The Greater Bay Area: A Sanctuary Maker

Built in 1969, The Murray Building – as it was previously known – was transformed and given new life by legendary design and architectural guru, Lord Norman Foster. It was with a team at Foster + Partners, that she accepted the challenge of re-designing the architectural and interior finishes that have subsequently brought the magnificent building to life as a celebration of the past and future.

“I worked with a great team on The Murray project, both from Fosters and the client, Harbour Centre Development, and learned an awful lot. When it was complete, I began to get the feeling that it was time for me to start out on my own, and House of Butler was born,” the entrepreneur said.

Attention to Detail

By and large, House of Butler collaborates with European materials, fixtures and fittings providers – most notably, at present, the British company, Claybrook – whose designs are manufactured in closely monitored production facilities in Guangdong.

Other working partners include Japanese bathroom equipment manufacturer Toto, and reconstituted stone and homeware maker, Chun Yan (China), both of which have factories in Mainland China.

At present, the company is working on mainly residential interior design projects in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Spain, but is also involved in pitches for hotels in several exotic locations, as well as a substantial project in a cash-rich Asian country frequently associated with happiness.

In the case of Claybrook, it’s a brand that looks to reinvent classic British bathroom designs and update them for the 21st Century. Butler believes that the type of attention to detail, quality craftsmanship and the well-managed, environmentally friendly production process that the UK company adheres to will be central to her wider business success.

“As is the case for the brands I work with, I am a great believer in sticking to your values and passion when it comes to interior design. If I am talking to a potential partner or customer, I like to get the feeling that there is a meeting of minds with regard to what we are trying to achieve. That is one of the reasons that – in terms of personnel – I am keeping the business small at the moment as it allows me to maintain better control of the overall production process,” she said.

“I don’t want to be in a position where I feel I am not in control – along with the client – of the direction and process of creating an interior design space which meets the standards I believe in,” Butler added.

Testing the Market

To that end, the businesswoman has created an innovative blog on social media called “SOS Designer” in which she shares her knowledge of suppliers and vendors and offers interior design and decoration tips for the benefit of potential collaborators and customers.

Explaining the thinking behind the project, she said: “SOS Designer was an idea I had recently. Not only is it a genuine attempt to offer Hong Kong residents and those in the wider GBA expert tips on interior design and decoration, it also gives me the opportunity to showcase the House of Butler brand and test the market for not just interior design services, but also furniture and home decoration ideas and products. In addition, through the generation of replies and responses to my posts, I hope I can discover potential customers whom I think I can work with and who understand my passion for interior design. I believe this will also provide my suppliers and vendors with additional business.”

She believes that Hong Kongers and the 70 million-plus potential clients and customers across the GBA region have much in common in terms of their home décor preferences. Expanding upon this, she said: “The mentality of Hong Kong people is that, if they can afford it, they will indulge themselves in the finer things of life, while they are also adept at shopping and sourcing thanks to their long history of trading. That mentality, of course, can also be found across the border in other GBA cities.

“However, as I said, at the moment my focus is on carefully gauging the market through my blog and other avenues.”

One significant obstacle to progress, adds Butler, is that, often when fixtures and fittings are made by mainland manufacturers, the emphasis appears to be on speed of build and delivery, rather than quality and durability.

Putting this into perspective, she said: “If the GBA is to be a success – certainly in my line of work – quality control will have to improve. When it comes to interior design, that has to be at the heart of everything you do.”