Ilse Crawford makes people her design priority

If the world of interior design had not already claimed her as one of its brightest stars, Briton Ilse Crawford would probably have been just as happy as an anthropologist.

The designer's modus operandi goes far beyond mere efficient use of space and arrangement of beautiful things to encompass a fascination with the people who will inhabit the spaces she creates.

"I find life - people and their quirks - endlessly fascinating," said Crawford, 51, in Hong Kong recently for the opening of Duddell's, an innovative cultural and dining "hub" for the art community.

"It is so interesting to see each project unfold and watch how people connect. The trouble is that so many of the spaces we inhabit are too complete. They don't allow people to complete them. The design should be the background, not the foreground."

Crawford's obsession with new realities that create a human connection to space is evident in Duddell's, which boasts a 10,000 square foot interior spread over two floors and featuring a blend of silver travertine and smooth concrete highlighted with bronze and oak.

The lower level is a modern-Chinese-cuisine restaurant, while upstairs has a private-club-like ambience, with lounge spaces decorated with a mixture of classic and bespoke-design furniture, a chic bar and a well-stocked library - plus a 2,000 sqft landscaped outdoor terrace furnished with large sofas.