Variety performance

To say that Sophie Agostini’s home is bursting with life would be an understatement. The 2,600 sq ft flat in Mid-Levels that she and her husband, John, have rented for the past eight years is filled with art, books, antique furniture and all sorts of curios that have been received as gifts, picked up on travels or bought in Hong Kong, where they have lived for 12 years since moving from their native Australia.

“The block was built in 1974, so the flat is relatively old in Hong Kong terms, but this means it has amazing space,” says Agostini, a real-estate agent. “We rent the apartment so we can’t change its structure but we have repainted and fixed it up. With these older-style apartments, you make the most of what you have. Every two years, when we renew our lease, I change it all around and move furniture and artwork.”

An eclectic mixture of old and new, her three-bedroom, three-bathroom flat is a treasure trove of fascinating pieces – most of which have a story behind them. Take the antique bamboo painting table that sits at the back of the dining area. Agostini bought it years ago on a furniture-buying trip to Zhongshan, in Guangdong province, and called her husband to tell him about it.

He happened to be in an antiques store in Ap Lei Chau, where he was advised against the purchase because the table would probably have woodworm.