Rotate, reuse, recycle – words to redecorate by for this Hongkonger

“Buy it once and buy it well” is the adage Nadia Karoubi Grainger lives by and the advice she gives clients of her company NKG Lifestyle, which sources home furnishings with an emphasis on well-crafted pieces that are meant to last.

Since landing in Hong Kong 30 years ago with her English husband, Mark, who grew up in the city, Karoubi Grainger has mindfully collected furniture and other treasures from all over the world, including items that reflect her own French-Arab heritage. “Some people like their place all sorted straight away but then you have to buy fast and I don’t like to do that,” she says. “I’d rather leave it empty until I find the right piece for the space.”

In 2017, after living on the Island’s Southside for many years and then buying a family home in Pok Fu Lam upon the arrival of their children – Rayan and Ines Jade, now 16 and 12, respectively – the couple decided to sell up and move into a 3,000 sq ft, three-bedroom rental flat on Blue Pool Road.

Their furniture shifted with them but so did many fixtures and fittings. “I loved the kitchen we had in Pok Fu Lam. When we moved out, it was all going to be destroyed, which was such a shame because it was still in perfect condi­tion. So I brought it with me to replace the one here, which wasn’t great,” Karoubi Grainger says. “I love that it came from Ikea because it shows you don’t have to spend a lot of money. You can still have something chic if you choose well.

“I like to recycle and reuse – it’s just natural,” she says, pointing out the seat cushions in the new-old kitchen that have been upholstered with repurposed dhurrie rugs.

In the three en-suite bathrooms, two of the vanities and all of the toilets also came from the Pok Fu Lam flat.