lot of people, specially the very affluent, know what they want but unsure of what they really need. Not Angela Perez Ellis. She knows what she wants and sure of what she needs.
Thus, when Angela --Angie to her friends and associates -- was tasked by her husband, Steve Ellis, to scout for a replacement to their flat in Hong Kong, she chose a mid-level apartment instead of one at the Peak. Then she called me to share the happy news.
"We had two options," Angie said. "what made us choose the apartment instead of one at the Peak is its convenience. The building is relatively new so we would save a lot on maintenance. But what clinched the deal was the attractiveness of the multi-level interior which is not common -- that would suit the type of home we envisioned."
Their new apartment, 3,000 square feet in all, is one of two multiplexes in a 12-storey building, designed by the famous Hong Kong architect, Tao Ho. It is nestled in the middle of Bowen Road.
"We don't believe in false economy," she told me. "After having gone this far, we wanted to be sure that the final result would be close to perfection. With my experience earned from our previous flats, I could probably do better than the average decorator. But I know my limitations, that is why we are calling for your professional touch and direction. Knowing our likes and dislikes is one thing; putting them together and making them work is another."
Angie, who hails from Urdaneta, Pangasinan, Philippines, flew with Cathay Pacfic for many years prior to her involvement in antiques. Today, her Zitan Oriental Antiques is known for high quality Chinese antique furniture.
Steve Ellis comes from Australia and has been a resident of Hong Kong for more than two decades. Aside from being known as the CEO
of Emphasis Ltd., which publishes in-flight magazines for regional airlines like Cathay's Discovery, he is an accomplished sailor.
Steve and Angie are not concerned with superficial ornamentation but with simplicity and quality in their new home. Their design brief, as Angie put it, was to keep things practical and almost minimal.
Translating this brief, I took the cue from their collection of artworks, specifically, the creations of Peter Max and Toko Shinoda. These dichotomous artists -- Western and Eastern, male and female, young and old, polychromatic and monochromatic, figurative and abstract, yang and yin -- reflect the character and personality of the Ellises. The 'bone' of the design were culled from the East while the 'flesh' was borrowed from the West.
The first thing we did in the transformation of the apartment was to literally wipe the slate clean. Angie, who has a strong aversion to used things, was adamant that we should rip out the kitchen and bathrooms; throw away the wall-to-wall carpeting and demount all existing fixtures and fittings. While Steve and I were prepared to work out a compromise to meet our budgetary concerns, Angie would have none of it.
Years of dealing with fine quality antiques and international exposures may have developed Angie's hyper-critical eye, if not fastidiousness. "This would be probably the last time we would indulge in something like this before we retire somewhere so we might as well do everything impeccably. We have invested quite a bit already and to skimp now would not make sense. Its like someone who after taking trouble and expense in ordering a new outfit wears them with worned-out shoes," she reasoned.
There are few who admit to believing in feng shui, at least not openly. I don't talk about this subject with clients for fear of its controversies. Nonetheless, I consciously or unconsciously exercise the lessons I have imbibed concerning this intuitive thing when I tackle a project. Feng shui, is afterall, better done than said. Here, the principles of feng shui were contrived to create a foil for aesthetic and functional rationale.
The first order of feng shui is to correct the ill-positioned stairs leading to the living room as they were in direct straight line to the windows. Aesthetically, the diagonal line of the stairs when viewed from the seating area created a distabilising feeling. To resolve the tangible and intangible concerns, I repositioned the stairs on the other side. To obscure it, I filled the underside with built-in bar and music cabinets. The horizontal band of the two-tone wood finish of the cabinet doors gave the room an atmosphere of quietness and stability.
Contrasts and balance are as important to feng shui as to minimalist design. Here, the polished beech wood (warm) flooring is complemented with honed granite (cool) floors. The (fixed) seating banquettes upholstered in (soft) ultrasuede were teamed with (loose) arm chairs in wood and metal (hard).
Water, the element in feng shui symbolising prosperity, is suggested by the ripples that can be discerned in the design of the arm chairs in the living room. The undulating feeling of water is continued in the lacquered ledges that seem to float. Water in this instance is not only significant to feng shui but is also relative to Steve's love of water sports.
Many antique dealers use to a good advantage their homes to display their merchandise. Indeed, there seems to be a fashion for shops to look residential. Angie is an exception.
"Being surrounded with Chinese furniture the whole day, I'd like to come feeling different. Although some of my best pieces in the shop are almost modern in their simplicity and appeal, I don't believe in promoting my business at home," says Angie.
After months of collaboration, Angie and I sat in their new living room one sunny afternoon. Sipping green tea to enjoy our accomplishment, the large vacant wall drew our attention which made us pause. Breaking the stillness, she said: "lets leave this wall till we find the absolute piece. There is no point in rushing for the sake of house-warming." I simply nodded.
There is a certain dynamic vitality in incompleteness as there is a certain natural charm in imperfection. The Orientals have known this all along and the Japanese, in particular, are the best exponent of this zen-like appreciation.
Thinking along the same lines, it occured to me that for that wall in question, the absolute piece is NOTHING. A blank space is more potent for its suggestiveness than any artwork, no matter how valuable. To fill tht void with anything has a finality that could mar the meditative quality of the room. Without uttering these sentiments, I wondered if Angie might have known.
