A living space that recounts the tale of a life well traveled
Print Edition
EMILIE El Jaouhari has created a home that is a reflection of her life of travel, family, creativity and multicultural heritage in a leafy residential tower near Anfu Road in Shanghai’s Xuhui District.
After years spent in Dubai and Hong Kong, El Jaouhari, a Paris-born publishing professional-turned-culture entrepreneur, relocated to Shanghai eight months ago with her husband and three children.
The apartment hunt was swift.
“We checked out about 10 apartments and lane houses, but we knew we wanted to be in Xuhui,” she said. “It reminds us of a French or Mediterranean village — with an Asian touch.”
The home needed to be central, lived-in and in a lively neighborhood with bakeries, cafes, restaurants and a strong community. They loved the apartment’s potential: high ceilings, tall windows and just enough wear to personalize. A lush, fenced garden offered rare intimacy in the city’s bustling rhythm.
“It was slightly faded when we saw it, but we saw its potential. The charm of the space lay in its quiet contrast: a garden for privacy and a front door that opens to vibrant city life,” she said.
El Jaouhari and her husband, French with Moroccan and Italian heritage, have decorated their home with travel souvenirs, creating a vibrant, layered and personal look.
“We like a warm and lively atmosphere,” she said. “Our style is spontaneous and eclectic, with a mix of vintage, modern street art and Oriental touches.”
The home is not designed in a formal way. It’s more instinctive, built over years of moving and collecting.
An old brown leather club armchair, gifted at their wedding 16 years ago, shows wear and pencil marks from the kids in the living room.
“But we love to see it getting old with us,” El Jaouhari said.
An antique gray French dresser with vintage sculptures sits next to a sleek gray dining table with brightly colored chairs from a Nordic furniture design company.
The walls are lined with Indian and Italian bookshelves holding more than 2,000 books. Hong Kong’s oversized modular sofa is sectioned for flexibility and has colorful cushions.
Music flows freely through the space. El Jaouhari’s husband plays drums and piano, and various music devices and speakers turn the living room into both a lounge and a listening room.
Art is central to their space. A papier-mâché bust of Basquiat from Bali and several reproductions show her husband’s love of the artist, as does their friend Joris Ghilini’s Renaissance-inspired street art.
A delicate glass sculpture of Goldorak with tiny toy cars, gifted to her husband for his birthday, arrived with a broken arm.
“We might leave it like that. It carries the memory of the journey.”
El Jaouhari treasures a detailed painting of the old market in Damascus, created by a Syrian artist from memory before the war.
“It’s like a capsule of a lost world,” she remarked.
Her appreciation for detail also extends to vintage treasures: a bright orange rotary phone from a Shanghai antique market, weathered Chinese thermoses from both Hong Kong and Shanghai, and hand-painted boxes crafted by Indian artisans.
Recently, the couple added a photograph by Shanghainese artist Li Anqi to their bedroom — another reflection of their current chapter in Shanghai.
Not all art comes from others. El Jaouhari creates collages, some of which are displayed in the living room.
The color palette strikes a balance with neutral tones for larger furniture, such as gray and brown, complemented by vibrant textiles and decorations that add joy and warmth. At night, the family embraces ambient lighting — using lamps, candles and soft glows to create a sense of comfort and calm.
El Jaouhari’s design philosophy is grounded in authenticity and atmosphere rather than trends.
The second level of her home serves as the family’s private zone. In the master bedroom, her personal passions take center stage, particularly her love for vintage jewelry and bags. Next to the bed, an old Indian wooden ladder has been repurposed into a charming display rack for her jewelry collection, which is arranged with care, resembling tiny sculptures.
“I can’t wear them all,” she said, “but I like displaying them like pieces of art and memories.”
Her dressing table is a personal space with memories, art and vintage charm. The table itself is a cherished find from a vintage market in France — an old piece that a friend lovingly stripped and repainted, giving it new life while maintaining its soulful character. At the center is a metal sculpture by Hong Kong artist Fanson Lam, which depicts a woman seated before a mirror. El Jaouhari discovered this piece at Crafts on Peel in Hong Kong and instantly fell in love with it, especially after having the opportunity to meet the artist.
There’s a 1925 drawing by Georges Mareste, which was discovered in a small vintage shop in Brittany and quietly anchors the space in nostalgia. Scattered across the table are small but meaningful details: vintage handbags displayed like objets d’art, Art Deco brooches gleaming like miniature sculptures, and an old Paris poster that adds a final, wistful touch of home.
The dressing table resembles a personal gallery — an elegant expression of El Jaouhari’s eye for beauty and her lifelong passion for collecting.
“When people enter our home, they can feel who we are. Music, books, painting, photography, vintage, street art — our interior reflects our lives,” she said.
“It’s my bubble, my nest. After living away from France for 16 years, it’s essential for me to feel rooted and have a sense of belonging. That’s what home provides me.”
In Shanghai, El Jaouhari has once again created that sense of belonging, not just for herself, but for her family and everyone who steps inside.
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