Having lived in homes that could have done with a spruce up for eight years, Australian Cheri Holle relished the opportunity to redesign from scratch the Discovery Bay apartment she now shares with her husband, Stephan. 'We've always decorated nicely but it's frustrating having to work around skanky fittings,' says Holle. 'It's so nice to have everything the way you want it - nice and clean and practical.' Holle, who worked as an airline marketing executive for 15 years, admits to an interior design background in her distant past. 'But I'm not really an interior designer,' she says. 'Although I am good at the practical side of things. And I love decorating, it's a lot of fun.' For Holle, the fun is in the details. A number of thoughtful features have been neatly incorporated into her two-bedroom 1,280 sq ft home. In the master bathroom, soft lighting comes on automatically from under the cabinet when someone enters the room and plenty of storage space has been tucked away behind the bathroom's large mirror while just below the counter, a hairdryer is permanently on hand, with the cord fixed into an outlet at the back of a drawer. The flat has been double-glazed against external noise - traffic may not be an issue in car-free Discovery Bay but high-spirited children's games outside can be a distraction - and within, all of the fittings have been kept off the floor as a precaution. 'I've heard that there's sometimes a problem with the drains and pipes and if the floor does get flooded, everything would get ruined straight away. This way, you minimise the damage and, also, it looks nice and light having everything off the floor like that,' says Holle, who planned and oversaw every detail of the renovation. '[Stephan] didn't have very much input although he did choose some architraves,' says Holle. 'But I looked at them and said, 'Yuk' so they were pulled out pretty quickly. The study desks were his idea, though, and they worked out really well.' Two white desks, streamlined and extra-wide, look like they have been built into the study, but they stand on castors. 'We thought that if we ever wanted to rent the place later on, we could just roll them out and be able to offer a third bedroom,' says Holle. Despite their size, the desks are eclipsed by four computer screens, used by pilot Stephan for his two main hobbies: trading and flight simulation gaming. 'It's so typical of a pilot to fly a plane all day and then want to come home at night and play flying games on the computer,' says Holle. In terms of decoration, simple white and teak furn- ishings have been contrasted with red ochre accents and a number of Asian pieces. 'I like red - it's such a happy colour,' enthuses Holle. She attributes the Asian flavour to personal preferences rather than to living in Hong Kong. 'I've always been fascinated by Asia. My first project at school was on China. I was about nine years old and I've been hooked ever since.' Despite the renovation straddling the Christmas and Lunar New Year holidays last year, the project was completed on time, a fact that Holle attributes to knowing precisely what she wanted. Buoyed by the success, she plans to launch a decorating business this year. 'Decor-aid is going to be a service for people who have a plan and maybe even a contractor but are not sure of what to do next.' Holle's home is a showcase for how practical considerations and a thoughtful approach to furniture buying can make for an effortlessly comfortable home. 1 The white sectional sofa, custom made for HK$17,000 by Intend Furniture (26/F, Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau, tel: 3527 0795), is set off by a rust-coloured rug (HK$3,580) from Tequila Kola (1/F, Horizon Plaza, tel: 2877 3295) and an eye-catching painting of an Australian landscape from Dafen artists village, in Shenzhen. The tapered teak shelving unit was HK$13,950 from Tree (28/F, Horizon Plaza, tel: 2870 1582). The television console was built and installed by contractor Sam Kee Floor Engineering (Flat G, 12/F, Greenmont Court, Discovery Bay, tel: 9029 6144) for HK$2,000. Grey ceramic floor tiles, which were sourced from Hop Hing Lung Materials (235 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2511 3013) and laid by the contractor, are used throughout the flat. 2 The bright modern kitchen features a grey Technistone countertop (HK$25,320) and white cabinets (HK$69,000), both sourced and installed by Euro Cucina (8/F, 369 Lockhart Road, tel: 3690 2382). The white Lem Piston- style bar chairs were picked up at Kai Ngai Furniture (328 Lockhart Road, tel: 2573 1196) for HK$900 each. 3 The master bathroom echoes the kitchen with white cabinetry and a grey countertop, both installed by the contractor for about HK$6,000. The leaf-shaped basin was HK$500 from Classic Bathroom Accessories (249 Lockhart Road, tel: 2802 0382). 4 The solid teak table (HK$10,750) is paired with Ming dynasty-inspired teak chairs (HK$2,500 each) and simply decorated with a silver coral-pattern bowl, all from Tree. On the wall is an antique cedar-wood decorative frame, which complements the naked wood of the dining table. 5 A substantial garden is excellent for entertaining. The far end has been made into a dining patio with an open view of the bay. The table and chairs were brought from Australia, as were the cordless illuminated stools. Purchased for A$850 (HK$5,880) each from Neoz ( www.neoz.com.au ), the stools emit ambient light that lasts for up to 33 hours on a full charge. 6 A large window fills the master bedroom with light and affords a view of the garden. Above the bed, bought many years ago in Australia, is a pair of wall-mounted lights, which cost HK$468 each from Modern Lighting (357 Lockhart Road, tel: 2877 8666). The window blind was made and installed by Intend Furniture for HK$2,240. 7 The study desks, which were fitted with concealed castors to make them easy to remove, were custom made to homeowner Cheri Holle's specifications for HK$9,500. The ergonomic chair was bought from Ikea (various locations; www.ikea.com.hk ) for HK$2,190. The computer system and four screens were purchased from P-Solution in Discovery Bay (1/F, Block C, Discovery Bay Plaza, tel: 2987 1773; price on application). 8 A second patio has a timber dining table (HK$5,500) and chairs purchased years ago from Resource Asia (9/F, Horizon Plaza, tel: 2554 9088). A nondescript grey wall, which blocks the neighbouring flats from view, has been covered with a running-water feature, made and installed by the contractor for HK$9,500. Tried + tested Slick screens Practical considerations prevented owner Cheri Holle from choosing concertina-style folding doors to lead into the garden. 'They look good and are all the rage right now but people don't seem to think about mosquitoes.' Instead, a six-track sliding door system ensures that screens can easily be pulled into use when needed. Styling David Roden
