He felt there was little point redoing the kitchen, since he rarely cooks, and that replacing the flooring would be too much hassle. Instead, he concentrated on areas that were important to him, such as the bathroom and the creation of a spacious walk-in wardrobe in place of the second bedroom.
“The kitchen was old-fashioned but Chris initially didn’t want to renovate it, so I had to respect that,” recalls the Ibizan designer, whom Yim had chosen to work on the project thanks to their shared love of white-on-white and ultra-minimal design.
“Additionally, he’d had a bad experience with renovations in the past so was understandably nervous. By the end of the four-month project, he had completely relaxed and got on board with the whole process.
“We renovated the kitchen, redid the flooring and changed the window frames – none of which had been in the original scope.
I’m a huge fan of marble but I tend not to offer it to my clients as it’s so porous and hard to take care of. Plus, these days, synthetic alternatives look amazing
“Chris realised that by keeping old elements of the flat, they would devalue the newly refurbished features.”
Yim, who grew up in Hong Kong and works in the hotel industry, wanted a sleek, chic, clutter-free flat that would match his sense of style. A fan of monochrome design, he requested a lot of crisp whites and contrasting matt black accents – somewhere the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld would have been proud to call home.
“The concept wasn’t about creating the most beautiful home but the most functional for Chris’ needs,” says Butler.
Top of the list were the wardrobes, which needed to accommodate Yim’s clothes, shoes and accessories in a precise and tasteful way (see Tried + tested below).
Butler recalls this was probably the most challenging aspect of the job, because Yim had stipulated the exact number of drawers and compartments to be incorporated and she was worried that not everything would fit.
But her meticulous calculations and numerous 3D drawings paid off; there is even spare space should Yim wish to expand his fashion collection.
A lack of depth because of a fixed pipe shaft in one corner led to the creation of slim black shelves for coffee table books, which breaks up the regularity of the white wardrobes. Butler also designed a bespoke desk to fit into an awkward corner of the room.
Once the matt black theme that runs through the apartment had been established, the green window frames jarred with Yim’s aesthetics. Although building regulations didn’t allow them to be changed externally, Butler’s contractor proposed using black frames indoors and green outside to keep the flat’s colour scheme consistent.
At the other end of the main room, she installed large mirrors to reflect the green mountain views and help illuminate the darker dining area.
To keep within budget, Butler opted for high-quality faux materials rather than the real things. She used synthetic marble in the kitchen and sourced stone plastic composite flooring, which looks like wood and is more durable than run-of-the-mill laminate.
In the sole bathroom, she made a monolithic-looking sink out of one block of synthetic stone, which has a perimeter gap at its base, rather than a conventional plughole, for waste water.
She also added features to make the space more elegant, such as ceiling mouldings and European-style skirting boards – which tend to be taller than those typically found in Hong Kong.
“I’m a huge fan of marble but I tend not to offer it to my clients as it’s so porous and hard to take care of. Plus, these days, synthetic alternatives look amazing,” says Butler. “The key is to ensure even the smallest details are perfect so that everything looks much more expensive than it actually is.
“I don’t think good interior design has to be complicated or cost a fortune, and is all about how you interpret a space to fit your client’s needs.”
Living area
At the far end of the living area are Elephant chairs by Charles Eames from Vitra (vitra.com) and bespoke curtains bought years ago from a shop no longer in business.
The directional track lighting came from PLC Lighting (plc.com.hk) and the Daphine floor lamps on either side of the sofa in black soft-touch finish are by Tommaso Cimini for Lumina Italia (lumina.it).
The square Tray table by Hay came from Finnish Design Shop (finnishdesignshop.com).
Living area
The Mags 2.5 seater modular sofa and ottoman by Hay came from Really Well Made (reallywellmade.co.uk) and the cushions from H&M Home (hm.com). The black Kiffa round table by Innovation Living was from Homeless (homeless.hk) and the custom-made bamboo silk rug from Craverugs via Etsy (etsy.com).
The television unit was from BoConcept (boconcept.com) and the faux fur throw from the Four Seasons Hotel gift shop.
Dining area
The Prouve-style black dining table and Elbow-style dining chairs were from Decor8 (decor8.com). The Drop pendant light in bronze finish was from 101 Copenhagen (101cph.com) and the black lacquered sideboard was custom made by House of Butler.
The Natural Pearl Grey SPC flooring in matt finish came from Pacific Flooring (pls.hk) and flows from one room to another without seams or transition strips.
Dining area detail
The Lao elephant paperweight came from Hermès (hermes.com). The custom-made mirrors with thin black stainless-steel frames were from AD Décor (adhome-hk.myshopify.com/) and reflect the views at the other end of the room.
Kitchen
The kitchen was designed and installed by House of Butler (houseofbutler.hk), with faux marble countertops and splashback. The surround LED ceiling light came from Ikea (ikea.com.hk).
Bathroom
The bathroom was designed and installed by House of Butler. It features a monolithic-looking sink made from a block of synthetic stone. The black heated towel rail was from My Home (myhome-hk.com).
Study
The wardrobes and corner desk were designed and made by House of Butler and the Elbow-style dining chair was from Decor8. The Audo Ray portable lamp was from Homeless. The blinds were from Bobo Deco (bobodeco.com).
Wardrobe detail
The wardrobes were designed and made by House of Butler. The narrow shelves are in the same colour as the wardrobe interiors to keep the palette minimal.
Tried + tested
Amy Butler designed a nifty cabinet in the dressing room to fit 80 pairs of shoes. Because of insufficient space, the first row on each shelf is slightly raised at the heel and staggered, allowing room for a second row behind it. The footwear is on pull-out trays so it is more easily accessible.