Location is all important when choosing a home and usually a property's proximity to places of work or a transport network, and its view, are uppermost in the minds of house hunters. However, for Daryl Wickstrom, Sotheby's head of business development, Asia, it was the needs of his Labrador, Paddington, that were paramount. Before moving to Hong Kong from London last year, American-born Wickstrom and his partner had hoped to find an open, airy, contemporary space in an old building. When, on a pre-move visit, they viewed a 2,700 sq ft apartment in a 40-year-old building in Mid-Levels they knew they had struck lucky. The property was suitable for practical, aesthetic - and canine - reasons. The low-rise building is close to Bowen Road, where many dogs are exercised, with lots of light, open views across Central at the front and plenty of greenery at the back. The couple had to use their imagination, though, because the property had yet to be renovated. 'The owner, who lives next door, walked me through her own apartment and showed me what she was thinking of doing,' Wickstrom explains. 'She has great style and I said that if it ended up looking anything like hers, I'd be perfectly happy.' Being involved at an early stage of the renovation meant Wickstrom's particular requirements could be catered to. For example, architect Kent Lui added a door in the den that allows Paddington to access an exterior passageway that wraps around onto the terrace. 'We are a little dog crazy,' says Wickstrom, 'and because they factored the dog into the design ... we knew we had the right landlords.' The apartment has been changed significantly. 'Before, it was dark and old-fashioned,' explains Lui. 'I reinstated all the partitions and walls as per the original three-bed layout, [put in] new windows to make the apartment brighter, created a sun-filled kitchen, added a screen to the balcony and revamped the bathrooms in minimal style.' Both the design of the flat and Wickstrom's furnishings echo the building's 1960s style. 'We tried our best to keep all the good features and materials to bring out the original beauty of the apartment,' says Lui. The flooring is original - although the varnish was sanded off - and Lui added a 60s-style teak front door while incorporating contemporary elements such as double glazing. 'I love mid-century furniture,' says Wickstrom. 'I grew up with it as my parents very much bought of the moment.' Pride of place in the living room goes to a pair of 60s white leather armchairs from Brazil, found in an antiques shop in London. The rest of the furniture is a mixture of contemporary classics - many found at The Conran Shop in London - and modern pieces from local stores such as G.O.D., Tree and Ovo. Art plays an important role in the decorative scheme. On the walls hangs work by locals such as Wilson Shieh, Tsang Kin-wah and Chow Chun-fai (all of whom are taking part in Sotheby's upcoming autumn sale), and Seib Pascot and Peter Steinhauer. In one corner is a bird statue from the Ivory Coast. 'It came from the Robert Noortman Gallery. He was the dean of the Old Masters trade. He passed away and his family gave me this; it is not incredibly valuable but it has an enormous sentimental worth,' says Wickstrom It is clear that he chose his home well. 'I have to say, I think that when we moved in it was more impressive than we expected.' With the large living room folding doors open wide, there is a seamless flow between inside and out and the terrace turns into a favourite hangout. 'Once the weather breaks, those doors stay open all the time,' says Wickstrom. 1 In the light and airy living room, folding doors are pulled right back to reduce the divide between the interior and exterior. The pair of 1960s white leather upholstered armchairs were purchased from a dealer in Chelsea, London, for about GBP2,000 (HK$25,500); the striped cushions, about GBP25 each, were from The Conran Shop (Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, London, tel: 44 20 7589 7401; www.conranshop.co.uk ). The two-tiered coffee table (about GBP2,200) and the comfy sofa (about GBP3,000) were also from The Conran Shop. Plants (palms, ferns and succulents) have been used extensively to enhance the garden feeling and were sourced from Flower Market Street in Mong Kok and from Chun Hing Gardening & Landscaping (Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley, tel: 2572 6430; www. chunhinggarden.com). The funerary mask came from Vouvi, in Gabon. The neutral background is enlivened by fresh and bright soft furnishings, including a pair of green POP stools, which were HK$450 each from G.O.D. (Leighton Centre, Sharp Street East entrance, Causeway Bay, tel: 2890 5555; www.god.com.hk ). The propeller-like steel ceiling fan (HK$3,350) was also from G.O.D. On a wall hangs a black-and-white sketch by English artist Stephen Farthing. 2 The master bedroom has a quiet ambience. The side tables (HK$3,800) and bed (HK$12,000) were from Ovo (16 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, tel: 2526 7226; www.ovohome.com.hk ) and the batik bedspread (US$25) was purchased in a market in Central Java. The spotted scatter cushions were ?20 each from Golborne Road Market, part of London's Portobello Road Market, in Notting Hill. The mirror leaning against the wall was from The Conran Shop. The Luceplan fan cost HK$2,000 from Elements Lighting (1/F, 28 Russell Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 2295 0777). 3 The bathroom has been kept clean and simple. The walls are clad in slim rectangular white tiles hung vertically. The tiles were made on the mainland by the contractor, Wing Sing Interior Design & Decoration (shop A11, 18 Hong On Street, Kornhill, tel: 2348 6090). Against the wall leans a dark lacquered bamboo ladder (HK$285) from G.O.D., which is used as a towel rail. 4 Paddington, the dog, lounges in the sun-filled kitchen, which benefits from lush green views through the floor-to-ceiling back window. The kitchen features a combination of MDF, stainless steel and Corian. The large wooden storage unit (HK$1,990) on the left comes from Ikea (Basement, Park Lane Hotel, Causeway Bay, tel: 3125 0888; www.ikea.com.hk ). 5 Again, the palette is neutral in the dining room, contrasted with work by Hong Kong-based artists: to the left is Hong Kong Caf?, Mongkok by Chow Chun-fai, represented by Hanart TZ Gallery (202 Henley Building, 5 Queen's Road Central, tel: 2526 9019; www.hanart.com ) and on the back wall is Stheno by Seib Pascot from Wittgenstein Design (41 Gage Street, Central, tel: 2542 2628; www.wittgensteindesign.com ). The renewable teak Husky dining table (HK$9,000) came from Tree (28/F, Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau, tel: 2870 1582; www.tree.com.hk ). The light (HK$1,895) hanging above the dining table is from G.O.D., the chairs (HK$895 each) were from Ikea and the rug was custom made for HK$3,953 by Great Sun (24 Fleming Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2511 2008). 6 The third bedroom has been converted into a study-den. The floor rug and ceiling light (GBP150) were from The Conran Shop. The pair of 1940s armchairs cost US$1,800 in New York and were re-upholstered in Hong Kong. The solid oak Nagato stool by Christian Liagre cost HK$11,100 from Wittgenstein Design. The study desk cost about HK$4,600 from Tree. 7 One of the major benefits of this apartment is its open views. A glass balustrade allows for minimal visual interference and a wooden slatted screen to the left (see Tried + tested) provides privacy. The pair of wicker armchairs, which cost ?300 each, were found in Notting Hill, London; the small table (HK$299) between them was from Ikea. Tried + tested Private screening Architect Kent Lui (tel: 9193 7170) came up with a clever solution to the lack of privacy often encountered in Hong Kong: a slatted wooden screen that blocks the sight from neighbouring apartments while allowing ventilation and sunlight in. The screen, built for HK$86,000 by contractor Wing Sing Interior Design & Decoration (shop A11, 18 Hong On Street, Kornhill, tel: 2348 6090), is made of cedar with a floor-to-ceiling steel support and runs from the balcony along the side of the apartment (affording the living room privacy, too). The wooden slats were made in different sizes to add a sense of dynamism. Styling Vivien Jones