WHEN Xenia Sidorenko arrived in Shanghai from St Petersburg in 2011, her introduction to the city was through one of those sprawling, anonymous compounds — ground-floor living in a concrete hive. Practical, yet soul-starving.

Her only small rebellion: slipping back through her balcony whenever she left behind her keys, as if climbing into her life through a secret passage.

Over time, Shanghai sharpened her sense of what “home” should be — esthetic, yet practical. Raised among St Petersburg’s cathedrals and bridges — a city-museum where even the sky seems sculpted.

“That richness is in my DNA,” Sidorenko said. “If you put me in a plain concrete box, my eyes grow restless, and as a creative, I begin to starve. That’s why I’m drawn to historical buildings here: fireplaces, carved staircases and courtyards shaded by trees. Perhaps the greatest luxury in a city of millions is simply to look out your window and see green leaves.”

Just as vital were comfort and function: no damp, mold-prone ground floors and no winters endured in shivering silence. She found that richness on Taiyuan Road. The moment she and her husband, Darren Revill, walked in, they knew.

Five-meter-high ceilings pulled their thoughts upward, candles filled the fireplace, and classical music drifted through the air. The agent perfectly remembered her small request: a balcony for wine and jazz. Decision made.

The history was irresistible: built in 1936 by French architect Alexandre Léonard, one of the French architects who shaped the city’s look in the 1930s.

Commissioned by Zhou Xibao, a wealthy Chinese businessman, it’s a striking Art Deco residence with modernist touches. Today, it’s a protected historic building, sometimes hosting cultural events.

“So in the end, we didn’t just find a flat. We stepped into a story, and let it host us for a while,” Sidorenko said.

She knew from the start that this apartment was only for a year, a transition space before their move to New Zealand.

“Perhaps that’s why the furniture feels oversized for the rooms — we were thinking ahead. Still, I always try to create a sense of comfort by incorporating storied details and flowers,” she said.

“I choose flowers according to the seasons, and I enjoy watching them wilt just as much as I enjoy their bloom. It’s the same beauty, just in another chapter of life,” she noted.

Sidorenko also said: “Beige. ‘Balinese neutral chic’ interiors that everyone copies — not for me. I need color.”

The ocean-blue sofa sets the tone, accented with bursts of color: bright pillows and dining chairs salvaged from the closing of the M on the Bund. In the center stands her husband’s armchair wrapped in a British flag print — a nod to where he was born. In the bedroom, terracotta tones warm the space, guided by feng shui to ensure energy flows just right.

“The most important object is my work desk, built from an old Chinese door. It has been with me for years; my entire brand’s history has unfolded across this 2-meter surface. It’s the right height for me to stand while I work, carving, designing and thinking. Its legs are traditional Chinese, and I consider it to be my anchor to this country,” she said.

For Revill, the treasures are two bedside tables.

“We bought them from a French family leaving Shanghai. They were almost destroyed. He rebuilt them from scratch, gluing, sanding and replacing the base. It took so much time; they’ve become the most valuable pieces in our home,” Sidorenko said.

Revill’s passion also shapes the space. In the kitchen sits his coffee roaster, a rusty beetle-like machine that looks like an art piece but fills the house with the scent of roasted beans. On the balcony, his beer-brewing station — a dream he carried since he was 2 — now stands proudly outdoors.

The idea of stepping into a story also lives in the objects Sidorenko surrounds herself with. In Russia, there’s a long-standing wedding tradition: to give the newlyweds a fine tea or dinner set.

When she married Darren, her mother and aunt gifted them a tea service from the Imperial Porcelain Factory of St Petersburg.

Its cobalt-blue pattern is perhaps the most recognizable design of the factory, born during the wartime years. The delicate grid recalls the protective nets stretched across Leningrad’s windows during the bombings of World War II — a symbol of both fragility and resilience, captured in porcelain.

Another heirloom carries the warmth of family gatherings: her grandmother’s vintage tea set, cups painted with a fiery cascade of autumn leaves. For decades, it was the centerpiece of long afternoons filled with conversation, steaming cups of tea and slices of her legendary Napoleon cake.

“On cold days, drinking from them feels like holding a piece of golden September in your hands,” Sidorenko said. Shanghai, too, has woven itself into her collection. Among her most treasured finds are rainbow-hued glasses rescued from M on the Bund after it closed, fragments of the iconic restaurant Michelle Garnaut opened about 25 years ago. From there also came antique wrought-metal teapots — made in Sheffield, Revill’s hometown — objects that carry not only history but also a sense of belonging.

“Over time, collecting has become a quiet passion,” she said. “My friends know the perfect birthday gift: a porcelain cup in blue shades, poised on an elegant stem. For me, it’s not about amassing things. It’s about the thrill of the search and the joy of finding beauty with intention. A collection, after all, is most alive when it tells a story.”

Sidorenko’s latest discovery is a retro lamp found at a vintage market near her home.

“I also spend hours exploring the Xianyu app — a digital treasure chest where the algorithm seems to understand me better than I do myself, revealing furniture and decor that feel as though they were waiting for me all along. These things aren’t just decorative; they are their rituals, our dreams made visible,” she said.

“To me, a home should be more than walls and furniture. It should be a tapestry of memory. Objects with history bring warmth into a room. They connect generations, hold the glow of shared moments, and make every corner a continuation of the family story.”