"From minimalism to maximization" is the design philosophy behind Lisa Wat's newly-furbished home in Mid-Levels District, Hong Kong. When looking for an ideal apartment, a serene ambience in the neighborhood and a convenient location are most important to Wat. "For the interior, I look for a house that's bright, airy and with lots of windows. I don't need a huge mansion, just enough space to create a comfortable and functional space," Wat said.

Nestled amid the quiet Mid-Levels District, the apartment is 15-minute walk from her office and the hustle and bustle in Central. "And the outdoor Mid-Levels escalator (the world's longest covered escalator) can bring me all the way back home. I don't even need to bring an umbrella on rainy days," she said.

While Wat was satisfied with most aspects of the flat, she was not so happy with the original three-bedroom layout which didn't allow the maximization of space, so she sought help from designer Clifton Leung who has made it more spacious and functional.

"I love reading interior design magazines and I have the habit of clipping nice design projects, a number of which were from the Clifton Leung design workshop. I love their tagline, 'from minimalism to maximization' - very applicable to flats in Hong Kong."

Wat said the workshop has done an impressive job, incorporating various design options. "I wanted to create a minimalist design style. Yet, I love creativity and wanted the designer to give me bold ideas."

"It turned out that Leung had lots of outside-the-box ideas which met both aesthetic and functional requirements. I finally selected this bold design and love it very much - and so do my husband and friends."

Designer Leung said the major change he brought to the apartment was the layout. "Originally, it was a three-bedroom flat with rigid walls. Considering that my client loves versatility, I knocked down all the walls and opened it up. I used 10 sliding doors to partition different areas of the flat, to create a more spacious and flexible space with multiple settings."

Wat and her husband love maximum versatility and flexibility in their lives, including their living space. With Leung's help, the design of their flat truly reflects this.

"It can be fully enclosed by sliding doors to create a different and more private ambience for my living room, while fully open it serves as an airy space for parties. Change is the only constant in life, so I want to have the flexibility to change the perspective and ambience according to my different needs," Wat said.

For Leung too, the sliding doors that close off rooms are one of the highlights. The open-plan kitchen can be enclosed and a central hallway running the length of the flat disappears when doors of three adjoining rooms - the living room, the study and the bedroom - are slid shut.

In the living room, the major highlight is the pure white brick feature wall where the TV is mounted. Opposite, the minimalist feature wall chimes with the simple lines of the sofa from Lane Crawford.

Different flooring materials are used for the living room and kitchen to define the distinct space. Natural materials are applied in the kitchen to reflect the homeowner's love of eco-friendly elements, including wood and volcanic stone.

In the kitchen area, spaces are clearly defined. The interior is dedicated to cooking, food preparation and cleaning up. The exterior part remains a clean space with a dining table, built-in oven and microwave, where dining and mingling with friends takes place.

The kitchen also features cabinets based on traditional Chinese design.

"Having considered that the client requested space-saving solutions, I came up with the idea of manufacturing cabinet drawers using ancient Chinese techniques," said Leung.

"The drawers do not have any tracks, all the hinges are installed on the sides, and hence every inch of the space can be fully utilized. I also used an unconventional design of cabinet door knobs from Japan."

Meticulous detail such as this helps make the kitchen design extra special.

Unconventional design extends to the hallway, with LED lighting embedded into tracking along the wall. When switched on, the LED lights mimic the look of an airport runway. Since the homeowners has lots of interesting objects to display, Leung wanted to create a minimalist and clean backdrop: a white-tone palette.

"They can to add colors to the monotone space and that should be enough. One good thing of keeping to monotone is that it's timeless," Leung said. "You can always add color to brighten up the space, and change it in an easy way by just replacing the displays."

To create a comfortable space, the master bedroom features indirect soft lighting. All the lamps there are remotely controlled, so after some night-time reading in bed, there's no need to hop out to switch off the light. Every meticulous detail in design counts.

However, the biggest challenge Leung said he faced was the request for maximum space for storage and display. The client loves traveling and collects of goodies from all over the world. Apart from storing them in an organized way, Wat wanted her favorites on display.

For storage, Leung chose a few furniture pieces: in-flight trolleys and a trunk from Shanghai Tang. With extremely flexible compartments in the in-flight trolleys, Wat can store her knick-knacks and other items in an organized way and keep her favorite wine and wine glasses in the Shanghai Tang trunk.

And of course, there must also be plenty opportunities to display items Wat has collected.

"I've created quite a few display areas, for example, two brick shelves at both ends of the TV feature wall, the shelves created right under the ceiling throughout the flat and the wall beside the study area. Trough lights highlight the display," Leung explained. Once again, maximizing through minimalism.

Ask the owner

Q: What's the best thing about living in Hong Kong?

A: City life. I love the vibrant, lively city.

Q: Describe your home in three words.

A: Versatile, cozy and extraordinary.

Q: What's the first thing you do when you get home?

A: Put on some music to unwind.

Q: How else do you unwind?

A: Playing piano and baking.

Q: Where do you spend most of the time at home?

A: In the kitchen. I enjoy cooking.

Q: What's the best view outside your windows?

A: The city view of Central, a bustling and flourishing area that represents Hong Kong at its best.

Q: How do you scent your home?

A: Jo Malone scent product line.

Q: What's your favorite object at home?

A: The in-flight trolleys, the movable meal cart. I can move them around wherever and whenever I like. Rigid things are very boring. I love the design that is free-flow. With extremely flexible compartments within, I can store almost everything in them, cups, cutleries, plates, snacks... I've my trollies in different themes. My favorite one is my "cupcake trolley," where I store whatever equipment and ingredients I need for baking cupcakes. I pull it out every time I bake cupcakes! I also like my "midnight snacks trolley". At night time, I can just move the trolley to the living room and enjoy my movie and TV time with those snacks.

Q: Where do you source furniture in Hong Kong?

A: Lane Crawford.


The Designer

Who is he?

Pavlo Schtakleff is the co-founder and creative driving force behind luxury furniture brand S. Schtakleff joined the design world in the late 1990s, working alongside Rabih Hage at Interior Bis, Rick Garofalo and Celeste Cooper at Repertoire, and Rosario Messina at Flou. In 2006, Schtakleff was headhunted by entrepreneur Marc Sharifi to develop a company selling ultra-luxurious bespoke chairs. Recognizing a gap in the market for high-end contemporary furniture that marries the skills of emerging designers with those of European artisans, Schtakleff and Sharifi founded S in 2007.

Tell us about some of your work and name the one you are most proud of.

It's impossible for me to highlight one product I am most proud of at this point in my career as I am still very much in a process of growth. I am still seeking the future so it's far too early for me to reflect on my past. However, I am very proud that we are causing a stir in the industry; the Arpa chair from S Collection II was recently described by pioneering designer and manufacturer Giulio Cappellini as "one of the best chairs he has seen in years" and that is an incredible honor.

Are you currently involved with any projects?

We are developing and consolidating the current collection, introducing new pieces, as well as looking at how the original designs can evolve by using different materials, forms and finishes. These were unveiled during Milan's Salone del Mobile in April at Spazio Rossana Orlandi. We are also working on collection III which will launch at London Design Festival in September.

Describe your design style.

Simple, with strong attention to detail. I want to bring back luxury to the market, in the truest sense of the word, through the use of intriguing designs, the highest quality materials, and the most skilled craftsmanship. Ultimately I want S pieces to be the heirlooms of the future.

Where are you most creative?

I take inspiration from my observations of everyday life. Designers are always inspired by what's around them, and this has resulted in us gravitating toward the use of natural products such as wood, bronze, leather, silks, gold and platinum. These materials are strong, long-lasting and of the highest quality.

What does your home mean to you?

Peace and tranquility. It's my escape from work, a place to enjoy friends' company and relax.

What do you collect?

In my home, I appreciate an eclectic variety of stuff and therefore I have never been one to collect anything rigidly; although I have recently developed a small collection of butterflies and crustaceans. I have recently discovered taxidermy which provides a surreal backdrop to my home. Otherwise, I don't really collect anything but do make a point of actually printing photos which too often are left on one's computer.

Where would you like to go most in Shanghai?

I have never been to China but I hope this will change in 2012, and I am very excited about discovering the city of Shanghai. No doubt the sheer scale and vibrancy of this city must be totally breathtaking - a real metropolis of the 21st Century.