A few steps below Mid-Levels' bustling Caine Road lies a small world that time seems to have forgotten. Low-rise buildings accessed by spacious shared terraces line the narrow streets. Vision is needed, however, to see the potential in the dark, compact apartments that make up this peaceful environment.
It was here, after some searching, that Lucienne Leung and her partner found their 900 sq ft home.
'We were looking around this area - Sai Ying Pun and Mid-Levels - and we were very disappointed with the space you get for your money,' says the fashion editor.
'When we came here, it just all fit in. It suits our characters - subtle, low key and with history.'
Leung, who studied at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, put her training to use in restructuring the flat. With a usable area of 770 sq ft, space was at a premium. The previous owners had renovated but 'in an Ikea way', says Leung, who gutted the apartment.
Her key decision was to transform the second bedroom, located behind the kitchen, into a spacious walk-in wardrobe and storage room. First, she reduced the size of the room by moving two of the walls in by three feet. That gave her a bigger kitchen and a wider section of corridor, which she used to create an open study area.