Eclectic art, upcycled furniture in Hong Kong home complete with roof terrace perfect for entertaining friends
- Interior designer Aviva Duncan moves every few years, most recently to a 2,000 sq ft flat in Stanley with a spacious roof terrace
- She filled each room with art, upcycled a few existing pieces of furniture and carved out a space for a home office in a recess off the living room
Moving home is considered one of the most stressful things in life, but not if you’re Aviva Duncan. The interior designer almost relishes the prospect of packing up and starting again in a new space, and recently moved home from Mid-Levels in the northern part of Hong Kong Island to a 2,000 sq ft (186 square metre) flat in Stanley on the island’s south side for a lifestyle change.
“I have moved a fair amount, so I have it down to a fine art,” says Australian-born Duncan, who has lived in Hong Kong for more than 20 years. “I often visit a new apartment a few times before moving in so I can visualise where my furniture will go.
“I also always book someone to hang pictures and lights the day we move in. It’s typically a three-day process from start to finish and after the third day, there won’t be a packing box in sight.”
It was a bonus that her latest three-bedroom, two-bathroom flat was in great condition. There were no dark rooms to deal with or ugly fixtures to disguise. Duncan even gave her new landlord the colour specifications for the paint she had in mind, and he made sure her walls looked fresh before she took over the lease.
“Most apartments have some unattractive aspects and I’ve spent a lot of time and energy covering up unsightly things,” says Duncan, who has many strings to her design bow, from getting homes in tiptop shape to attract buyers to creating bespoke rugs or teaching summer design courses.
“Everything worked, and I didn’t have to do anything to make this apartment liveable, which is very unusual for Hong Kong, especially for someone as fussy as me.”