Follow our insider's guide to the 10 best homewares and design haunts.

1 Soho
If you only have one day in Hong Kong, this is where you should spend it. South of Hollywood Road (SoHo) bristles with fossicking opportunities. Highlights are the very cool GOD (Goods of Desire) store, which transforms Hong Kong kitsch into homeware chic; Aluminium's packed showroom of modernist brands; and the simple, eco-friendly furniture at Tree.

2 Gough Street
One of the hippest streets in SoHo, favoured by the well-heeled as well as design-savvy hipsters. Stand-out stores include Homeless (fab industrial furniture), Sidewalk (one-off artisan pieces from throughout Asia) and Petit Bazaar (Parisian chic much closer to home).

3 Shueng Wan
SoHo's lesser-known neighbour is fast becoming a creative hub for architects, artists and entrepreneurs. Australian expatriate Debra Little's new store DeeM reflects her 25-year collaboration with local artists and craftspeople. The hand-cast glass and bespoke lights are cause for excess baggage alone. Cat Street Gallery and Amelia Johnson Contemporary art gallery are worth a look as is foraging at the open-air curio market on Upper Lascar Street.

4 Wan Chai
The Starstreet precinct is an enclave of furniture outlets, galleries and cafes. Visit Sonjia for couture clothing and homeware eclectica. On Queens Road East, Ovo Home does a contemporary twist on traditional Chinese furniture and accessories.

5 Ap Lei Chow
For furniture, design addicts should cross to the southern side of Hong Kong island to Ap Lei Chow, stopping at Horizon Plaza (five floors of individual furniture stores, including high-end outlets), Chapin House (Hong Kong's answer to Restoration Hardware) and Mirth (chic emerging artists from all over the globe).

6 Onwards and Upwards
The buildings of Frank Gehry, Lord Foster, I.M. Pei, Terence Conran and Rocco Yim make up the famed Hong Kong skyline. Juxtaposed with the city's neon-lit landmarks are quaint architectural reminders of the region's colonial past. Local historian and writer James Wordie's walking tours explain the evolution of the city through its buildings.

7 DIY Heaven
Every imaginable button, zip, ribbon and trim is available on Nam Cheong and Yu Chau Streets in Sham Shui Po in Kowloon. Some stores are wholesale (usually fabric) but many, including local favourite Wing Fung Industrial, are happy to serve whoever walks in.

8 Lane Crawford
The upmarket department store's stand-alone interiors emporium is a design mecca.

9 Art Village
Just 20 minutes by taxi from the Hong Kong border is Dafen, a village in the city of Shenzhen. Once infamous for its knock-off paintings, the area is now being touted as a hotbed of original talent. More than 700 studios are sandwiched into its narrow laneways. Hong Kong-based Australian interior designer Emma Hann sources pieces for her clients from Dafen. Her advice: "Ignore the 'Picassos' and bargain hard." TOP TIP: Have a favourite photo turned into an oil portrait and ship the canvas home.

10 Ask a local
For the casual tourist, Hong Kong's breathtaking pace can be overwhelming. British expat and stylist to Hong Kong's elite Charlotte Felix O'Conner will organise bespoke design itineraries for people serious about their shopping.

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