Symmetry keeps antique collector’s Hong Kong home looking curated not cluttered

David Halperin’s first encounter with Hong Kong was as a young United States Navy officer in the 1960s. He still remembers sailing through Victoria Harbour, wondering what life in the then British colony was like. Little did he know it would become his permanent home.

“After leaving the navy, I trained as a lawyer and came back to Hong Kong in 1976 for a job with an international law firm [for which he still works],” he says. “The key was buying an apartment rather than renting. Having some­where I owned, I felt more committed to the place and more settled.”

This 2,400 sq ft Mid-Levels flat was not his first purchase. Having lived nearby for 35 years in a similar-sized flat, when a five-bedroom apartment came up for sale in a building he knew and liked, he jumped at the chance. And not least because it had two reasonably sized staff rooms with windows and a rear lift, offering greater privacy for all concerned.

“My old flat needed renovating and the prospect of boxing up and storing all my stuff – which I have a lot of – moving out for six months and then moving everything back in again was daunting. It actually felt easier to buy somewhere else and have that renovated instead,” says Halperin, who also co-founded and co-owns Altfield Interiors and Gallery with his business partner, Amanda Clark, and has a passion for collecting antique furniture and Southeast Asian objets d’art.

Almost derelict and infested with termites, the flat had not been inhabited for years. And with the entire block undergoing an overhaul and shrouded in netted scaffold­ing, it was difficult to gauge its potential. But Halperin had faith. He roped in a close friend, designer Stephen James, of Softworks Studio, who had helped him refurbish a previous apartment as well as properties in Bangkok, Manila and New York, and a 10-month process began.

“David and I have worked together on many projects and we go through a lot of detailed drafts before anything physically happens,” says James. “This was a pretty major renovation but it was relatively straightforward and I think the investment of time before construction was worth it.”

Working with contractor Samson Lam Ying-leung, of All-In Decorator, James changed all the multi-paned windows to expansive picture windows and replaced the wiring and plumbing. He turned two smaller bedrooms into a master suite, complete with a spacious bathroom and dressing room, and moved walls to enlarge the kitchen and include a pantry. He dedicated another bedroom to guests and created a flexible sitting room/study with a sofa bed and adjoining bathroom that can accommodate extra visitors.

“I love entertaining,” says Halperin. “Stephen trans­formed a small alcove into a separate dining room to seat at least 10 and I requested a large open living space because I host an annual Christmas party for up to 100 people so it needed to fit everyone in.”

James also replicated the marble fireplace in Halperin’s New York apartment, creating a focal point for his Hong Kong living room, and carved out an entrance hall to avoid Halperin’s pet hate of walking directly into the main space.

Comfortable sofas, chairs in textured fabrics and luxuriant rugs contribute to the flat’s classically elegant style but it is Halperin’s collections of decorative boxes, antique statues and art that heighten his home’s visual appeal. His love of symmetry means these treasures look curated rather than cluttered and they are comple­mented by floor-to-ceiling bookcases that stretch across the walls in several rooms.

“I am constantly running out of shelves,” he says. “But whatever size apartment I have, I will always fill it with wonderful books and treasures.”

Living room Stephen James of Softworks Studio designed the armchairs (HK$9,750 each, excluding fabric, made by Altfield), the rug (made by Freda Carpet, 338 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2521 6606) and the fireplace (made by International Marble Works, 19/F, 385 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2511 6727).

The side table between the armchairs, the coffee table and the cabinet with straw marquetry panels were all custom made by Alexander Lamont. The two-seater sofa (HK$15,200, excluding fabric) and three-seater sofa (HK$17,500, excluding fabric) were from Altfield. The two burl-wood side tables were purchased years ago from W/17 Home, and the 20th century Louis XV-style bergère chairs were made by a company that no longer exists.

The wall sconces are by Jonathan Browning from The Bright Group. The oil painting above the fireplace is by Kevin Kearns and came from Stricoff Fine Art.

Living room detail The photographic artwork of a library in Prague was by Rafael Neff and came from New York’s Lumas Gallery. The kamagong-wood table was made by Maria Closa in Manila. The antique statues from Cambodia (foreground) and Myanmar were bought decades ago. The antique Korean shagreen and mother-of-pearl inlaid chest beneath the table was bought in Seoul years ago.

David Halperin’s collection of antique boxes from India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia is displayed on the table and shelves. The Tibetan and Chinese rugs came from Altfield.

Kitchen The kitchen (HK$320,000, including cabinets, accessories, countertops and appliances) was designed and fitted by Elegant Kitchen, which also supplied the Electrolux wine fridge (HK$14,800). In a recess outside the kitchen is a reproduction French chest bought years ago from a company that is no longer in business.

It is enhanced by a William and Mary 17th century box from Alexander George Fine Antique Furniture and an oil painting by a Taiwanese artist that was bought at Art Central a few years ago.

Library A pair of 19th century Burmese dancing figures, bought from Lek Gallery in Bangkok (27/2 Charoen Krung Road, Bang Rak, tel: +66 2 639 5871), graces an alcove on one side of the sitting room/study door and an 18th century Burmese statue guards the other. The sofa bed (HK$15,200, excluding fabric) and Burmese alabaster seated Buddha (HK$55,000) both came from Altfield. James designed the rug, which was made by Freda Carpet.

The custom-made coffee table was by Lamont. At the far end of the room are English antiques: an early 19th century linen chest (£3,500/HK$33,000) and green stool (£250) bought years ago from Walton House Antiques and a side table (£7,000) from Patrick Sandberg. Both the Burmese papier maché Buddha head (on top of the linen chest) and the brown-glazed antique Cambodian water container have been in Halperin’s collection for decades.

The nest of low tables, on which the alabaster Buddha is seated, and the rectangular silver-glazed water container, now used as a vase, were found at a weekend market in Bangkok. The statue on the side table is a Cambodian antique from Lek Gallery. Stretching across an entire wall are illuminated bookshelves made by contractor Samson Lam of All-In Decorator.

Dining room What was little more than an alcove was extended into a dining room. The table, chairs and sideboard were designed to order by James and made by Peter & Son Furniture (2233 Sukhumvit Road, Bang Chak, Phra Khanong, Bangkok 10260). The antique brass candleholders on the table came from Walpoles (walpoleantiques.com), in London.

The curtains were made with Jim Thompson silk from Altfield (from HK$370 per square metre) and the rug, designed to order by James, was made by Freda Carpet. Contrasting with the Southeast Asian antique statues are an abstract artwork by the late Hong Kong artist Hon Chi-fun, bought years ago, and contemporary wall sconces (about HK$14,000 per pair) by Jonathan Browning from The Bright Group.

Main bedroom Above the bed, which came from Wing On department store, is an 18th century etching of a Chinese battle scene, engraved by Castiglione and commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor; it was found in a Parisian flea market about 30 years ago. The marble-topped bedside table was designed by James and made by All-In Decorator, which also made the bookshelves.

The antique desk was bought about 10 years ago for £1,400 from Edward Beresford and the antique library steps were £2,310 from Windsor House Antiques. The upholstered armchair (HK$9,750, excluding fabric) was from Altfield.

Guest room Photographs by Neff from Lumas Gallery flank a painting by Hong Kong artist Christopher Ku Mun-chiu (bought at the Hong Kong Art Fair). The guest beds were bought years ago from Wing On. The chest of drawers was £3,600 from J Roger Antiques and the lamp was HK$1,600 from Altfield.

Main bathroom The main bathroom was designed by James and the vanity unit (HK$37,000, including countertop, sink and taps) was made by Elegant Kitchen.

Tried + tested

Tied up A full-length mirror in the dressing room hides a tie cabinet, which was the perfect solution for a slender space that would have otherwise been wasted. Two tiers in the main body of the cabinet are augmented by more hanging space on the door.

“I’ve been buying two or three ties a year for 45 years, which adds up to a lot of ties so I definitely needed somewhere to store them all,” David Halperin says, laughing.