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Seeing design from a new perspective

Scarlet Ma

A couple living in a 2,000sqft flat on The Peak were so at odds with each other over how the flat should look that in the 10 years they had lived there they had not redecorated it.

The condition of the apartment became so bad that their son could not stand living there and moved out.

The husband liked a lot of sunlight and disliked the quiet life and the wife disliked sunlight and wanted peaceful surroundings. Neither wanted to compromise so they left the apartment as it was.

A friend of the couple who wanted to help them called interior designer Anita Tang Fung-yin. The friend asked her to convince the couple to renovate their flat. Ms Tang managed to convince the husband that the apartment needed to be renovated. But the wife disagreed and moved out of the flat because she said she wanted nothing to do with the renovation.

The wife called Ms Tang and told her what she wanted the flat to look like. Ms Tang was faced with a delicate balancing act but she successfully renovated the flat so that the couple were satisfied. Even the son decided to move back.

'I was so happy when I saw the smiling face of the wife,' Ms Tang said. 'I helped bring a family together again. I have had many of these kinds of cases, where I was the designer and also the counsellor. I came to understand what the family needed from their flat and tailored the design accordingly. I enjoyed how I was involved in the home-making process.'

Being an interior designer involved more than just deciding where the furniture should be placed or what colour the wallpaper should be, Ms Tang said.

Homes are such an important part of people's lives. She found that sometimes she needed to play the part of an emotional counsellor before deciding on how the flat should look. All that changed when she joined Henderson Land Development as deputy general manager of the sales department three years ago. Her job now is to give aesthetic advice on new property developments to ensure good sales. Ms Tang designs show flats, suggests design concepts for lift lobbies and clubhouses, and works with interior designers.

In the 17 years that she had her own company she could choose what projects she wanted to work on and she made time for travel almost every month. But those days are over and now she has to be at the office at 9.30am. 'I had never worked for other people before. I started my own interior design firm after graduation. I wanted to know what a corporate life felt like so when Henderson invited me to join the group, I thought it was a good opportunity to move on. I had already gone the distance in my field, it was time to take on challenges and improve myself.'

Ms Tang said designing show flats required flexibility. While she did not have to consider the practicality of the design so much, she needed to do whatever it took to make the flat look nice. But she was given the freedom to turn strange ideas into reality. She enjoys how the show flats she designs help potential buyers picture their dream homes. Through the show flat she can inspire other people to better design their homes.

The job has given Ms Tang a better perspective of the property market. She was shocked when seeing people lining up for days to buy a new flat. She saw how friends' relationships turned sour when they competed with each other for an apartment they both liked. It was then that Ms Tang realised how important a home could be. 'I felt a great sense of responsibility. People were spending all the money they had saved for years on a home. I felt I needed to make developments as perfect as they could be so I choose the best materials possible and I look into every detail of an apartment. I want to see smiling faces on every buyer's face when they see their new home.

'Working for a company and having my own business is not the same thing. I can't say if it's better or worse. It is just different. My aesthetic values have not changed but now I no longer make personal judgments. I make design decisions according to our marketing strategies.'

I was so happy when I saw the smiling face

of the wife. I helped bring a family together again

Anita Tang

Deputy general manager

sales department

Henderson Land Development

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