A Parisian artist’s 1960s gallery-like home in Hong Kong

Artist Daphné Mandel’s apartment on The Peak is a legacy of a different era. Built in 1965 for civil servants, the colonial govern­ment block appears unassuming and utilitarian. The aesthetic is strictly no-frills: there is no glossy marble lobby, clubhouse or swanky water feature here. Its luxuries are space and location.

Built before air conditioning became ubiquitous, the 2,550 sq ft, three-bedroom apartment is large, airy and functional, with killer views and the period’s high ceilings and parquet floors. Painted crisp white, with light pouring in through wall-to-wall windows in every room, the space has a gallery-like quality. It is the perfect backdrop to Mandel’s artwork and her collection of mid-century furniture and accessories.

“It’s the right era,” she says of the apartment. “It’s good common-sense design. I like the rundown facades and the non-polished and unsophisticated finish of the interiors. It’s all about function and quality of space. It’s basic and sober, which is what you need if you want to bring your own personality to your home.

“I really like things from the 1950s; they are all very functional. I like objects with a backstory, that look like they have lived.”

Her bedroom, for example, features a 19th-century metal bookcase made by students of French architect Gustave Eiffel (of tower fame), who experimented with furniture made from industrial materials. The dining chairs have a similar lineage, and a worn metal console table in the living room started life in a military canteen (“Whenever we move, the removal men ask if it’s for the tip”).

“My furniture, objects and art pieces are all random finds from flea markets, antique dealers and shops that I have come across over the years,” Mandel says. “Many pieces are from my grandmother and my family – we all have similar taste.”