Things We Love

Little and lovely

Those lovely small snuff bottles all began during the Qing Dynasty (1644- 1911). Precious powdered tobacco was held in them, along with some herbs and spices, and the snuff was used as a remedy for colds and illnesses. Some bottles still have a little spoon attached to the stopper. Each of the tiny bottles are delicately illustrated with a scene or image that has a symbolic meaning. There are cranes, lotus flowers, dragonflies, and some are believed to boost health, focus, or determination.

Designed to fit into the palm of the user’s hand, the exquisite bottles can be made out of jade, agate, glass, wood, ivory, sterling silver, porcelain, or turquoise or ruby. The price varies – the collector’s pieces can be much sought-after. Half a dozen or so, organised prettily, will add whimsy to any dressing table.

Pick up some snuff bottles at the Jade Market, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon; and a friendly history lesson while viewing the displays at the Friendship Trading Company, 105-107 Hollywood Rd, Central adds an adventuresome touch and for some fun fossicking head to True Arts & Curios, 89-91 Hollywood Rd, Central.

Authentiques

A new section on the home page celebrates the lives and careers of expatriates living in Asia. A series of interviews will detail the lifestyles and work of people living away from their homes who have become known for their style, from fashion designers and artists, to others founding successful businesses. The first interview is with Melbourne-born owner of Authentiques, Kate Davies. Kate has lived in Hong Kong for over 17 years – she came in the late-90s to work as a television reporter before moving into the finance sector – and even though she still consults, her main focus is planning and carefully considering the beautiful 18th and 19th century antiques she imports from the United Kingdom and Europe. There is an exquisite sofa upholstered in blue Italian velvet, circa 1910, at her atelier in Sheung Wan, Central which Stylebrief is currently coveting – the arms and back lift off, making it a perfect bed for a guest room. Read on at The Expats…

Where are you from originally?
Born and bred in Melbourne, Australia.

How long have you lived in Hong Kong?
Seventeen fast years, since 1997.

What were you doing that brought you to HK?
I was a TV news reporter with the Seven Network in Melbourne. I knew Melbourne like the back of my hand and wanted to spread my wings and live in another city. I flew home from a European holiday via Hong Kong and fell in love with Hong Kong’s energy. I asked Seven if they could send me to Hong Kong to report on the Handover of Hong Kong in 1997 but they wouldn’t commit and always sent men on the overseas stories so I thought it was best I didn’t wait around to be rejected and miss out all together so I left and moved on my own to Hong Kong and started working with the Nine Network’s bureau in Hong Kong, plus I called in to a radio station 3AW with updates of the imminent Handover and the changes that were taking place in preparation, like the red post office letter boxes with the Queen’s emblem being replaced by plain Hong Kong ones, the “royal” being removed from the titles of clubs and associations, their signs were taken down and replaced. It was an amazing experience to see the Queen’s Yacht Britannia set sail from Victoria Harbour with Prince Charles on board, collecting the Governor, Chris Patten and his wife and daughters. Thinking about it gives me the tingles. After that I switched in to public relations and then moved in-house to ABN Amro to run their events and marketing team.

Why Authentiques now?
In my thirteenth year in banking/equities the business I was with, Samsung Securities, was shut-down. Two years earlier my husband Steve died unexpectedly when our daughter was only ten months old. The abrupt end to my job gave me a chance to sit back and look at my life and reassess my options. The banking world was in a downward spiral, people were working harder for less reward and I wanted to see if I could step back from it and find another business that allowed me to travel less, see my daughter daily and have the flexibility to juggle my responsibilities better. I noticed that there were no European antiques available in Hong Kong and was reading that the Chinese in China had an increasing interest in them. I grew up with parents who bought antiques and mixed them well with contemporary art and furniture and felt comfortable with my level of knowledge, enough to look in to it as a commercial business idea. I opened the doors in July 2013.

What were the challenges?
There were plenty. I had never run a small business before so I have had to surround myself with very good advisors. I have a business coach who firstly was given the task of keeping me from taking tempting roles in other banks. Giving up a salary was hard, I had become very institutionalized so every time I put my hand in my pocket, I think more than twice. My priorities changed, we go without certain luxuries but I have gained the luxury of freedom to explore on so many levels. Staying positive was another challenge in the first year and my coach has helped me there too, showing me that I am fulfilling my objectives which are very different to those of many of my friends and competitors. I bought in to a block of time that is a highly formative period of my daughter’s life (she is now five) so as well as building a business, I am also supporting her growth and trying to be the best role model I can as a single mother and that’s a constant work in progress. I have an investor as well who I have worked with for ten years. She is very supportive so I can bounce ideas around and know that the advice is sound and sensible.

What was one piece of advice someone gave you that really inspired you to open Authentiques?
Choose something that is scalable without adding much to your cost centre. Selling more furniture doesn’t mean we need to add more staff, it requires better systems, suppliers and organization but not salaries and the HR issues that staff bring. In comparison, opening a restaurant or setting up a consulting company on the other hand requires a team of staff and if that business grows bigger, more staff must be hired, and if the business gets smaller or goes through quiet patches, those staff still need to be paid or let go. I didn’t want to rely on an in-house team. I like shopping around for the best supplier at the time within my budget whether it be the buyers sourcing pieces for the business in Europe or the web designer. There is a lot of freedom in the business model to change as we learn more about the market.

What has been the highlight since opening Authentiques?
Buying the furniture in England and Belgium was a rush. Going from dealer to dealer, learning so much more and being surrounded by shedloads of the most beautiful furniture I have ever seen was like a dream. I met wonderful people who have vast knowledge to pass on to future generations. Antique furniture is very practical. Every piece had a purpose so there are wonderful stories and visuals surrounding each piece. The entire experience has reactivated a creative spirit in me and I get a lot of personal reward from that regularly. Essentially we are all creative but often we repress the need to express ourselves. Facebook and Instagram are two amazing examples of how creative the world is. Everyday people posting phenomenal pictures and observations. We are learning so much more about our friends and other people by what they notice and post.

Amber

I am currently obsessed with amber again. I love the way it looks with denim. I remember discovering it when I was backpacking around Europe in the late 80’s in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. I was recently cleaning out my jewellery and re-discovered some of my amber but realised you need a few pieces to make it work. One lonely string just doesn’t look right. When wearing beads I think you have to layer and have at least three different lengths of the same one around your neck. The wrong beads can ruin any outfit so you have to be careful with how you wear them. You don’t want to end up looking like you have off-loaded your entire jewellery box to around your neck and it’s your first outing for the year. For amber we suggest you head to Pak Kwok Hung’s shop, 428, Jade Market, Yaumatei, Kowloon. He really does have some lovely pieces. You have to remember to use your bargaining tools. I always love this about the Jade Market in Hong Kong. Remember less is more does not apply to amber.

Beautiful Bonsai

Bonsai really do capture the whole concept of peacefulness. I don’t know what it is about them but they can make such an impact – one single bonsai just sitting on a windowsill or a few of them outside on a rustic table looks so beautiful. Even though bonsai is a Japanese word it actually was originally a Chinese practice and it came from the Chinese term penzai, which means ‘tray plant’. I think anything minature makes your imagination take hold – they can even be thought of as little sculptures.

If you are living in Hong Kong there are numerous places to buy a Bonsai – even a visitor will love looking at all the different ones available. Our favourite streets to hit are Yuen Po and Playing Field Road, Mong Kok, Kowloon. Sun Kee Trading Co, 5-7, Yuen Po Road, Mong Kok. Tel: +852 2830 8331 sells exquisite little gates, bridges, white standing cranes and hanging monkeys so you can put your styling skills to work to create your own mini world. Shop H2 Ground Floor Kam Ming Court, 12 -14 Playing Field Road, Mong Kok. Tel: +852 2392 4568 has large and small bonsai available. The nursery in Happy Valley also has an amazing array of bonsai and they will happily tell you how to care for them. Known to have a reputation to grow as old as humans – these little trees can fit into even the tiniest of apartments – all they take is watering and love.

Quatorze Juillet

If you are in the market for cool antiques and vintage European furniture then you should definitely head over to French born Elvire Girault’s pop up shop Quatorze Juillet in Square Street, Sheung Wan. After completing her Masters in Art History at Ecole Du Louvre in Paris, and working in a gallery in St Germain des pres in the Antiquaires’ district, Elvire definitely developed a lovely eye for finding tasteful and unique pieces. She has always been interested in art and antiques,”It probably comes from my dad’s family, they had very beautiful pieces in their big home that came from the family. The mansion itself was for me the perfect place for treasure hunting and telling myself ghost stories. I naturally grew up loving old stuff,” she says.

The pop-up is carefully curated with interesting lighting, furniture and beautiful curiosities. Personally I am currently obsessed with a 70s wielded brass table lamp in the shape of a pineapple that she sourced from France. Don’t worry if you can’t get to her pop-up before the 28th of May, Elvire is opening a permanent shop in a months time.

Cupcakes

Cupcakes are a fun alternative to the traditional cake for a party. As you can see from our recent shoot we also found that Perspex trays are the perfect way to bring out the child-friendly potential which makes them a hit for anyone with children or a youthful sweet-tooth. Shop for all your cupcake needs at New Chun Fat, 277 Shanghai Street, Yaumatei, Kowloon. Tel: +852 2388 5318. Here you will find a treasure-trove of patty-pans, small stainless steel tins and other bits and pieces you might want for the perfect cup-cake. I Love Cake, G/F 188 Wan Chai Road. Tel: +852 2671 2644 in Wan Chai has all the toppers and candles you could imagine, plus little cake tins. At my house there are always personal garlands – paper doilies, strips of wool, fabric, and colourful string – which give character to any party. Keep the icing simple, add fresh flowers – how could you refuse anything as pretty as that?

Spotlight on buckles, buttons and collars

We love the personal details that create original style. You can change old buttons on a favourite high-street blazer, or hand sew badges or quirky lapels on T-shirts or jackets. Look for luxe buttons on Nam Cheong and Tai Nan streets, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon – mother-of-pearl, brass, patterned, textured, brass, fabric and wooden ones are available at key stalls in these streets. Search for delicate collars and embellishments to add to a top at 80 Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon – and here you can pick up some wonderful brooches as well to make any outfit more appealing. Customizing items from your wardrobe will definitely give definite party appeal. For day-time style sew a pretty lace collar to a cotton or woollen pullover. The sweaters at Uniqlo will not disappoint. For those of you with skirts with a dull hemline, cut a section of the end off and replace with some hand dyed matching lace. After all this, no one will ever look predictable.

Fabric hunting

Our families were always into making things and both our mothers sewed. For me, every time I found something I loved from the editorial pages of Australian Vogue my mum turned the image into a real-life outfit almost magically from air. Now whenever we go to Sham Shui Po the fabric stalls seem to draw us both in. It’s no secret that you have to get to know the streets, otherwise looking is just too overwhelming. It’s become a family tradition to go there hunting for beautiful laces, velvets, cheesecloths, wools and silks, and all the bits of cord and tassels you sometimes need. There is so much to see in Sham Shui Po so we have decided to just cover the open air fabric market this time. One of our favourites is Ki Lung Street between Yen Chow street and Wong Chuk Street where you can buy fabrics straight off the roll. There is one stall that has lovely Japanese cottons; others stock Chinese fabrics, calico and off-cuts from designers. Opposite this open-air market are wholesalers who have some great raw linens, which being pretty strong are perfect for upholstery. Think fabric for deck-chairs or special cushions on outdoor furniture. Sewing pins, fabric pens, zips, sewing cotton and interfacing are available from two stores at either end of the fabric market.

Happy sewing!

Stocking up on enamel

Enamel ware in Hong Kong is enchanting. It’s brand-less and simple, and the fine floral designs add a little romance to the everyday kitchen set. The blue tiffin tins and little coffee cups first caught my eye at this store on Hollywood Road in the late-nineties. Inside was a beautiful mess with all these metal and enamel pieces stacked together. That store’s now closed but here’s the address of one below so you’ll know where to start if you’re searching for enamel plates, cups, bowls, trays, vases, thermoses, or some lovely trinkets in Hong Kong.

See the enamel and metal wares at Chu Wing Kee, 26 Possession Street, Sheung Wan, + 852 2545 3560.

Stamps and Chops

With Chinese New Year starting on January 31st this year maybe it’s time to get a chop, or a stamp made. Some of the best places to get one are just off Pedder Street in Central (turn down a lane way next to the MTR exit on Pedder Street and you’ll be there). Obviously the word horse will feature a lot this year, along with love, long life and money. From a choice of marble, jade or stone, the craftsmen will carve out your Chinese name or the Chinese characters of your choice. Present a double happiness stamp as a gift – it’s a lovely meaningful way to show appreciation for friendship and support each year.

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