A passion for contemporary Chinese art has provided a dramatic backdrop for one couple's collection of classic furniture. East meets west is a popular look in Hong Kong homes, relatively easy to achieve and somewhat predictable. But in a fresh and vibrant home on The Peak, the phrase can be applied without any suggestion of the mundane. There are no Asian-style collectables here; rather an investment in the best of European mid- to late-20th-century furniture teamed with an impressive collection of contemporary Chinese art. The 2,850-square-foot home of Marleen Molenaar, her husband, Bart Dekker, and their two daughters, Lili, nine, and Faye, seven, shows how effective such a combination can be. With an emphasis on quality and good design, the couple has created an energetic space that remains comfortable for all the family. Molenaar, formerly in the mainstream fashion business and now running a children's clothing design company under her own name, is a firm believer in the value of design classics. 'I like the function of design classics and I also like the quality. If you buy custom made, it is never quite the same.' Molenaar and Dekker have mixed classic names with newer designers, but all hold true to the proviso of form meets function. The 40-year-old flat, with its high ceilings and square, streamlined layout, lends itself well to housing the collection. There is a Florence Knoll sofa and armchair in the living room; a Ferruccio Laviani circular table in the dining room; a Le Corbusier lounge chair and a Stefano Giovannoni bookcase in a reading corner; and a Joe Colombo trolley in the bedroom. Lighting is also a key element in the furnishing palette and includes a globe-shaped Castore Terra 42 standing lamp by Michele de Lucchi and Huub Ubbens; a Nur ceiling light by Ernesto Gismondi; and classic Tolomeo standing and table lamps by de Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina. 'Lamps are also our thing,' says Molenaar. 'They are sculptures in themselves.' Her strong visual sense is echoed by that of her husband, who sourced the artworks that hang on every wall and line the hallway. 'Bart is the collector of the art,' Molenaar says. 'He has a good eye. He knows immediately what he likes and what he doesn't. He is not really influenced by other people.' Dekker says his first piece was Consumer Icons No 2A by Qi Zhi Long, which he saw at the New Trends: Art Hong Kong fair in 1994. It now hangs at the end of the hall. 'We didn't have any particular plans to buy a contemporary Chinese artwork, but at the time, the bright colours of the piece appealed to us,' he says. According to Dekker, developments in Chinese art mirror what is happening in the country itself. 'Contemporary art in China seems to reflect the incredible changes that China is undergoing and which I see happening during my frequent visits. I buy purely what I like.' His collection includes pieces by top names such as Li Shan, Yue Min Jun, Tang Zhigang, Zhu Wei and Chiu Ya-tsai. Although the value of Chinese contemporary art is soaring, the couple did not have monetary gain in mind when they began buying. 'Prices for contemporary art have gone a little crazy lately, but I hardly ever pay huge amounts for artworks,' says Dekker. 'I tend to look for younger artists who I feel are original and who are not copying the more established and successful artists. Actually, photography is most interesting now.' The only thing that could rein in further purchases is a lack of space to store and display the acquisitions. 'We are thinking of renting some warehouse space as we have no room left,' says Molenaar with a laugh. 1 The square, high-ceiling structure of the apartment provides a strong neutral framework in which to display the couples' collection of classic European furniture and contemporary Chinese artwork. In the living room, Mingus the dog lies by a tan-leather sofa and armchair designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll from Aluminium (shop D, 8 Kingston Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 2577 4766; www.hk-aluminium.com ). In the foreground is a Gilda armchair by Carlo Mollino for Zanotta from LeCadre Gallery (Ruttonjee Centre, 11 Duddell Street, Central, tel: 2526 1068). 2 Above the fireplace hangs a large painting by Li Shan from The Rouge Series, 1994, from Schoeni Art Gallery (21 Old Bailey Street, Central, tel: 2869 8802; www.schoeni.com.hk ). The glass-topped two-piece vintage coffee table was found in a flea market in the Netherlands. The globe-shaped Castore Terra 42 standing lamp ($5,400) is by Michele de Lucchi and Huub Ubbens for Artemide (Ruttonjee Centre, tel: 2523 0333; www.artemide.com ). 3 In a corner of the living room stands an LC4 lounge chair in cowskin by Le Corbusier. Next to it is a Tolomea Mega lamp by de Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina ($4,600) from Artemide. Above the chaise hangs a painting by Chiu Ya-tsai from Hanart TZ Gallery (202 Henley Building, 5 Queen's Road Central, tel: 2526 9019; www.hanart.com ). The white, injection-moulded Boogie Woogie bookcase is by Stefano Giovannoni for Magis ($1,099 a square from Aluminium). 4 Faye stands at the oval Ufo dining table, which is made of wenge wood and designed by Ferruccio Laviani for Emmemobili (from Louvre Gallery, Ruttonjee Centre, tel: 2762 2393; www.louvre.com.hk ). On the corridor wall hangs a painting from the Cultural Revolution. 5 The corridor walls provide hanging space for part of Dekker's collection of contemporary Chinese art. On the left hangs a series of four woodblock prints by Beijing artist Fang Lijun; at the end of the corridor hangs a work called Consumer Icons 2A by Qi Zhi Long from Schoeni Art Gallery. 6 The door to the girls' bathroom has been painted a girlie pink. On the handle hangs a pair of pyjamas from Marleen Molenaar Sleepwear at PJ Miller (room F, 10/F, Winner Building, 27 D'Aguilar Street, Central, tel: 2525 9872; www.marleenmolenaar.com ). The circular bath mat was found in a market in St Tropez, France. 7 The rear wall of the main bedroom has been painted a warm brown to add comfort to the space. Over the bed hangs a nude by Zhou Guobin, purchased direct from the artist in Shanghai. The Nathalie Bed was designed by Vico Magistretti for Flou and was bought from LeCadre Gallery; the graphic, circle-print bedcovers are from Lane Crawford (IFC Mall, Central, tel: 2118 3388; www.lanecrawford.com ). Next to the bed stands a Tolomeo Tavolo anglepoise lamp ($2,200) designed by Michele de Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina from Artemide. It stands on a Boby trolley (designed by Joe Colombo; www.joecolombo.com ), which functions as a bedside table. 8 The study is home to a huge collection of books and magazines. The vintage chair by Charles Eames is from Aluminium; the standing lamp was found in a Tokyo department store more than a decade ago. 9 The kitchen has a set of stairs at the rear leading to a raised area where the children can play, draw and write. Molenaar painted the walls of the upper area orange and yellow to make it bright and appealing. The artwork on the dining-room wall is by Tang Zhigang from Hanart TZ Gallery. 10 A large Nur ceiling light by Ernesto Gismondi ($12,300) for Artemide is suspended over the dining table. To the right is a painting by Yue Min Jun from Schoeni Art Gallery. On the sideboard is a pair of shell shades from Lane Crawford that Molenaar turned into table lights. The leaning statues are by Zhu Wei from Plum Blossoms (1 Hollywood Road, Central, tel: 2521 2189; www.plumblossoms.com ). On the table is a teapot, milk jug and sugar pot, all by Stelton ( www.stelton.com ); the fruit bowl is by Alessi ( www.alessi.com ). tried & tested desk space A space formerly used as a cupboard proved the perfect place in which to create a compact office/study area. Luckily, the room already had a small window, so Marleen Molenaar simply installed some storage units, a small computer desk and a chair to turn it into the ideal space for daughter Lili to do her homework. The nine-year-old loves the privacy of the 'room' and, because she doesn't suffer from claustrophobia, often closes the door behind her so she can play her music loud. Hanging from the ceiling is a plastic (do-it yourself) Norm 69 lamp ($550 from AO2, Pearl City, 22 Paterson Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 2808 0606; www.azona.com.hk ). styling Esther van Wijck
