CREATING A STYLISH home sometimes requires simply removing the blinkers and waking up to the potential within the four walls. British-born Pete Millward and his Japanese wife, Tomoko Okamura, saw beyond the original boxed-in rooms and dreary bathroom of their 1,000-sq-ft Happy Valley apartment when they noticed how much natural light the place captured, and its views towards Mount Butler. Being creative types - Millward is a composer and producer with his company, Drum Music, and Okamura recently launched a line of handbags under her label Tef Tef ( www.teftef.com.hk ) - they already had some novel ideas. So the couple approached long-standing friends Johnny and Paul Kember of K plus K Architecture (tel: 2541 6828), who had designed Millward's office and recording studios. And being friends helps with communication, but that doesn't necessarily make the design process easy. 'I think the important thing [when choosing a] designer, is that you've got to like their style and you've got to brief them properly,' says Millward. 'But then you leave the details up to them. You have to trust them and not get too involved.' Situated at the end of a low-rise 1950s block with windows wrapping the corner of what was previously a bedroom, the owners saw the potential to convert this area into a semi-outdoor space. 'I had my heart set on a balcony and on making it spacious,' says Millward. 'And we wanted an en-suite bathroom and wardrobe space but had no idea how to go about it.' The final layout was conceived by Johnny Kember and Millward on the back of an envelope in a bar. Now the bedroom sits on a mini-pavilion, screened off from the living-room by sliding glass doors. 'I might be playing music or chatting to friends when Tomoko's gone to bed, so she can close the doors and pull the blinds without being disturbed,' says Millward. The bathroom was previously accessed only from the corridor. K plus K blocked off the old doorway and shifted the rear wall of the living-room forward. The new space became a closet and dressing area accessible from the bedroom and adjoining bathroom. Kember suggested moving the toilet to create more space in the bathroom. This involved raising the bathroom floor to accommodate plumbing, a task performed by K plus K's contractor Arcon International (tel: 2798 5068). The raised platform was extended into the bedroom, with numerous benefits (see Tried and Tested) including a unique sunken bath. Colour is not a hallmark of K plus K's work so the vibrant shades in this home are a surprise. Kember initially suggested a cooler palette in minty green, but Okamura knew red was the right background for the couple's dragon carving. Yellow was used on a wall feature that curls towards the ceiling and accommodates downlighting. When asked if conflicting preferences resulted in any compromises, Okamura looks relieved to say she and Millward have similar ideas. 'I think the only thing we argued about was whether the books should be colour-coded or arranged by author,' she says with a chuckle. 1. Sliding glass doors with powder-coated aluminium frames allow the balcony to open on to the living area on two sides. The terrace is delineated with white pebble Aquamarine flooring ($2,300 a square metre) by Riverstone at Conic Collection (Tung Lee Commercial Building, 91-97 Jervois Road, Sheung Wan, tel: 2838 1693); furnished with solid-teak outdoor furniture from Hing Tai Furniture (122A Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, tel: 2861 1265); and filled with plants from Kwok Hing Garden (10 Tai Che Village, Siu Lek Yuen, Sha Tin, tel: 2647 1902), which Pete Millward and Tomoko Okamura highly recommend for its reasonable prices. In the living-room, K plus K designed an anodised aluminium mobile trolley with custom-designed steel handles to house the TV and the couple's DJ equipment, which can be wheeled out to face any direction. 2. The transition space between bedroom and balcony features a mango emulsion-painted plasterboard cove with built-in JF-111D-2 recessed downlights ($770) by JF Lighting at Lumen Arts (360 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2803 4501; www.spot-light.com.tw ), a vibrant backdrop to a vintage fibreglass Armshell chair on a Rocker Base by Charles Eames ($7,000 to $13,000, depending on condition, from Chen Mi Ji, 51 Staunton Street, SoHo, tel: 2179 5388) and a sculpture comprising driftwood collected off Repulse Bay, which Okamura wrapped with rope for cats Trouble and Uni to scratch. The seamless epoxy resin flooring ($18 a square metre) was created by Salemay Pro-Tech (tel: 2861 0733). 3. In the bedroom, atmospheric porthole-style lights were installed in the solid walnut flooring (see Tried and Tested). The walnut veneer bed was designed by K plus K and built by contractor Arcon International (tel: 2798 5068), while the Nomad Linestra wall light ($1,950) is by Modular at World Shine Lighting Co (tel: 2889 3017; www.supermodular.com ). 4. Sliding painted plywood doors with sleek steel handles by D-Line (contact Chris Wu at 326 Portland Road, Mongkok, tel: 2487 6199) conceal a closet off the bathroom, which is clad in Vetricolor 20 glass mosaic tiles by Bisazza at Zisa Artec ( www.bisazza.com ; tel: 2891 7311). The glass washbasin is from Genius Concord (239 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2877 7770); the basket under the sink is from Ikea (tel: 3125 0888; www.ikea.com.hk ) while the woven abaca baskets inside the cupboard (three sizes, from $70) are from Muji (3/F Lee Theatre Plaza, 99 Percival Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 2808 0622). 5. Even the colour-coordinated contents of the living-area bookshelves create a style statement. The shelving was designed by K plus K using laminated plywood and steel c-sections usually used in building construction, then built by Arcon International. 6. A large oak table (discontinued at GOD) and French chairs upholstered in cream canvas ($1,600 plus 1.5 metres of fabric from Western Market) from Tequila Kola (Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau, tel: 2877 3295; www.tequilakola.com ) define the dining area, illuminated by a painted, metal pendant light Okamura found in a derelict Mid-Levels house. Tried and tested: ELEVATED IDEAS Creating an elevated platform may seem a complicated task, but not only is it straightforward, it can also solve numerous design dilemmas. In this case, stepping up from the living-room into the bedroom creates a pavilion feeling while helping to delineate the spaces. The floor was raised 25cm and the space beneath is used for storage as well as lighting, leaving the walls and ceiling largely free of fixtures and fittings. A lattice plywood frame was laid on the original floor and solid walnut planks were laid on top, allowing access by lids on pneumatic hinges (from Tung Fat Ho Building Materials, tel: 2487 6199) to three floor 'cupboards' lined in Formica (call 2598 0117 or visit www.formica-asia.net for stockists). The Phenix floor lights ($3,700 each from Lumen Arts) have a 'cool collar' to reduce heat transmission as well a heat-reduction filter.