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Industrial evolution

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Work, rest and play are all possible in a large warehouse-style apartment discovered by two jewellery designers.

It's not often you come across a gem of a space in the heart of the city. But that's what jewellery designers Mark Armstrong and Perry Josito of John Ferdinand (www.johnferdinand.com) did when they were hunting for a place that allowed them to live, work and show their collections under one roof.

They found the perfect solution in a refurbished building in Sheung Wan. 'This used to be a residential building but it was stripped down and completely renovated,' says Armstrong of the 1,450 sq ft space. Two units that had been merged, the space was in a raw, loft-like state - with exposed brick work, a concrete floor, an exposed ceiling and no internal walls.

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Armstrong and Josito immediately saw how they could use the space. 'Fortunately we got in when the contractors were still finishing up so we were able to say what we wanted,' says Josito. The pair chose a concrete resin floor and requested power points be placed in the middle of it. They also adjusted the lighting and repositioned some of the air-conditioning units.

'We wanted a flexible space without too many walls; something unstructured where you can move things around as necessary,' says Armstrong. Josito elaborates: 'We like to entertain as part of our business, so we wanted a space that was kind of open but would also be comfortable to live in.'

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The duo have created a look that is semi-industrial yet still lounge-like and contemporary. With large banks of windows on two sides, four-metre ceilings and a huge floor-to-ceiling bookcase running along one wall, the flat contains different zones but works well as a whole.

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