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A creative passion for true color white
By Patsy Yang |
June 21, 2009, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
YOU'RE unlikely to meet a woman who is more passionate about the color white than Ling Yali.
An emerging, prominent member of the growing Shanghai family of local fashion designers, Ling came to Shanghai in 2005 to teach and design after studying in Hangzhou at the famous China Academy of Fine Arts near the West Lake.
Ling's talent for home design was evident early and she was set to move into the sector immediately after graduating from the academy as her graduation project was the design and decoration of a home. Designing clothes came later as she was teaching at the Shanghai branch of her graduating university. Today she splits her time between the two activities.
Her perfectly peaceful, white-on-white apartment is located in Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, just two minutes drive from her studio. Fresh and pure white walls contrast with the dark anthracite natural stone floors, opposing tones that make her minimalist style work in this two-floor house.
"I like working and living around white. It feels like a virgin white piece of paper on which it's up to me to create whatever I feel like creating. My creativity comes from the color white,'' Ling said.
These two color themes are present all around her living and working space, from living room to bathroom. Different shades of gray decorate the mostly white surroundings. When it came to a color scheme, Ling always wanted to keep a calm, clean and natural background then add bright accents.
The white-painted wall enhances the vibrant colors used in a painting hanging on the wall downstairs. Upstairs, warm shades of rich brown on this antique suitcase or that wooden stool work well as a highlight in an all-white environment, anchoring the soothing hues of the homeowner's sanctuary.
By keeping the backdrop simple, she has also been able to add art and furniture of different styles and eras. She's become a specialist in making "disappear" into the scheme of her home decor modern and commonly available Western designer brand pieces.
One of her biggest challenges was accommodating the detail without making it look so obvious in the starkness. "I always had a vision of a white house. To balance the white palette, soft auxiliary colors such as grey and taupe have been woven in to form a neutral backdrop to my latest fashion creations,'' she said.
The upstairs is her ensuite and the downstairs is a cool, understated, open-plan space for work. Rooms are not large but have high ceilings, but because it's ? white ? the space looks bigger and reflects light well. Another reason she wants to get away from color is she finds this style really calming and exuding relaxed chic.
Ling rented the 70-square-meter house a year ago and the renovation only took 15 days. Why so fast? It's because her first step was to think thoroughly and make sure there was plenty of storage space.
"I took my time to make sure it turned out exactly the way I'd imagined it," she said. "I found I'm as happy designing a home as I am drawing a piece of garment.''
She's basically used every possible hidden or wasted space and turned it into a place to store anything from miscellaneous objects to her latest creations. The spaces remain immaculate and favor her creative inspiration.
As small objects bother her, she's relied on working tools as part of the decoration, like a massive white mannequin she uses to fit and hang designs. It has become a contemporary white sculpture standing in a prominent location of the living area.
The result is a totally streamlined interior which flows seamlessly from area to area. "I didn't like the small, boxy spaces; I wanted the space to flow, so I made the working space, kitchen and bathroom connect to downstairs."
By contrast, the second floor features many smaller objects, almost contradicting the philosophy applied on the first floor. From a few antiques collected in Hangzhou, to design accessories, to wedding dresses, mostly white of course, it connects to the many details and contrasts of the colorful paintings hanging on the wall. As could be expected, the paintings are by the owner herself.
Even though there are vivid differences between the working space and the more intimate living area of the house, the owner's design continuity is complete through the two.
With so many ideas, so much inspiration and creativity waiting to be expressed on a sheet of paper, a piece of fabric or a design plan, it's no wonder Ling is talking about buying a new house in this residential compound where she would be freely creating her dream house.
And you wouldn't be surprised about the master color theme.
1: Lunuganga Bookshelf, 3,300 yuan, by Wokmedia, from 100 percent
Address: 72 Wuyuan Rd
Tel: 5404-1678
2: Cat Puppy, 89 yuan, by Faubourg Saint Denis, from 100 percent
Address: 72 Wuyuan Rd
Tel: 5404-1678
3: Circular Dish and Bowls, 410 yuan, by menu, from Design Republic
Address: 5 Zhongshan Rd E1
Tel: 6329-3123
4: Porcelain Bowl, 150-1,100 yuan, by menu, from Design Republic
Address: 5 Zhongshan Rd E1
Tel: 6329-3123
5: Balls Collection Flower Vase, 588-768 yuan, from Haus 658 Milky Collection Round Tray, 1,243-1,603 yuan, from Haus 658
Address: 288 Wulumuqi Rd S.
Tel: 6473-0358
6: People Series, 530-720 yuan, by neri&hu, from Design Republic
Address: 5 Zhongshan Rd E1
Tel: 6329-3123
7: Stak, 4,250 yuan, by Danese, from Shanghai Design Center
Address: 3758 Qixin Rd
Tel: 5479-6089
8: Formosa ,2,200 yuan, by Danese, from Shanghai Design Center
Address: 3758 Qixin Rd
Tel: 5479-6089
9: Poof, 3,500 yuan, from Casa Pagoda
Address: 15-17 Taikang Rd
Tel: 6466-7521
10: Armchair, 45,000 yuan, from Casa Pagoda
Address: 15-17 Taikang Rd
Tel: 6466-7521
An emerging, prominent member of the growing Shanghai family of local fashion designers, Ling came to Shanghai in 2005 to teach and design after studying in Hangzhou at the famous China Academy of Fine Arts near the West Lake.
Ling's talent for home design was evident early and she was set to move into the sector immediately after graduating from the academy as her graduation project was the design and decoration of a home. Designing clothes came later as she was teaching at the Shanghai branch of her graduating university. Today she splits her time between the two activities.
Her perfectly peaceful, white-on-white apartment is located in Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, just two minutes drive from her studio. Fresh and pure white walls contrast with the dark anthracite natural stone floors, opposing tones that make her minimalist style work in this two-floor house.
"I like working and living around white. It feels like a virgin white piece of paper on which it's up to me to create whatever I feel like creating. My creativity comes from the color white,'' Ling said.
These two color themes are present all around her living and working space, from living room to bathroom. Different shades of gray decorate the mostly white surroundings. When it came to a color scheme, Ling always wanted to keep a calm, clean and natural background then add bright accents.
The white-painted wall enhances the vibrant colors used in a painting hanging on the wall downstairs. Upstairs, warm shades of rich brown on this antique suitcase or that wooden stool work well as a highlight in an all-white environment, anchoring the soothing hues of the homeowner's sanctuary.
By keeping the backdrop simple, she has also been able to add art and furniture of different styles and eras. She's become a specialist in making "disappear" into the scheme of her home decor modern and commonly available Western designer brand pieces.
One of her biggest challenges was accommodating the detail without making it look so obvious in the starkness. "I always had a vision of a white house. To balance the white palette, soft auxiliary colors such as grey and taupe have been woven in to form a neutral backdrop to my latest fashion creations,'' she said.
The upstairs is her ensuite and the downstairs is a cool, understated, open-plan space for work. Rooms are not large but have high ceilings, but because it's ? white ? the space looks bigger and reflects light well. Another reason she wants to get away from color is she finds this style really calming and exuding relaxed chic.
Ling rented the 70-square-meter house a year ago and the renovation only took 15 days. Why so fast? It's because her first step was to think thoroughly and make sure there was plenty of storage space.
"I took my time to make sure it turned out exactly the way I'd imagined it," she said. "I found I'm as happy designing a home as I am drawing a piece of garment.''
She's basically used every possible hidden or wasted space and turned it into a place to store anything from miscellaneous objects to her latest creations. The spaces remain immaculate and favor her creative inspiration.
As small objects bother her, she's relied on working tools as part of the decoration, like a massive white mannequin she uses to fit and hang designs. It has become a contemporary white sculpture standing in a prominent location of the living area.
The result is a totally streamlined interior which flows seamlessly from area to area. "I didn't like the small, boxy spaces; I wanted the space to flow, so I made the working space, kitchen and bathroom connect to downstairs."
By contrast, the second floor features many smaller objects, almost contradicting the philosophy applied on the first floor. From a few antiques collected in Hangzhou, to design accessories, to wedding dresses, mostly white of course, it connects to the many details and contrasts of the colorful paintings hanging on the wall. As could be expected, the paintings are by the owner herself.
Even though there are vivid differences between the working space and the more intimate living area of the house, the owner's design continuity is complete through the two.
With so many ideas, so much inspiration and creativity waiting to be expressed on a sheet of paper, a piece of fabric or a design plan, it's no wonder Ling is talking about buying a new house in this residential compound where she would be freely creating her dream house.
And you wouldn't be surprised about the master color theme.
1: Lunuganga Bookshelf, 3,300 yuan, by Wokmedia, from 100 percent
Address: 72 Wuyuan Rd
Tel: 5404-1678
2: Cat Puppy, 89 yuan, by Faubourg Saint Denis, from 100 percent
Address: 72 Wuyuan Rd
Tel: 5404-1678
3: Circular Dish and Bowls, 410 yuan, by menu, from Design Republic
Address: 5 Zhongshan Rd E1
Tel: 6329-3123
4: Porcelain Bowl, 150-1,100 yuan, by menu, from Design Republic
Address: 5 Zhongshan Rd E1
Tel: 6329-3123
5: Balls Collection Flower Vase, 588-768 yuan, from Haus 658 Milky Collection Round Tray, 1,243-1,603 yuan, from Haus 658
Address: 288 Wulumuqi Rd S.
Tel: 6473-0358
6: People Series, 530-720 yuan, by neri&hu, from Design Republic
Address: 5 Zhongshan Rd E1
Tel: 6329-3123
7: Stak, 4,250 yuan, by Danese, from Shanghai Design Center
Address: 3758 Qixin Rd
Tel: 5479-6089
8: Formosa ,2,200 yuan, by Danese, from Shanghai Design Center
Address: 3758 Qixin Rd
Tel: 5479-6089
9: Poof, 3,500 yuan, from Casa Pagoda
Address: 15-17 Taikang Rd
Tel: 6466-7521
10: Armchair, 45,000 yuan, from Casa Pagoda
Address: 15-17 Taikang Rd
Tel: 6466-7521
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