Having a view was a priority for Americans Fifi and Falanka Fields when they moved to Hong Kong five years ago and started apartment hunting. So, too, was space: both wanted their own office, a guest room and, says Fifi Fields, a place 'gracious enough' in which to entertain'. Their wish was fulfilled in a 5,000 sq ft Mid-Levels flat, which they rent, with a spectacular vista, sizeable rooms, a kitchen fitted with professional equipment and a cosy balcony off the master bedroom in addition to a private terrace and pool. Layout-wise, it was different to the homes the couple had been used to but its configuration appealed.
'Apartments in New York are more structured,' Fields says. 'You have a formal dining room and a formal living room, and that's what I'd been used to. But here it was so nice to see this open space with this magnificent view. Everything just flows.'
The main door of the flat opens onto a dining area and kitchen, in front of which, beyond a breakfast zone, is the heated pool. To the left of the entrance, decorated simply with a 'meditation chair', is the living area as well as the bedrooms and offices.
Chinese influences permeate the apartment. Antique pieces of furniture are paired with, among other things, bold calligraphy, paintings of hutong alleyway homes, modern interpretations of horseshoe-backed chairs and a framed imperial robe trimmed in yellow. With guidance from friend and jewellery designer Kai-yin Lo, Fields trawled through some of Hong Kong's best shops to furnish her home. Her A-list included Arch Angel Antiques, Altfield and Armani Casa.
'I came here not really knowing much about Asian antiques or design,' Fields says. 'But that's what I wanted to learn about.'
She also became familiar with fung shui fixes. 'I went over everything [with a consultant] before we had even furnished the place,' says Fields, explaining why red objects can be found only in the bathroom attached to her office.
