Domestic harmony

Published: 12:00am, 21 Nov 2010

Home, for Georgie Inglis, is a haven of peace and harmony that makes the most of its surroundings. Her 3,000 sq ft Pok Fu Lam apartment, which she shares with her husband and their three young children, overlooks the sea at the front and enjoys green views from the rear.

Much of the mellowness, however, oozes from within. Careful planning of the interior and judicious product sourcing have helped turn the colonial-era apartment into a sanctuary.

Nine years ago, the native New Zealanders arrived in Hong Kong, having spent several months trekking across South America.

'We came with two backpacks,' Inglis says, as she surveys the ample contents of her home. 'Now we've filled a whole house.'

Inglis, who had trained as an interior designer, stumbled upon a school of thought that was to become a central tenet of her design philosophy: fung shui.

'My husband bought me a book about it for my birthday. I found it really fascinating,' she says.

She went on to study with fung shui master Raymond Lo, using the ancient art to create harmony in her home. Now she offers the service through her own fung shui consultancy service, Zeaki (www.zeaki.com).

To the untrained eye, the apartment bears no trace of contrivance or obvious fung shui touches. The hall leads into a grand living room, where large paintings line the rear wall. Furniture, in wood and muted shades, is generously spaced around the centre of the room. Sliding glass doors lead out to the balcony, where a seating area to one side features an unusual coffee table (see Tried + tested). The rest of the large, square space stands empty, dominated by the sea views and skyline.

The large living area was created by removing the doors separating it from the dining area. A corridor behind the dining area leads to spacious bedrooms, all decorated in pale colours.

Throughout the home, the muted palette and simple textures of the furniture allow Inglis' art and unusual ornaments to shine. Unique pieces sourced in New Zealand rub shoulders with modern Asian artworks.

The result is subtly stylish as well as inviting and comfortable, but it's difficult to pick out any one element that is responsible for creating the warm ambience.

Inglis puts it down to the intricacies of fung shui. Creating a harmonious home environment can soothe the inhabitants, she says, adding, 'More often than not, people are looking for peace of mind.'

1 The yellow painting and the one on the right were bought in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The Buddha-head artwork and coffee table (HK$3,900) came from online Asian-art gallery Interior Journeys (www.piprooke.com). The custom-made couch was HK$8,000 from Casa Vogue (165 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, tel: 2529 4841). The lamp, one of a pair, cost HK$2,500 at White Contemporary Homewares (Prince's Building, Central, tel: 2526 8482). The velvet-upholstered oak bench was custom made by New Bedford Interiors (HK$3,700; 67 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, tel: 2520 0330). The horseshoe chair (HK$2,000) and antique wine urn (HK$900) came from Red Cabinet (31/F, Universal Trade Centre, 3 Arbuthnot Road, Central, tel: 2536 0123). The long white console table was made for HK$3,500 by Namxing Construction (2/F, Block 2, Yip On Factory Estate, Wang Hoi Road, Kowloon Bay, tel: 2756 3318). The tamarind-wood ball came from Crop Design in Bali (e-mail: [email protected]).

2 The climbing man figure was bought online at www.soeurdesign.com. The elm console table cost HK$1,800 at L&E Arts and Craft (21/F, Remex Centre, 42 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, tel: 2546 9886). The pencil drawing to the right of the mirror is a portrait of Georgie Inglis' grandfather-in-law, by Lana Vincent. The convex mirror was HK$1,900 from Indigo Living (6/F, Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau, tel: 2555 0540).

3 The focus of the dining area is a large artwork titled Flooding Street by Yeung Tong-lung (sourced by art firm Deem, tel: 9054 1340). The wooden dining table cost HK$7,999 from Shambala (2/F, Horizon Plaza, tel: 2555 2997). The dining chairs were HK$1,700 each from Interior Journeys.

4 The bed in the children's room cost HK$3,200 from Namxing Construction. The cot was second-hand. The shelf unit (HK$980) and paper ceiling light (HK$150) both came from Ikea (various branches; www.ikea.com.hk).

5 In the main bathroom, the elm cabinet used for towel storage cost HK$500 from L&E Arts and Craft. The silver bowl was a wedding gift. The small artworks are oils on canvas by Christina McDonald, bought at www.soeurdesign.com. The bath mat cost HK$299 at Ikea.

6 The bed (HK$17,000) came from Wing On (211 Des Voeux Road Central, Sheung Wan, tel: 2852 1888) and the headboard was made for HK$2,500 by Namxing Construction with material Inglis found in Sham Shui Po. Bedside lamps (HK$800 each) from Inside (2/F, Prince's Building, Central, tel: 2537 6298) sit on elm tables that cost HK$1,200 each from L&E Arts and Craft. The wire bust came from www.soeurdesign.com.

7 The two-piece couch was made by New Bedford Interiors for HK$6,000. The Charlotte armchairs were HK$1,950 each from Everything Under The Sun (16/F, Horizon Plaza, tel: 2554 9088). The wooden Buddha head was bought in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The stone statues were HK$600 each from Craftwork Exhibition Centre (www.lztssd.com), in Shenzhen. 'The tree represents the wood element and the stone statues represent the earth element,' Inglis says. '[They] support and strengthen mountain star No 1, which translates to the health and relationship of the family.'

Tried + tested

Warped recovery

After rain warped her wooden tabletop, Georgie Inglis weather-proofed it in a novel way - by covering it with brushed stainless steel given to her by a neighbour. The steel top was produced by Fuyau Creative & Manufacturing (HK$1,500; 1/F, Kowloon Bay Industrial Centre, 15 Wang Hoi Road, tel: 2305 3612).

Styling David Roden

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