You can also use simple hooks from your local hardware store as an alternative. Below the hooks, house your shoes in open wooden boxes or crates, which can double as a seat and storage platform.

2 Take the doors off your wardrobe

Open wardrobes may save you an extra 10 minutes each morning because you can see everything immediately, but they do require some styling. For a sleek look, group your clothes by colour and start with darker pieces as the bookends. Then gradually move from dark to light with whites in the middle. Make sure you use matching coat hangers and space them evenly. Designer shopping bags, suitcases and gift boxes can act as storage for untidy items such as underwear or jewellery. For a relaxed look, suspend a rod from the ceiling, but first check if your ceiling can take the weight. Paint the wall behind the rack a fun colour, or wallpaper the back with inspirational photos or daily quotes.

3 Open kitchen shelving

Exposed metal shelves and simple metal hanging grids put your utensils within arms reach, so you can cook like a chef in a utilitarian commercial kitchen. With this industrial style, the more packed the shelves are, the better. Matching metal bowls can house your small forks and spoons, and you can hang large utensils on the hanging grid or down the side of the shelf if space is tight.

For softer, Hamptons-style kitchen shelves, use simple wood panels and an ornate L-bracket. Cluster a group of mason jars in different sizes and fill them with foods like corn kernels, peanuts, and prunes to add texture and colour. Enhance the effect with your favourite glasses, cookbooks and serving plates arranged at alternating heights.

4 A ladder in the bathroom

Extra storage in the bathroom is always handy, but annoyingly many landlords in Hong Kong don’t permit drilling into wall tiles. This Nomad Shelf System from Skagerak provides a space-saving storage solution, so you can showcase bathroom products and hang your towels.

Face pads and ear buds look great on display in clear glass containers. For a cost-effective alternative, use an old ladder and create DIY shelves using metal baskets. Or just pick up a colourful bamboo ladder to give your bathroom a Hong Kong touch.

5 Floating objects

Give an empty wall a sophisticated makeover with a floating shelf display. Install the shelves directly above one another and spaced evenly (30cm-35cm is enough for most books). Choose groups of books, and alternate their direction.

Leave spaces between each cluster to make room for your mementos. Experiment with placing objects at an angle, or have some close to the wall and others at the edge of the shelf. The beauty is you can change the display for every season.

6 Coffee station and bar

Whether you are a coffee connoisseur or an after-hours mixologist, the dining room can be the perfect setting for an open bar or coffee station with the use of a simple bar cart, console or open shelving unit. Place items you use the most, like sugar, coffee pot, glasses and alcohol on the top shelf.

If there are shelves below, use baskets to store glasses, napkins or coasters. Scatter some photos, flowers or plants to soften the setting.