Understanding his clients' sense of style gave one designer the freedom to use his creative talents to dramatic effect.
Architects often have many roles to play when it comes to fulfilling the needs of clients. Apart from building and renovating homes, they can also be called upon to select furniture and even recommend art. It's a job that can require an ability to read minds. 'It's a comprehensive service,' says Samuel Ng, of S&B Design (tel: 2167 8486), who recently overhauled a 3,500 sq ft house in Chung Hom Kok. 'It's a customer-service-based job and you have to take care of them 24/7.'
It was just as well Ng understood not only the needs but also the aesthetic preferences of his clients, Andy and Connie Ng (no relation), Chinese-Canadians whose previous home Ng had worked on. 'They didn't give me any instructions, design wise,' he says about his 'easy-going' clients. 'They just told me to be careful with the money.'
Although Ng qualifies his statement by recalling several broad-brush instructions, many of the decisions, he says, were unilateral, including that concerning the brilliant stained-glass screens in the formal living room (see Tried & Tested). 'It was a surprise for them,' says Ng. 'I installed them at the end, after most of the workers had gone.'
Luckily, his clients appreciated the beauty of the screens, which Ng describes as 'spices' to enhance
the taste of the place. 'The owners didn't want a lot of colour,' he says, explaining how the blue, yellow and red mosaic makes up for the otherwise neutral interior palette. 'They also wanted more room for the children to run around in, which is why there's not much furniture.'