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Dare to be bare

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An award-winning apartment that took months of meticulous planning has taken minimalism to extremes.

Although interior design is all about individual taste, most people like to be complimented on their choice of decor. Investment professional Mr So and his wife received the ultimate seal of approval when they learned their newly renovated Parkview apartment, designed by architects Ed Ng and Dan Lee of AB Concept (tel: 2525 2428), had won the Asia Pacific Interior Design Award 2003 for best residential design.

'I thought we would be unlikely to win because it has a very extreme design,' says So. 'I assumed it would be too bland for the judges' tastes - but obviously I was wrong.'

His description of his home's design as 'hardcore minimal' is spot on. The 2,700-square-foot apartment is so sparsely decorated and furnished that only the bare essentials such as the bed, sofa and dining table are on display. All the rooms are predominantly white, cream and beige, but rather than being dull, such a clutter- and colour-free existence exudes a sense of calm.

'Our vision was to create a peaceful, almost Zen-like, space,' explains So. 'We wanted the design to echo the serenity of the Tai Tam country park, which the apartment overlooks, and to be the opposite of the hectic life we lead in Hong Kong.'

When it comes to creating such a minimal look, meticulous advance planning is essential. Although construction, which included knocking down every internal wall, took four months, the couple, Ng and Lee took twice as long to thrash out every aspect of the design.

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