in the sunlight.
When Carolina and her daughter Maria first saw the apartment, they both felt the bones of the space were there and showed great potential, but in true Carolina-style, and with the blessing of the owner she hastens to add, she removed two walls to enlarge the dining area, opening it up into the living room and immediately bringing in more light and more view.
“I then went halves with the owner in replacing all the old kitchen cabinetry”, changing it from dark grey to a pale grey gloss that helps further reflect the light. “I enjoy entertaining and I love the sense of space I get from cooking at this big kitchen island – I can look out at the view and when friends are here, I can still be part of the conversations while I cook,” says Carolina.
Bright white walls, concrete flooring of a swirling palate of greys and furnishings that are predominantly white give the living-dining room a sense of contemporary elegance that also manages to have a rustic, beach house vibe.
Against the white sofas, white and cream cushions, cream rug and a stunning white kimono that hangs on the dining room wall … “my absolutely most treasured possession” admits Carolina, are splashes of the palest of blue-green celadon in throw rugs, a ceramic side table-stool, plant pots and a collection of cactus plants. Of note are two low, Afghan chairs, with carved backs and loose white seat cushions “These chairs I bought recently from a friend, they’re over 40 years old and are made from wood and sheep or goat skin. They’re the real deal. I do wonder about their history, imagining them coming from a rural village or market town in Afghanistan that may not even still exist today. I love them.”
At the head of the dining table is an oversized high-backed armchair in white. Two Chinese horseshoe chairs – also white – sit against the wall, flanking the kimono. To the side, two white ceramic stools.
Throughout the apartment are signs of Carolina’s design flair of juxta positioning materials, themes and furnishing, placing them together to create striking contrasts. She teams the soft natural wood of the dining table with transparent acrylic dining chairs, making the table look almost as if it’s floating. The hardness of the concrete floor and ceramics are softened with the floating white of almost transparent curtains, matching the sofa fabrics. Her innate sense of style enables her to instinctively pull a space together: three natural wood pieces of Chinese furniture, a heavily decorated side table, a tall cabinet and an ornately carved screen connect with and complement the dining table and gives tone to an otherwise stark modern ensemble.
Accessories are mostly white, treasures collected lovingly over the years: a Fu dog, several Buddhas in lotus position, incense burners, planters, a white lacquered storage box – all combine to create a sense of calm and relaxation.
Sliding doors from the dining and living room open up on to a wide terrace that runs the width of the apartment. Under an awning, a white table and two chairs are set out for alfresco meals in the early morning and cooler evenings.
Meanwhile, back inside, dark brown wall display cabinets line the apartment’s entrance hall.
“Not something I would choose myself but they come with the apartment and are practical”, and are ideal for displaying Carolina’s collection of maneki-neko or “beckoning” cat figurines. Believed to bring good luck to the owner, the cat, traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail, has its a paw raised in a Japanese beckoning gesture. “Let’s hope they do bring us good luck!” she smiles. “Whenever I go to Nova Grand Mall I pass by the shop that sells them and buy a different colour. I still have a few more colours left to collect!”
The owner of Carolina’s home has converted what was originally the kitchen and housekeeper’s room in these duplex apartments, into a master bedroom. Leading off from this is a walk-in dressing area with floor to ceiling wardrobes and an ensuite bathroom. Adjacent is what used to be a covered terrace off the kitchen for laundry – this now serves as her home office. “I replaced the roof and sealed the space so it could be airconditioned.” And at the end is a small utility room that now cleverly houses Carolina’s extensive shoe collection.
White is again the predominant colour: white bedding, white linen curtains, a white ladder, white furnishing, even the smart new floor-standing mi airconditioners. “Friends ask me why I have my mattress on the floor”, Carolina laughs, “but I just like it this way, I feel more relaxed.”
A blend of European chic and Asian charm, here and there are colour accent pieces and accessories, black and white in one area, blue, white and grey in another, red in yet another. At the door is a low chair with ornately carved back that Carolina has painted in gold. Across the room, sitting on top of a mid-height white Chinese cabinet and part of some treasured artefacts found in Hong Kong is another splash of gold – a small gold-painted picture frame, framing a white statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion. A gently faded painting with hints of gold is of a young girl reminiscent of Mother Mary. Carolina explains: “I’m Catholic, but I’ve lived in Asia for so long that I am comfortable embracing other Asian religions and deities.”
The vivid red painting hanging in stark contrast against the white wall behind Carolina’s bed is teamed with the red key-lock tassels of the cabinet, a beautifully carved Chinese dressing table box with little red tassels and a collection of red lacquered baskets sitting on the floor in a corner of the room. Yet further examples of her ability to pull a room together.
Up a short flight of steps, the first room is the guest room, which is still a work in progress. “We only moved to this apartment a few weeks ago and I’ve been focusing on unpacking, getting the kitchen and my office sorted, helping my daughter Maria with her room, arranging furniture. Work commitments keep me busy too … I’m off to Vietnam later this week for a business trip, and then there’s the quarantine I’ll need to do on my return. So our guest room will just need to wait a bit longer!”
Further down the corridor – “I had these floors upstairs painted in white, one of the best things I did. It changed a dark, dingy area into something that’s now bright and modern” – is a bathroom with smart black and grey mosaic tiles, and then at the end is Maria’s bedroom, a cozy haven in shades of pink, a white open-hanging rack with clothes in order of colour, white tiger-eye curtains (“simple, from IKEA”), and a pink neon sign behind the bed that states ‘you are amazing’ – what an inspiring message for a young person to wake up to!
Having lived in Hong Kong for many years, Carolina decided to make the move to Macau some ten years ago. “I used to live in a fabulous apartment on the southern coast of Lantau Island, so I guess you could say I’m not particularly a city girl, I’m quite happy living in more rural areas. My business allows me to work remotely and I can travel to see clients around South East Asia just as easily from Macau as I could from Hong Kong. I appreciate the fresh sea air, being by the beach and the sense of community which Hellene Garden offers, and I enjoy the gentler pace of life in Macau.”
