When Iain Fairbairn first arrived in Macau three years ago, he began looking for a home and quickly fell in love with One Central. The then brand new complex of seven towers is located in down-town Macau, on Nam Van lake, between Wynn Macau and the Mandarin Oriental.
The building was virtually empty at that stage, and after seeing many apartments, he chose one on the 37th floor that looks directly out over a magnificent lake view, towards the east – with Macau Tower, Penha Hill and the low rise dwellings along Sai Van lake. In the distance, the hills of Hengqin island, China.
“It was because of the killer view and the floor to ceiling windows”, the Englishman, from Blyth, Northumberland explains. “I was house-hunting in gloomy misty February weather but I still loved the natural light and the large bedroom windows, and on such a high floor you’re not overlooked by anyone. I found the neutral wood floors with their matte finish very appealing”, he adds.
One Central is well known for its high quality marble tiled bathrooms, sturdy modern stainless steel bathroom accessories, and small but functional kitchens. It is also much admired for its excellent clubhouse facilities – indoor and outdoor infinity pool, huge gym, multi-purpose sports hall, tennis courts, spa and a multitude of other family activity rooms. But being brand new and never having been occupied, the 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom 1,300 square feet apartment with its stark white walls, had a somewhat austere, clinical feel. Together with his English-Hong Kong based landlord, Iain set about selecting some basic pieces of furniture and accessories – all from IKEA – and locally made window treatments from Fiona, a popular soft furnishings maker in the Red Market.
For the next year or so, Iain was happy living with this simple, somewhat utilitarian décor, focusing his energies on a very busy job with the Venetian as a senior member of the interior design team.
But as he settled into life in Macau, he soon started to want to make his apartment more homely. It started with trips to Hong Kong’s Lockhart Road, where he found ceiling lights. Common in many homes in Macau, the dining room ceiling fixtures are not placed central to the dining room, so Iain replaced his fixed light with a more contemporary adjustable one.
Friend and colleague Helen Darooch helped to design a number of pieces of furniture, which were then made by a local contractor. These included the walnut wood dining table with elegant pedestal splay legs, and a matching wall unit combining storage for wine storage and dining room accessories. As to be expected from a true design professional, the cabinet back included a base board cut out – so that the unit will sit flush against the wall, a section at the back is cut out to fit in against the shirting board.
Red reproduction Eams Eiffel dining chairs from the 50’s designer Charles Eams add a further touch of design glamour to this space.
Darooch also custom designed a cleverly built-in cabinet in the recess window of the master bedroom to provide additional storage and privacy from an adjacent apartment window. This, together with a workspace with cable drawer, and deep printer and office drawer, were made in ‘Expresso Brown’ veneer to match the master bed. A reproduction Eams office chair and ABC Eams Stool give an elegant and pleasingly artistic finish to the workspace.
The cold white walls had to go – in the master bedroom these were repainted in warmer medium grey, ‘Mansard Stone’ (named after the grey Dutch double mansard roofs) which is also used as a feature wall in the living room to tie the two spaces together. ‘European White’ with a slightly olive hue is used for the other living room walls, and a fresh ‘Natural White’ applied to the ceilings.
The ceiling-to-floor plain white curtains in the living room shimmer silver with the evening light from the windows behind. Candles flicker from the Naguchi coffee table with its carved wooden base and oval glass.
Every item has been caringly selected for the living room. The major statement piece is the Arco lamp – a modern classic, designed in the 60s, with a solid marble base, and the lamp stem arching almost as high as the ceiling so that the light can be used for reading. Underneath it, another Eams reproduction lounge chair and ottoman with patterned red throw cushion highlights the red English double-decker bus print on the wall.
The rug, another Darooch design, custom-made by Tai Ping Carpets in Hong Kong, is made up of strands of grey and red to pull in the wall and spot red colours. The sofa is a Red Market special … black leatherette with square imprint pattern.
“I liked it because of its chaise section – its where I kick back at the end of the day enjoying the night view and sipping a glass of wine,” smiles Iain.
Silver-grey metal end tables, locally sourced, are placed either side of the sofa. And to give balance to this space, a large silver and black Chinese-influenced geometric framed mirror hangs at the entrance, and beneath it a slim black consul table.
So what does Iain particularly enjoy about having made Macau his home?
“Its central location in Asia for travelling” he enthuses, “When we get short breaks or long weekends I’ve explored bits of China, and been to Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan”.
