Many home owners express a desire for something different when remodelling their living space, but rarely do they have the courage, or the confidence in their designer, to make it happen. American businessman Ken Sheffer decided not to be swayed by the designer looks spawned by interior maga-zines. With architect Kent Lui, he set out on a quest for originality.
'I'm affected by hotels because I spend so much time in them but they help you to understand how comfortable a place can be when everything is in the right spot,' says Sheffer, a trade and investment consultant who travels about 220 days a year. When briefing Lui, he described his ideal apartment as modern, New York-ish and 'most of all ... completely usable'. He didn't want anything just for show; convenience, ease of use and function were essential.
'I wanted stone, metal and wood - I'm not really interested in soft, feminine touches. They don't appeal to me,' he says.
Sheffer admits there was plenty of experimentation and as ideas came thick and fast, the concept of using 'streetscape' materials developed. Sheffer recalls visiting Hong Kong as a boy, long before moving here in 1995.
'I was attracted by the container ports, the buildings with glistening windows at night, even the jackhammers ... it's a city that's moving forward constantly,' he says.