The house that Mandy d'Abo calls home, along Hong Kong Island's south coast, has some impressive pieces of contemporary art.

The founder of The Cat Street Gallery and The Space has had a long association with the art world.

"My home is an extension of the gallery and all the artists I represent," d'Abo said, adding that she only represents artists whose work she loves and whom she has a great working relationship with.

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, d'Abo has always had the "travel bug'' and has lived in Sydney and New York for 10 years prior to calling Hong Kong home. Before moving to this two-floor garden house in Stanley, d'Abo and her husband John, along with their two children Louis and Poppy, had lived in Repulse Bay in an old 1960s apartment but the landlord decided to renovate.

"So three months ago I had to start looking for a new home which is not an easy thing in HK. There are very few special places on the market and the rents are very high," she said.

The gallery owner had very clean ideas about what she wanted for the house -- a space for her family, her art, a garden for the kids and dogs and a place to entertain.

"I love my home to be always full of friends and fun," she said.

During the search, she saw this stand-alone house built in 1956 and fell in love.

"It is unique and has a great energy. It is wonderful to be walking distance from Stanley market, my flower stall, restaurants and the beach. I love the feeling like I live in a village, which is rare in HK, as you have to drive everywhere normally," d'Abo said.

"The house has always been greatly loved and was in good condition. I wanted a few cosmetic changes - wooden laminate floors downstairs instead of ceramic tiles - the wooden laminate is extraordinary – looks just like whitewashed wood, but is a laminate and brilliantly easy to keep clean with lots of kids and dogs running about," she added.

Before the decoration started, d'Abo walked through the house and visualized how she wanted it to look. "I wanted to keep it bright, light and fresh. So we ripped up all the carpets upstairs and restored the original beautiful wooden teak floors, freshened up the kitchen with 'poppy red' laminate on the cupboard doors and marble counter tops, mirror laminate on our bedroom cupboards," she said. "There was not a bath in either of the bathrooms, so we put in a bath in the guest bathroom and turned the fourth bedroom into a study for me and a TV room for the kids."

The house makes an instant impact through its unexpected sense of space and light. It provides a sequence of generous, well-lit spaces for both family life and entertaining. With a fairly strong artistic streak, and a unique eye for beauty and taste, d'Abo chose everything to reflect a boldness of spirit, with layers of her personality.

More than 80 percent of the displays, excluding the furniture, are contemporary artworks. The approach is broadcast loud and clear when entering the ground level, where your eyes are never bored.

She worked with interior designer David Roden to pull everything together.

"I had a real sense of what I wanted in bringing together all the art and furniture we have collected over the years. David was fantastic to work with and is so much fun to work with - he has a brilliant sense of color and space and helped orchestrate bringing all the elements together," d'Abo said.

"It can be so overwhelming when you move and start to unpack, and he was a genius at helping me place things and guiding me. We had a lot of fun decorating my new place," she added.

Roden helped d'Abo choose a new sofa in an extra large size in neutral woven linen, not to distract from the artworks and to go with the existing sofas the couple already had in the living room. The sofa is large enough so that the whole family can stretch out on it together. They had a large square ottoman made to match the sofa and the large, see-through acrylic coffee table to keep the space looking clear yet functional.

"The cushions we chose also reflected some continuity with a few of the paintings on the walls. We found an ikat fabric that d'Abo had bought in Java, Indonesia, years before and turned it into four exciting black-and-white cushions for the living room," Roden said.

D'Abo displays her pieces with an impeccable eye for art and constantly moves things around. The sculptures were placed in the right spots, with enough space to give one a great perspective, as you can view them from different angles as you walk around. The house even had some recessed spaces that some sculptures fit perfectly.

"As silver was the prominent metal in Mandy's collection we reflected this by covering the footstools in silver linen in the living room and chose a silver ball lamp over the dining room table," Roden said.

The second floor has a more calming restful feeling as it is composed of the master bedroom, children's rooms and the family room. The straight lines of the layout and contemporary furnishings are balanced with the homeowner's collection of Oriental-style furniture and sophisticated ornaments. The simple, practical backdrop is softened with plenty of colorful prints and patterns on accessories.

The master bedroom is spacious and bright, which has direct access to a lovely terrace. The children's rooms are colorful and bright, with lots of pinks in the girl's room and complimentary colors in her son's room. The guest room/office is in a more neutral scheme except for a Sri Lankan rocking chair covered in a lime green chenille fabric to add some zest.

The gallery owner loves to add her personal touch and she has realized the potential of different culture sources and design elements to impart "magical moods."

"I'm always collecting things whilst I'm on my travels and everything tells a story or has a memory - whether it is a Hamman towel I bought in Beruit or porcupine quills from Africa or antique mirror from Vietnam," d'Abo said.

The amazing artworks and things collected from different countries bring soul and color into d'Abo's home. This is a home where detail on detail creates a "wow" factor without overwhelming.


THE DESIGNER

Who is he?

David Roden is an interior designer and stylist who has lived in Hong Kong since 1966. He has also worked on film, movies, TV commercials, private homes, nightclubs, cocktail bars and retail spaces in London, Australia, Bahrain, New York and Hong Kong. (www.davidroden.yolasite.com)

Tell us some of your works and name the one you are most proud of.

I mostly decorate private homes now and I am proud of all of these. One of my favorite designs is Varga cocktail lounge in the Soho area of Central in Hong Kong. I am proud that so many people from the public get to enjoy the atmosphere that I had so much fun putting together. I also enjoyed decorating a replica of a 17th-century French Chateau that was built in Hong Kong in the 1970s.

Are you currently involved with any project?

I am currently working with an architect consulting on art, sculptures and accessories for a three-story penthouse in Hong Kong. I have been given the opportunity to humanize a large space with many facets and find this enjoyable. I am also working on two private homes presently.

Describe your design style.

My design style is East-meets-West.

Where are you most creative?

When I see a vision of a place in my mind before anything has been put into reality.

What does your home mean to you?

My home means a place that is a quiet sanctuary, in the countryside, away from the hustle and bustle and the city. It's where I can concentrate on developing new ideas for the future with the sound of nature to inspire me.

What do you collect?

I collect vintage fabrics and crystal singing bowls.

Where would you like to go most in Shanghai?

I would like to go to the famous 80-year-old Gongdelin Vegetarian Restaurant on Nanjing Road.

What will be the next big design trend?

The next big design trend that is the most important, will be anything that has been made out of recycled, sustainable and/or bio degradable materials.