In the know

A smart designer gets to know the personality of a space and highlights the best while downplaying the rest. Entertainment lawyer Michael Leow had no problem on that score when he hired friend Gavin Tu of TUspace to tailor his newly purchased Sheung Wan flat into something that reflected his love for music, film and the colour green.

'I know Gavin's previous work; his training in Australia gives him a great understanding of natural materials and the earthy, relaxed feel that goes well with my preference for 1960s-style wood furniture,' Leow says. 'Plus, we are both Aquarius, so we got along.'

One of the challenges Tu faced during the three-month renovation was maximising space within the 860 sq ft net, two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment.

'Having known Michael to like old buildings with large rooms and high ceilings, I was surprised at first that he chose a flat in such a new development,' Tu says, recalling the cramped layout. 'To open up space, I had to convince him that knocking down some walls would not affect the resale value of the flat.'

That hurdle cleared, Tu spent seven weeks on blueprint revisions while he and Leow separately went scouting for materials, fixtures and appliances in Wan Chai and Central, many of which were to be concealed within the overall design.

'The idea was for everything Michael needed to have its own [designated] place while keeping the lines clean,' Tu says, 'Working with limited space, there's no room for clutter and you have to be very clear on how things fit. In order to use every inch of space, the design plans had to be exact.'