Accustomed to light, open spaces, an Australian-born Macanese banker was wary of urban living until he found his ideal city pad: a spacious 1960s walk-up in Happy Valley ripe for conversion. There's one couple in Hong Kong who won't be reading this today. Instead, Anthony and Rebecca Correa will be making their wedding vows in the Yarra Valley, near Melbourne, safe in the knowledge that there will be another paradise waiting for them when they return home after their honeymoon. Their apartment in Happy Valley took several years to perfect - not because it was fraught with problems but because Anthony spent almost three years searching for his ideal abode. The Australian-born, Macanese banker spent some of his childhood in Hong Kong and decided to return 10 years ago. Having grown up with Australia's open spaces and fresh air, Correa initially adopted Sai Kung rather than the city as his home. When he finally opted to go urban, he was naturally fussy - and not only for want of peaceful surroundings and unrestricted views. 'I'm six-and-a-half feet tall so I had to find somewhere with high ceilings,' he laments, having squeezed his large frame into a village house for too long. Accustomed to an outdoors lifestyle, he also insisted on a large balcony. 'Finding that combination seemed impossible.' When, in May 2002, Correa was eventually shown a 1,800-square-foot apartment in a three-storey, 1960s walk-up, he jumped at it. It was a done deal in 24 hours although it wasn't until December that the property's title was resolved. Architect Frank Chiu of One:China (tel: 2891 4126) was recommended to Correa. 'We immediately hit it off because Frank is from Canada and has the same appreciation of space Australians have - that sense of openness that large countries with few people have,' he explains. The apartment had been occupied by the same family since it was built and had never been altered. Although intent on radical changes to give the flat a loft-like atmosphere, Chiu and Correa were keen to keep some of the apartment's authentic features. Chiu suggested retaining the main axis corridor running between the public and private areas of the flat. It also made sense because it ensured apartment was well ventilated. Having drawn up vague plans while the purchase proceeded, when the time came to take a sledge-hammer to the walls of the four-bedroom apartment, Chiu and Correa had to reassess the layout. The study was moved from behind the bedroom at the back of the flat to adjoin the living area at the front. Previously shoe-horned into a narrow galley at the foot of the bed, the en-suite bathroom was enlarged to occupy the space where the study had been. The discovery of a structural column in the middle of the otherwise open, front area threatened to scupper the idea of loft-like living. Chiu salvaged the concept by using the column as a pivotal point with different areas arranged geometrically around it. Correa was involved in the design process but he's the first to admit he couldn't have done it alone, especially having been forewarned by friends in Australia and Britain who had taken the do-it-yourself route and run into difficulties managing the process. 'I had some strong ideas but it's hard to voice that to a builder in an accurate fashion,' he says. 'Frank interpreted what I wanted down to the nuts and bolts.' 1. Despite the demarcation between kitchen and living areas, the sense of openness in the flat is evident. The Nuta barstools are a useful addition to the kitchen island ($2,700 each from Apartment, Shop 7, L/G Sunning Plaza, 10 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay, tel: 2882 2198). Anthony had bought the apartment before he met Rebecca so she became more involved only in the latter stages. She liked the contrast of red against white so chose sumptuous upholstery for the Harry sofa designed by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia ( www.bebitalia.it ; available from Desideri, Shop 1A, Capitol Plaza, 2 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, tel: 3106 3906; www.desideri.com.hk ), which adds a dash of warmth and drama. Light is provided by the arching Arco floor lamp by Flos ( www.flos.it ; $13,580 from Dentro, Shop A, G/F Winway Building, 50 Wellington Street, Central, tel: 2801 7007; www.dentro.com.hk ). 2. To tidy up the balcony and make it an extension of the living room, the architect suggested laying decking. The balustrades with metal fretwork are overlaid with a timber trellis so the original decorative mould is still visible. The timber frame and screening were made by the contractor, IDC Interiors (tel: 2571 6788), who also found the folding glass doors. Classic seating in the living room is provided by Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona chair and stool, ($19,012 and $7,684 respectively, from Apartment . 3. Anthony Correa and Rebecca Hong were not burdened with furniture from their previous homes so they were able to start with a clean slate. The main exception was the chunky teakwood coffee table Rebecca bought in 1999 in a sale at Banyan Tree (18/F Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau, tel: 2555 0540). The living room and kitchen are delineated by contrasting floors: American walnut in the former (by Hohns, from $45 a square foot, from Equal, 12/F First Commercial Building, 33 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, tel: 2881 7066), and in the latter a white reconstituted marble tile called Bianco Sweden from Welmax Marbles (price varies according to quantity; 30 Hung Shui Kiu Main Street, Hung Shui Kiu, Yuen Long, tel: 2865 3893). 4. Anthony and Rebecca uncork a bottle of red wine in their Boffi made-to-measure kitchen (from $160,000, 81 Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley, tel: 2577 5764; www.boffi.com ). This was one aspect of the apartment Anthony was keen to oversee because he likes entertaining and wanted the open-plan look. 'I think I went into every kitchen showroom in Hong Kong,' he says. He settled on Boffi because he liked its clean lines and appreciated the warmth of its oak surfaces. The white, glass-topped, extendable dining table, which is supported by stainless-steel box-section legs, was custom-designed by One:China ($25,000, tel: 2891 4126). The white B&W dining chairs are by Casa Milano ($5,300 each from Apartment). 5. Centre-stage in the master bedroom is the cream cushion-upholstered Favignana bed by Flou (price on request from Le Cadre Gallery, 11 Duddell Street, Central, tel: 2526 1068; www.flou.it ), which contrasts with the red crushed-silk curtains ($200 a yard from New Bedford Interiors, 67 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, tel: 2520 0330). Frosted-glass sliding panels on steel frames open onto the en-suite bathroom and dressing area. 6. Sliding steel panels close off the study/guestroom when required. Anthony says he was sceptical at first but Frank Chiu convinced him that the raw, weathered texture was in keeping with his passion for the outdoors. The material became the chosen accent throughout the apartment. The timber planter was bought on a trip to Kuala Lumpur and the antique wooden bench was bought in Macau. 7. Although no longer available, the steel basin on brackets with mirror was made by Agape and bought from Ovo Living. Similar mosaic tiles can be found at Art Tile (175 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2507 2270). 8. Bold colours contrast with natural walnut and white tones that feature throughout the apartment. The en suite master bathroom is dominated by the satin-white Spoon bathtub by Agape ( www.agapedesign.it ; $76,280 from Ovo Living, 1 Electric Street, Wan Chai, tel: 3102 0808; www.ovoliving.com ), which is offset by a rich terracotta wall. The glass-enclosed shower can be entered from the bathroom and the dressing room on the far side. TRIED & TESTED Obstacle course When faced with a permanent obstruction, find a way to work with it. In Anthony and Rebecca Correa's flat, the structural column cutting through the middle of the living space was adapted into an audio-visual centre. The column was thickened with a hinged door on which a flat-screen television was mounted. The door (made by contracting firm IDC Interiors, tel: 2571 6788) has a timber frame and painted plywood panelling. It swings around for easy viewing and neatly folds flat onto the column when not in use. Inside, there is a handy audio-visual storage cupboard. PICTURES John Butlin STYLING Esther Van Wijck