Irene Capriz is the owner of Casa Capriz, a 2,600 sq ft showroom in Chai Wan that mixes European vintage furnishings with modern art and fashion. Capriz was born and raised in Italy by her Italian father and Chinese-Malaysian mother.

"Fashion is such a transient business, while vintage furniture and interior design are not. Good design increases in value with time. I started playing with the idea of having a space that would mix vintage furniture and design but I was not interested in having just a shop … [It was] more about building relationships and being involved in creative projects. I'd like to run my shop in a way that it becomes a link to other creative people, like photographers, filmmakers, designers and artists."

"[Vintage items] are unique because they have a history they carry along. If you have a vintage piece in your home it becomes more interesting. I'm keeping track of where every piece goes [and has come from] so if people want to know the story behind their pieces they have a record. It's like a family tree for objects."

"Items cover a broad time period from the beginning of the [last] century to the 1970s, with one exception: the Flying Carpet chair that was designed and produced in 1988 by Simon Desanta for Rosenthal, in Germany. Most items come from Italy, followed by France and Belgium. I personally love the aesthetic of the 1950s and those countries really dominated that decade."

"We are known for our Louis Vuitton trunks and 1950s Italian armchairs, of which I have a big collection back in Italy. I have a small warehouse near Milan where I store and restore items. Milan works perfectly well from a logistical point of view because it is close to the rest of Europe, plus you can find some extremely skilled blacksmiths and upholsterers in the area. An amazing example is our iconic Marco Zanuso Lady armchairs. At the moment I have two: a 1951 with original upholstery and a 1954 model."

"I have a network of trusted dealers, collectors and private scouters who are constantly looking for interesting items. Many of them are based in the north of Italy; others are in the UK and Belgium. Before consolidating a shipment, I fly back to Italy to check items personally because things are often very different in photos. The majority of pieces I have are one-of-a-kind."

"Certain items [get] a lot of work done to them. One example is a set of metal hangers that was originally a bed frame. It takes around 10 days for our blacksmith to make the transformation. People loved it so much that we are now always trying to get hold of old bed frames."

"Prices range from HK$1,600 for a pendant lamp with ceramic lampshade to HK$38,000 for an original early 1960s Tulip dining set. The price includes re-upholstery, if needed."