Marking André Fu's first residential project, AMOMA Atami’s Estate House is the first of his designs for this coastal haven of luxury villas

Nestled on the lush slope of a volcanic caldera in Atami, the AMOMA Atami Estate House, renovated by luxury developers Fuin, lies within a secluded property overlooking a canopy of pines and the distant waters of Sagami Bay.

Originally built in the early 2000s, the renovated home is the first of what will become an enclave of 30 villas. It also marks the first residential project for Hong Kong designer André Fu, who is celebrated for his luxury hospitality projects around the world. The property’s surrounding heritage garden, Fuin chairman Luke Fehon says, has been tended by the same gardener for two decades. ‘We were looking to preserve all this, so we were reasonably restrained with the Estate House,’ says Fehon. ‘But André has really transformed the interiors and overall experience of the property.’

Inside the home, the open-plan living and dining space flows into nature with floor-to-ceiling windows facing garden greenery, woodland and an infinity swimming pool overlooking trees towards the bay. Oak flooring and latticework, stone accents, dark timber furniture by George Nakashima and the soft contours of André Fu Living pieces echo the natural landscape. Almost every space on each of the Estate House’s three floors offers a verdurous view.

In a way, the constraints of renovation can present opportunities,’ says Fu. 'The design became about creating new vistas and ways to open up the space, while keeping the shell of the building intact. The ultimate appeal is the quality of the surrounding nature, so we aimed to enhance that experience, build layers on it and celebrate it.’

There are references to traditional Japan — the engawa-style indoor deck, tatami mat in the ground-floor guest room, hinoki onsen bathing room and boulder of Aji-ishi stone under the veranda’s marble table, for instance — but Fu says that there was no intention to make it literal. ‘It’s about the culture’s connections to the outside, partially inspired by my experiences visiting traditional ryokans and gardens,’ he explains.

‘It’s really powerful when the carefully crafted is juxtaposed with something completely natural,’ he adds. 'The most natural forms — solid pieces of wood, blocks of rock — create a sense of presence that makes a restrained palette much more provocative.’

Fu describes the first-floor master bedroom’s en suite bathroom as the 'heart of the project’. Here, a clean-lined grey marble bath meets a corner-window vista, and a wall of rugged rock separating the shower area is tempered by a timber ceiling and a curved grey oak André Fu Living bespoke towel stand. 'That play of the refined with the textured, and the view,’ he says. ‘It’s where everything comes together.’

Planned for completion in the next two years, the upcoming 29 AMOMA Atami villas, Fu says, ‘will capture the essence of everything achieved in the Estate House.’

Text / Mio Yamada
Images / Eric Micotto