By persevering with a tricky DIY renovation project, a couple saw their creativity reach new heights. Hiring an interior designer may be the solution for those wanting their homes to look just so. Professionals can relieve you of the sometimes troublesome tasks of sourcing a sofa or finding the right angle for spotlights. Gary Tam and wife Rebecca Tsui, however, preferred to undertake the work themselves. 'We think it's a waste of money to hire a designer,' says Tsui, a mother of two and a part-time Putonghua tutor. 'Other people may not get exactly what we want. And we've seen too many show flats that have more or less the same style. We don't want to fork out a large amount of money in return for a generic show flat.' Such staunch opposition to outside help meant the pair had to be their own designers when they renovated their Kowloon Tong home two years ago. The task, they say, was testing but rewarding. The overhaul was aimed at creating a room for the couple's four-year-old daughter, Chloe, without making the 1,300 sq ft flat look much smaller. This proved a challenging undertaking because Tam and Tsui are self-confessed hoarders who own, among other things, a colossal collection of books. And they wanted to part with none of them. As the complexity of the project gradually emerged, they began to believe moving to a bigger flat would be a better option. So they went flat hunting - which proved even more daunting. 'We searched for almost a year but couldn't find anything we liked more than our own flat,' Tsui says. The crux of the problem was that the couple had been spoiled by the 3.5-metre-high ceilings of their apartment, which is in an old Chinese building. 'In Hong Kong today, it's very hard to find a flat with such a high ceiling. We really love it,' Tsui says. 'We also had problems finding a flat as airy as this one. In summer, we don't need to have the air-conditioner on all the time because it's so breezy.' While the couple fretted about their situation, Tsui's 60-year-old father, a Chinese calligraphy and music teacher, came to the rescue. He suggested making full use of the high ceilings by adding a loft to some rooms. This way the couple's miscellaneous items could be stored without losing space on the ground. 'The idea was a breakthrough. And because of it, we decided not to move and settled on a renovation plan,' Tsui says. Tam, a businessman, echoes her sentiments: 'I loved the idea of having a loft. I've seen a lot of them in interior-design magazines and I dreamed of having one.' With the loft idea as the backbone of the project, everything started falling into place. Tam sought help from a friend to build mezzanine levels in Chloe's new 200 sq ft room and the existing study. The additions now accommodate guest beds, while a fair portion of the couple's book and DVD collections are stored overhead in the study. To compensate for the loss of space, the shower room adjacent to the new bedroom and that of the kitchen were reduced in size by one-third and one-half, respectively. Despite their reluctance to enlist the help of professional designers, the couple made a small compromise by hiring kitchen designer Tommy Fong to design the kitchen. 'This one was really tricky. All these cabinets and bits and bobs required careful calculations to make good use of space,' Tsui says. For furnishings, the couple drew inspiration from design magazines and shop displays. An example is an art-deco bench on the balcony modelled on a chair the couple had seen at a designer boutique. They took pictures of it and had one custom made. Several old furniture pieces were also replaced with specially made designs. 'By that I mean things like the floor-to-ceiling wooden doors leading to the balcony,' Tam says. The couple were initially discouraged by door makers who believed exposed wood was a bad idea because the humidity might crack the material. But the two decided to take a chance on their French-style doors and, so far, no cracks have appeared. The renovation took two months to complete and the couple are humble about their achievements. 'We're just amateurs,' Tsui says, adding, however, that their main goal was achieved. 'I was happy the flat didn't look smaller although a room was added. So I guess it was a success,' she says. 1 The bright and airy living room is an oasis of calm. The white French doors (HK$20,000) were custom made by General Well Woodcraft (714 Shanghai Street, Mong Kok, tel: 2380 2019). The rocking chair cost about HK$1,000 from Shambala (2/F, Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau, tel: 2555 2997) and the coffee table was HK$5,000 from Tequila Kola (1/F, Horizon Plaza, tel: 2877 3295). The sofa came from Space (2 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, tel: 2851 6360). 2 The balcony embodies the east-meets-west theme favoured by Gary Tam and Rebecca Tsui. The sculpted screen came from Suzhou and the console cost about HK$2,000 from Tequila Kola. The art-deco bench was modelled on a chair the couple saw at an agna' b. boutique. They took pictures of the original and had a furniture shop in Tai Kok Tsui make a copy. The watering pot is from Log-On (UG Level, Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, tel: 2265 5333). 3 The kitchen was designed by Tommy Fong of Kitench (13 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, tel: 2863 0280). The cabinets echo the dominant, white scheme. The kitchen cost about HK$100,000 to design, build and install. 4 The white scheme of the living room extends to the dining area, brightly lit by a floor lamp (HK$2,000) and chandelier (HK$2,000) from Laura Ashley (shop 239, Cityplaza, 18 Taikoo Shing Road, Taikoo Shing, tel: 2130 2060). The console (HK$2,500), the dining table (HK$8,000) and chairs (HK$15,000 for four) are all from Tequila Kola. The wooden sculpture is by mainland artist Zeng Peng. 5 An amateur photographer, Tam displays his work along a corridor by the entrance, where a set of spotlights was installed to give the area the look of a gallery. The creamy rattan wallpaper cost HK$5,000 a 15-metre roll from Tat Ming Decorative Materials (16F, Kwan Chart Tower, 6 Tonnochy Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2893 2337). 6 Minimalism prevails in the spacious master bedroom, which contains only five pieces of furniture, including a Slumberland bed (HK$30,000), blanket chest (about HK$2,000 from Tequila Kola) and a leather chair (about HK$1,500 from Tequila Kola). The other two items (not shown) are a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe and a second chair by the bed. 7 Dark orange paint was used to create an 'intimate mood' in the study for book-lovers Tam and Tsui. The projection clock cost HK$1,200 from Homeless (29 Gough Street, Central, tel: 2581 1880). Elm wood (about HK$10 a square foot from General Well Woodcraft) was used for the floor of the loft and the safety rail was custom made by a friend of Tam, Ricky Lee, of Polytechnic Steel's (204 Yee Kuk Street, Sham Shui Po, tel: 2319 0708). The pendant light cost HK$2,600 from Chen Mi Ji Cultural Production (51 Staunton Street and 69 Peel Street, Central, tel: 2179 5388). The white bookshelf cost about HK$800 from Ikea (various locations; www.ikea.com.hk ). 8 The 100 sq ft shower room has a rustic feeling, characterised by patterned floor tiles that cost HK$9 each from colour.living (333 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2295 6881). The couple opted for a shower instead of a bath to keep the room spacious. tried & tested get a grip Climbing the stairs leading to the study loft requires some dexterity because they are steep and narrow. The problem, however, has been alleviated by a simple addition: a door handle (about HK$10, available at ordinary hardware stores) affixed to the middle stair, which provides something to hold on to while ascending. styling Gloria Wong