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Living in a house on Hong Kong Island, rather than in an apartment in a high-rise block, is something to write home about; a place with uninterrupted sea views is all the more special.

When Peter and Amanda Shaw arrived from their native Australia almost three years ago, they envisaged living in a colonial-style apartment. Instead, they made a modern two-storey house in Stanley with spectacular views of the Tai Tam Harbour their home.

'Overlooking the water, the style of this house is very Sydney, which is where we're both from. It is as though we just transplanted the whole building and views from there to here,' says Amanda.

Because the decor was already neutral, with white walls and honey-coloured parquet and panelling, the Shaws did nothing to the 2,450-square-foot rented property except fill it with their belongings and make it a home.

Tall windows and a skylight above the staircase allow light to flood the house and high ceilings and open planning on the ground floor make the sense of space striking.

'As well as its attachment to water, the high ceilings and the fact that the rooms are very light are the aspects I most like about the house,' says Amanda.

Split levelling turns the spacious downstairs room into distinct living and dining areas, while a sizeable wood-decked balcony, ideal for alfresco entertaining, adds a further dimen-sion to the ground floor. Bamboo and other plants line each flank of the balcony to give it a fresh garden feel and prevent the glare of the sun on the white walls.

Although they have two young children - Scarlet, two and a half, and Ted, nine months - the Shaws have struck the perfect balance of style, comfort and practicality. Cream sofas, armchairs and dining chairs all have slip covers that can be washed easily; an alcove under the stairs keeps toys and a wine fridge out of sight but still readily accessible.

At the far end of the room, sliding wood-veneer doors separate the dining area from what was originally conceived as a breakfast room off the kitchen. The Shaws modified it slightly to make it an ideal place for children to eat and play, with storage for toys in recessed shelves. This, along with kitchen clutter, can be hidden away when guests come to dinner by simply sliding the wooden partition across.

There is nothing so visually arresting as well-chosen art work, and in the Shaw house paintings adorn the walls. The couple treat themselves to a new painting each year and go for contemporary artists such as Australians Rover Thomas and Garry Shead.

'We visit a wide range of galleries but have been influenced by friends in the art game such as Tim Olsen of Tim Olsen Galleries and Justin Miller, chairman of Sotherbys Australia.

'In Hong Kong, we have been greatly inspired by the contemporary art at the China Club [in Central] and galleries such as the Schoeni [21-31 Old Bailey Street, Soho, tel: 2869 8802],' Amanda says.

Thanks to the high ceilings and plain white walls, the Shaws can choose art that is big, colourful and bold, and they have chosen not to frame the paintings so as not to detract from the work.

'Collecting art has become a passion. All the things we have so far are very personal and make a lovely house an even nicer place to live,' Amanda says.

1. Amanda Shaw and her daughter Scarlet have a laugh in the living room. The white cotton-upholstered sofas from Mobili (38 Queen Street, Woollahra, Sydney, NSW 2025, tel: 61 2 9328 6550) are comfortable, stylish and hardy enough to withstand daily fun and games. A soft cowskin rug by Minotti (about $52,000 from Sol Y Luna, 16/F Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau, tel: 2814 0203) and battered leather French armchairs from The Country Trader (122 Oxford Street, Paddington, Sydney NSW 2021, tel: 61 2 9331 7809; www.thecountrytrader.com.au), a furniture shop specialising in French antiques from the 17th to 19th centuries, complement each other in colour and texture.

2. Slender wooden lamps from Robin Cosgrove in Double Bay, Sydney, give an almost African feel to the living room and make a striking frame around a painting by Australian artist John Olsen (from A$20,000 to A$500,000 at Tim Olsen Gallery, 76 Paddington Street, Paddington, Sydney NSW 2021, tel: 61 2 9360 9854; www.timolsen.com). Family photos and silver ornaments from Shanghai Tang (silver-plated candle holder, $550; ashtray, $650; Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central, tel: 2525 7333; www.shanghaitang.com) are displayed on an altar table from Sydney store Ecco Ecco.

3. Natural Indonesian basketry and an exotic plant from Stanley market lend a touch of colour to the all-white guest bathroom.

4. The owner of The Country Trader bought a selection of crystal spheres and fashioned them into reproduction art deco lampstands, based on a design by Coco Chanel (stock ID: 13099, price on application).  Glass sideboard (from Design Warehouse, 67 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, tel: 61 2 9360 4144), a painting of Queen Elizabeth II being crowned in the Australian outback (from the Republican series by Garry Shead, www.savill.com.au) adds some antipodean humour to the room. The dining table was bought from The Country Trader while the Italian chairs were picked up in Mobili.

5. A deep purple suede bedhead, from Australian store Finesse Furnishing, takes the place of a piece of artwork and becomes the focal point of the room, while the silk velvet bedspread and silk cushions, all from the General Trading Company (2 Symons Street, London SW3, England, tel: 441 207 730 0411; www.general-trading.co.uk) are unusual and inviting. Bedside tables were bought from Empire (18-22 Oxford Street, Paddington, Sydney tel: 61 2 9380 8877) and lamps from Colefax & Fowler's Sydney branch (www.colefaxantiques.com). Amanda goes regularly to Stanley market for flowers but the feathers on James' side of the bed were a souvenir from a trip to Aspen, Colorado.

5b. At the foot of the bed, an antique Chinese cabinet was discovered on a wander around Hollywood Road antique shops; the suit stand was purchased from Shambala (current models cost $799).

Tried and tested: A matter of taste

Unless you have limitless funds at your disposal, most amateur art collectors form collections over time to reflect personal taste.

Although the Shaws' art is an investment of sorts, their primary reason for a purchase is its aesthetic value and they choose what they like rather than for financial speculation.

'I could never live with a piece of art that I didn't like. Some art can be disturbing or too confronting, yet still be a good investment, but that's not for me. Art is incredibly subjective so buy what you like. That said, a bit of research and maybe some advice from someone you trust will give you more confidence to back your own judgment,' says Amanda.

Katie de Tilly of 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Soho (tel: 2810 0065) agrees. She believes in trusting your instincts when buying art because, with such a flood of artistic exposure nowadays it is too difficult to predict what will be recognised in future. She also advises going to see the work as well as browsing websites, reading what objective parties have to say about the artist(s) you are considering and going to a reputable dealer.

'Depending on the price of the work and your ambition in building a collection you should look at the artist's reputation and recognition - that is, past shows, past collectors such as museums and literary mentions.'

The Shaws go for Garry Shead, Rover Thomas and John Olsen who are highly regarded. Some of their purchases were well researched, others - especially those by less-established and therefore less pricey artists - were impulse buys.

De Tilly says, 'You should love the artwork because you will have to live with it. Ultimately there should be a jump of excitement from the buyer, who might share the same feeling as the artist.'

Pictures Henry Wong

Styling Emily Fisher



The White House