When Rebecca Howe moved to Aberdeen four years ago she was, she says, shifting into a 'new age' phase of her life. Not surprisingly, the space she would inhabit had to fulfil certain criteria: for fung shui purposes Hong Kong's south side, she believed, was optimal, and for work and other reasons, she needed lots of room. Not only did she have a mag- pie's tendency to collect things that caught her eye, she also had to accommodate her Egyptian gods, Tibetan singing bowls, tarot cards and various other spiritual accoutrements. And she wanted to create an uplifting interior, which is why she settled on a design recalling the white-on-white style of Miami's Delano Hotel.
Months away from beginning a new chapter in life, she sits in her bedroom with husband Ken, talking about the house they are building for themselves and reminiscing about the 'healing centre' she'll be leaving behind.
'I think I'll miss this place but it's the singleton part of my life,' she says. 'I'm now married; I should be more grounded.'
Specifically, she adds, she will miss the spacious whiteness of her 3,000 sq ft industrial unit, which, being on a high floor, once afforded views of Shouson Hill (until an oppressive high-rise sprouted in front of her building). No doubt she will have fond memories of the multi-purpose space she created from the acres of diaphanous material that swathe the 'rooms' in which she works, relaxes, sleeps and entertains.
On a tight budget to convert the unit when she took over the lease, she used curtains to create separate spaces, including a his-and-hers study with an 'altar', an open kitchen and dining area, a living room and a bedroom, behind which she built a false wall to make a separate area for hundreds of pairs of shoes. The rear of the unit includes a general storage space and two dressing rooms: hers, with its film-star charm, is laced with feather boas, a chandelier and a make-up table crowded with gold-topped Annick Goutal perfumes.
'There was a global sheer-curtain shortage after she kitted out this place,' jokes Ken, proprietor of three beach clubs and the Varga cocktail lounge in Staunton Street, describing how their new home will have to meld his preferred 'beach-bohemian chic' look and her 'feminine, frilly' tastes.