One photographer's love of mid-century design has resulted in an apartment that stylishly pays homage to the 1950s.
Fashion photographer Rensis Ho has always loved all things vintage, odd and collectable - particularly since a sojourn to New York, during which the former computer programmer took a heady career turn to study photography. Returning to Hong Kong, he filled his studio with junk amassed from the Big Apple's flea markets. But he never let the mess spill over into his home.
'I realised I didn't want to transfer this feeling of clutter and shabbiness to my home,' he says. 'A home should feel warm and uplifting, so I began searching for styles and shapes I like from furniture and design books. Invariably the pieces that caught my attention were from the 1950s and 60s.'
But why mid-century design? 'Probably because there are a lot of wooden designs that are refined, modern and sculptural yet warm; but never overly decorative or flashy,' he says.
Building on a perspicacious entry into the property market soon after Sars, Ho has moved three times since buying a 400 sq ft flat in Wan Chai, trading up in apartment size and location to accommodate his new wife and fatherhood. The arrival of his first daughter prompted the latest move, to 2,200 sq ft premises in Tai Hang. Working with contractor Bill Wong of Ming Fai Timber (7B, Unison Industrial Building, 7 Sun Yip Street, Chai Wan, tel: 3428 5301), Ho designed the flat himself, just as he had done with the previous two.
'My basic requirement is plenty of light, a ceiling high enough to hang my pendant lamps from and, if possible, a building from the 50s,' says the amateur interior designer. 'I also wanted the feeling of a detached house surrounded by greenery.'
