Home help
I have recently moved to an apartment with no storage space. How can I remedy this without spending too much money?
Tania Cha replies: If you are renting, it is not worthwhile to have built-in cupboards made. Clothing tends to require the most storage space and one simple solution is to install a series of hanging rails behind floor-to-ceiling curtains or blinds. Using full-length curtains as wall cladding is a hot interiors trend at the moment. You can use curtains to hide basic shelving and even make a feature of it by installing bulbs behind the curtains. With a little DIY experience, you should be able to tackle this yourself (bar the lighting) - just make sure the rails can take the weight and the shelves are supported by enough brackets.
Chinese trunks are a decorative way of storing items you don't need on a daily basis, such as winter clothes or bed linen. Available in all shapes and sizes, they can also double as side or coffee tables. If on a budget, head for Macau or the Horizon Plaza outlets in Ap Lei Chau (2 Lee Wing Street) but if you're after authenticity, you'll find a large selection along Hollywood Road.
I'd like to build a glass house in the garden to be used as amah quarters comprising an aluminium frame with tempered glass roof and windows. What kind of insulation can I use to protect against hot and cold weather?
Gary Chang replies: To begin with, if you extend the 'under-cover' area of your home you will create a larger Gross Floor Area (GFA) and therefore need permission from the Land Department and planning approval from the Building Authority to ensure your proposed structure is structurally safe and satisfies fire safety standards.
In cold weather, the biggest problem is loss of heat through the walls and, as a general rule, the thicker the partition material, the better its insulation properties will be. However, thick glass walls are not economically or practically viable and double-glazing (two pieces of glass with a vacuum in between) will provide better heat and sound insulation than a single piece of thick glass. The vacuum layer will also prevent condensation and then fungal growth from forming between the panels.
Tinted glass is quite effective in filtering out the sun's rays but the colour may be undesirable. Solar control glass is more pricey but does essentially the same job without the tinted effect. Another option is to use a screen to block the sun, such as louvred panels with adjustable blades to reflect most of the light.
I've bought an early 19th-century China Trade 'brise' fan with pierced bamboo sticks. Can you tell me anything about its background?
Pola Antebi replies: A variety of fans were made in the factories around Guangzhou for the export trade which is why some works of art are termed 'export ware' or China Trade.
Trade with China was first established by the Portuguese with the occupation of Macau in 1535 but was particularly active after the ban on overseas trade was repealed in 1684. By the late 18th/early-19th century, Guangzhou trade was thriving, dominated at first by Dutch and then by British companies. These companies established their trading posts, collectively known as the 'hongs'. Interestingly, from the second half of the 18th century, Chinese fans were made in imitation of European fans. This includes 'brise' (French meaning broken) fans which are constructed primarily of sticks without additional layers of paper straddling between the two main posts. These sticks are generally made of bamboo, sandalwood, ivory, mother-of-pearl or tortoise shell.
Each stick is elaborately carved and when opened, forms the overall pattern. The most collectable export examples depict scenes of the hongs of Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau with prices selling for US$1,000 (HK$7,800) upwards, depending on condition. Other sought-after brise fans are carved with initials or European coats-of-arms of the recipients.
