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Peta Tomlinson

During the pandemic years, psychologists urged housebound Hongkongers to keep bodies and minds occupied with new pursuits.
For Jenny and Marc Selevan, this wasn’t just a suggestion, it was the final nudge to realise a long-cherished dream: to own a Chinese junk. After 19 years in the city, filled with weekends on hired junks, the American couple and their two sons decided the time was now.
After months of searching, they found “the one”: Serendipity, a 55-foot motorised teak junk built in 1994. Never mind that she was mouldy, cockroach-ridden and rotting in places. Rescuing her seemed like a noble mission for the business-owning, Mid-Levels couple.

Some thought they were crazy – including one surveyor who said he wouldn’t touch it. “He didn’t have the vision,” says Jenny.
“Having previously renovated a 50-year-old house in Florida, we knew what we were in for,” says Marc. “Sort of.”
With two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two indoor living areas plus several outdoor decks, the two-and-a-half-level liveaboard had the makings of a comfortable family weekender – all it needed was a total restoration.
In late 2020, they enlisted the junk’s original builder, Sun Hing Shing Shipyard, in Ap Lei Chau, to work on the motor and hull, and brought on Danish architect and fellow junk owner Inge Strompf-Jepsen as a design consultant. Jenny, who favoured a Florida beach house aesthetic, began sourcing the internal finishes.
Gutting the interior gave rise to a marine-specific consideration. “When two heavy, cast-iron bathtubs were removed, both on the port side, it would have impacted the ship’s stability,” says Marc. Installing an additional freshwater tank for ballast, which brought the total to 700 litres, solved the problem.

To maintain an authentic feel, they preserved the original teak floors, which needed only a light sanding, and other interior teak joinery, notably the bed, side tables and cabinet in the primary bedroom. But below deck, they stripped out a mishmash of retrofitted plywood walls and the V-shaped berth bunk beds.
In their place, a second living area now boasts a cinema screen and comfortable couches while the V-berth became a handsome guest cabin with a walk-around double bed and a bathroom.
On the upper (or entry) level, they opened up the saloon and galley, enlarging portholes to flood the space with light and removing or relocating fixtures that obstructed the views. At Marc’s insistence, their replacements were kept to bench height, including a pop-up television that disappears into a purpose-built cabinet.
The Selevans say the shipyard did well to match new wood with existing teak and, to continue the nautical theme, Marc sourced brass accents, including fiddles (the railings that prevent items from sliding off in rough seas).

Jenny, meanwhile, absorbed ideas from Pinterest and Instagram, and sourced pieces from Taobao, Alibaba and Etsy, which was a game of hit and miss. While some items delighted – such as the quartzite kitchen benchtops – 25 per cent of purchases weren’t as expected and were given away.
Jenny also learned that, on a junk, not all fabrics are equal. After one early purchase – a jute rug – soon became mouldy, she resolved to use only UV-resistant, indoor-outdoor textiles. Unable to find these locally, she imported marine-grade fabrics from the United States and had each item made to order in Hong Kong.
The junk’s size allowed for regular domestic appliances, saving costs (since marine appliances usually carry a premium) while providing home comforts.
However, in the absence of mains electricity, multiple fridges and a microwave, as well as air conditioners, an ice maker, induction cooktop and oven, all need to be powered by a diesel generator.

“We had hoped to install solar but the shipyard, being old-school, wouldn’t be convinced,” says Marc, noting that finding a location for the solar panels would have been problematic anyway because of the ship’s design.
For those fantasising about sailing into the sunset on their own vessel, Strompf-Jepsen offers a word of caution.
“Nothing on a boat is straight,” she says. “Boatbuilders are your best source for quality workmanship and, unfortunately, the yards that know old craftsmanship and are able to work in solid wood are getting fewer and fewer in Hong Kong. Hence it is also harder to get multiple quotations for the work. Overall costs are higher than a residential refurbishment.”
Also, because of its size, Serendipity, which is licensed for 30 passengers, must be helmed by a qualified captain. (Even to take a dinghy ashore, Marc and Jenny had to sit 40-plus hours of classes.)

Still, some handy ideas from boat design are transferable to small apartments. “For example, vertical dividers inside drawers,” says Strompf-Jepsen. “We slot them into boats so the contents don’t move around, but they’re also space saving.” Another tip is installing drawers into stair treads, for things like shoe storage.
After a 12-month labour of love, the reborn Serendipity offers the family a new perspective on the city they have long called home.
“We’re moored in a working typhoon shelter, so there’s constant activity – people going by in boats, the mooring guy working or the sound of a mahjong game going on somewhere,” says Marc. “It’s definitely a different way to see Hong Kong.”
Saloon
Gabe International Banana Leaf sectional sofa, through Alibaba. Cushions, made by Wing Sun Upholstery (13/F, Harbour Industrial Centre, 116 Lee Nam Road, Ap Lei Chau, tel: 2871 9293). Teak coffee table, by Jinhua Orgin Furniture, from Alibaba. Armchair, with ottoman and cushions, from Jinjua Sigma Industrial, via Alibaba. Polypropylene Dream Decor rug, from Overstock. Loose cushions, through Etsy.
Kitchen

Galley cabinetry, from Sun Hing Shing Shipyard (49 Ap Lei Chau Praya Road, Aberdeen, tel: 2870 0313). Hardware, from Taobao. Crystal blue quartzite countertops, by Xiamen Union Century Import & Export, and Gabe International bar stools, all through Alibaba.
Upper deck
Upholstery, from Wing Sun Upholstery. Outdoor beanbags, through Alibaba. Bimini shade, from Sing Kee Sail & Flag. University of Florida Gators flag, through Amazon.
Living area / cinema room, lower level

Sofa, custom made by Wing Sun Upholstery. Cushions and blue sheepskins, through Etsy. Runner, from Overstock. Thibaut wallpaper, from Tat Ming Wallpaper. Artworks, by Giselle Dekel. Chair, through Taobao.
Main bedroom, lower level

The bed and side tables came with the boat. Thibaut wallpaper, from Tat Ming Wallpaper. Crocheted evil eye pillow, through Etsy. Lamps, through Taobao.
Main bathroom
Bathroom custom built by Sun Hing Shing shipyard. Hardware and tapware, through Taobao.


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How one Hong Kong couple transformed a derelict junk into a weekend retreat

The saloon aboard Serendipity. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

Jenny and Marc Selevan aboard Serendipity. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

The upper deck of Serenity. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

The aft lower deck on Serendipity. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

Main bathroom. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

The guest cabin on Serendipity. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

The kitchen. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

The living area / cinema room. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

Main bedroom. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

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Rooftop. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

Bedroom. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

Reading corner. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

Dining area. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

Living area. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

Guest room. Photo: Eugene Chan; Styling: Flavia Markovits

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Library. Photo: courtesy Studio Quinn and Common Studio

Dining room. Photo: courtesy Studio Quinn and Common Studio

Kitchen. Photo: courtesy Studio Quinn and Common Studio

Home office. Photo: courtesy Studio Quinn and Common Studio

Staircase. Photo: courtesy Studio Quinn and Common Studio

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A 1920s toy silver car, once owned by Ross Urwin’s great-aunt, moved with him to Australia. Photo: Aaron Chapman

Ross Urwin’s late-Federation building houses his collection of treasures, including 20th century furniture and cubist and other artworks. In his sitting room are a painting by Vittorio Maria di Carlo; an FK 6720 Easy Chair (1965), by Preben Fabricius and Jørgen Kastholm; and a Plexiglas coffee table (1970), by Charles Hollis Jones. Photo: Aaron Chapman

Ross Urwin’s living room features his Willy Rizzo table (circa 1970) and a pair of Platner side tables (1966) in front of two Marco Zanuso armchairs (1950). To the right is an armchair by Verner Panton for Fritz Hansen (1973). Photo: Aaron Chapman

Ross Urwin sits on a rare vintage sofa (circa 1970s) by Arne Norell. Behind him is a Santa & Cole floor lamp designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara in 1955. The round side table was designed by Böttcher & Kayser for Wendelbo. One of Urwin’s rare finds on a buying trip in Belgium this year is the rectangular coffee table by Heinz Lilienthal. Photo: Eugene Chan

Carlo Nason lights, circa 1970s, from Italy, sourced by Ross Urwin for Lane Crawford in Hong Kong. Photo: Eugene Chan

Above the Eero Saarinen table is a Murano glass chandelier (1970s), also sourced by Ross Urwin for Lane Crawford in Hong Kong. Photo: Eugene Chan

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The bedroom. Photo: Common Studio

The living area. Photo: Common Studio

The living room. Photo: Common Studio

The dining room. Photo: Common Studio 

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Design & Interiors

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A family’s pandemic project became a design odyssey, turning a rotting boat into a sun-washed escape with coastal-Florida flair.


How one Hong Kong couple transformed a derelict junk into a weekend retreat

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}A family’s pandemic project became a design odyssey, turning a rotting boat into a sun-washed escape with coastal-Florida flair

A family’s pandemic project became a design odyssey, turning a rotting boat into a sun-washed escape with coastal-Florida flair