Penthouses and luxury apartments have a special status in Hong Kong where the scarcity of land defines so much of where and how people live. Homes in Southern District or on The Peak are known as exclusive domains, and some have lawns and private lifts.
But what truly makes a penthouse stand apart is the interior design and quality of the fixtures and fittings, and property buyers are willing to pay for the right look and feel.
Andre Fu, designer of interior design firm AFSO Design, said the main attraction of penthouses was the marriage of the urban landscape with the exclusiveness normally found only in houses. The matchmaker for this marriage is interior design.
'The interiors of penthouses should posses a strong sense of place more commonly found in houses,' Mr Fu said. 'The key is to create calm but contemporary space that connects the inside with the outside.'
One example is the 73rd floor penthouse at the Grand Promenade in Sai Wan Ho. The 3,000 sqft penthouse has views stretching from Tsim Sha Tsui and Lei Yue Mun across to the Eastern side of Hong Kong Island and then to Central.
Anita Tang Fung-yan, deputy general manager of the sales department at Henderson Land Development, was one of the creative minds behind the interior of the penthouse. 'The view naturally becomes the centre of attention,' Ms Tang said. Because of this, she wanted to keep interior features to a minimum and employed mirrors to reflect the view into various parts of the home.