Having lived for four years in a 'dark flat surrounded by dark wood furniture', Judith Bailey was looking for a change. She knew she had found the solution when she came across the airy, sunny, semi-detached Sai Kung house she now calls home.
With 15 years of interior-design experience, Bailey oversaw the three-month renovation herself, collaborating daily with her contractor, Power Smart Engineering, while staying in a rented apartment nearby with her two children.
The British single mother and entrepreneur, whose brand of eco-friendly, fair-trade burlap tote bags has won design awards in Australia, kept the cost and carbon footprint of purchases down by sourcing materials locally. Using her eye for detail, she then filled the 3,500 sq ft, multilevel house with unusual and striking features.
'All my curtains and carpeting came from a little shop in Sai Kung town,' Bailey says. 'I found sofas in Ap Lei Chau and rugs in Kowloon. The things I spent money on are the details.'
The kitchen-cum-dining area, which she calls the heart of the house, illustrates Bailey's love of strong, clean lines, subtle patterns and versatile lighting.
By removing a wall that divided the two spaces, she created a more sociable cooking and dining space. A beautifully crafted, reclaimed elm wood dining table and a striking, sculptural light fixture - 'Guests often comment that I have a UFO hovering in my dining room' - serve as centrepieces. The long stretch of white counter space contrasts boldly with laminated black cabinets, which are complemented by a mirrored splash back with an abstract botanical motif designed by Bailey.