That may have something to do with the fact that, as the owner of , he is a professional traveller: British-born Westcott, who emigrated to Australia in the late 1990s and last year set up a second home in Hong Kong, is also co-founder of the Asia subsidiary of Mr & Mrs Smith (the hotel-booking service) and, for seven years, was the global publisher of .

"I've always had a view that you need to be as present as possible when you're travelling," he says. "I don't take photographs and I tend not to consume. I prefer to spend my time and money on doing things when I travel."

Westcott's less-is-more attitude is writ large in his 1,600 sq ft Big Wave Bay home, a simple but stylish one-storey, three-bedroom property tucked in an idyllic pocket between the Dragon's Back and Hong Kong's only beach officially designated for surfing.

Though only a few minutes' walk from where day trippers are disgorged from minibuses on sunny weekends, it has an off-the-grid feel, intensified by Westcott's texted instructions for finding his home from the bus stop: "Call me when u arrive. I will guide you in … no house number that means anything".

The journey, past drying wetsuits, alongside a river and under tropical fruit trees, adds to the charm of the rental property, which was fully renovated before Westcott moved in a year ago. Through an unusually tall front door is a light-filled living area, a kitchen and a long dining table sharing the open-plan space. At the far end, through a corridor, is the main en-suite bedroom. All open onto an expansive terrace through bifold doors.

"For me, it was space over central location," he says. "I love that symbiosis of city and country. I just reproduced what I had in Melbourne in a more micro environment."

Just as his Antipodean farm provides a physical release as he drives out of the city, so his Hong Kong home elicits a sigh of relief on his commute back from Luxe's Sheung Wan office. It is similar in another significant way. Although his home in Australia is several times the size of its Hong Kong sibling, both can comfortably accommodate one or many.

"I like houses that expand and contract," Westcott says. "This is a lovely size for just me … but I can have four people staying, and a party of 80, and not really notice it."

That's because the Big Wave Bay property consists of a house of 1,400 square feet; a self-contained 200 sq ft annex; and a split-level outdoor space of about 2,500 square feet.

"Outside of summer, on weekends, the doors would all be open," Westcott says. "In late spring and autumn you can sit out and the light is wonderful."

Providing a theatrical backdrop is the mighty mountain, which puts you in your place the way Chinese landscape art portrays humans as crumbs in a vast cosmos.

"On some days it feels incredibly protecting," Westcott says. "On others it feels foreboding."

Although furnishing the house was mostly a straightforward process of shipping to Hong Kong paintings, photographs and furniture he already owned, Westcott also received help from Shana Buchanan, of Hong Kong-based iDecorate, which provided sourcing and styling advice for his home and office. Figuring out a plan for his garden, however, remains a work in progress.

"One of the reasons I haven't touched the garden is that I'm a bit of a dreamer and need a big plan," says Westcott. "I'll work backwards from that."

Ideas tossed around include raised vegetable beds, a pergola, perhaps a gravel petanque court and, naturally, generous outdoor seating from which to enjoy village life and lush vegetation.

"I love the way the domestic greenery fades into the jungle greenery here," says Westcott.

The man with a plan has other ideas for his home away from home. Parties on the other side of summer, hiring a full-time helper and adopting a dog are signs Hong Kong won't be just his place of work.

"I fell in love with the quirkiness of the village, the greenery, the beach," he says. "It's just an incredibly relaxed counterpoint to the madness of Central."

Dining area detail The artwork, by Kynan Sutherland, acquired at Victoria’s annual Castlemaine State Festival (of which Westcott is a former board member; castlemainefestival.com.au), portrays veins of gold in the Goldfields region of the Australian state. The Asscher cut terrarium and cactus (HK$500 for both) were provided by iDecorate. The Georg Jensen candelabra was a gift and the large Ronda salad bowl (HK$340) came from Bamboa (PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central, tel: 2291 0285). The other two bowls came from previous homes.

Guest bathroom Nothing was changed in the guest bathroom. The cloche dome (HK$1,190) and vase inside it (HK$140) both came from iDecorate. The sepia photograph, from Shambala (2/F, Horizon Plaza, tel: 2555 2997), is of an Indian mogul.

Integrated fridges give kitchens a seamless look but can be pricey. A less expensive option is to house the appliance in a purpose-built, open-fronted box. This cabinet was built with the same wood that was used for the island. Both came with the house.