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Mixed palette creates the perfect blend
By Patsy Yang |
March 30, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
ARMELLE Nguyen-Than has achieved a chic, designer look in her apartment by mixing a few design pieces with travel buys and some artworks. The Parisian has only lived in her 90-square-meter two-bedroom apartment for two months, having stayed in an apartment on Hunan Road for six years prior to that. When the landlord decided to sell the old apartment, Nguyen-Than moved into her new home - owned by the same landlord - tucked away on the top floor of a Wulumuqi Road lane house.
"I wanted to live with Chinese families in an old building that has a nice feeling of a neighborhood. I'm taken by the charm and style of the Shanghai old houses,'' she said. "And I need lots of natural light and nice materials, such as wooden floors and old tiles.''
Among the biggest attractions of the current flat is the 60-square-meter roof terrace - a real luxury in the center of the city. Nguyen-Than has added decking and garden furniture so that she can relax in comfort on the terrace and catch some Shanghai sun.
The apartment itself is square with good balance: the large living room is flanked by two rooms on each side - the two bedrooms on one side and kitchen and bathroom on the other. All have windows, ensuring the apartment has plenty of natural light.
An unusual feature is the apartment entrance. The front door opens on to a narrow staircase by which you reach the living space. "This always makes it like a surprise to come home," Nguyen-Than said. "I painted the wall at the stairway red, so that the entrance has a different vibe to some other areas. I like my home to be warm and inviting, so I've always paint one big wall red everywhere I've lived.''
As would be expected of a Paris native, creating a stylish and charming home is vital to Nguyen-Than.
"I wanted to create a personal universe that I love to live in, with a good mix of old and new objects, plus pictures I've bought during trips in Asia,'' she said.
Nguyen-Than's aesthetic is heavily influenced by different cultures she has experienced in her travels, combined with elements of her native France.
"I brought to Shanghai old pictures of Paris from the 1940s and family heirlooms, such as the table and chair that my grandfather used when he worked as a doctor."
Added to the mix are an old Chinese calligraphy table, a modern sofa from Minotti, Kartell chairs, a Chiquita stool by Filipino designer Kenneth Cobonpue, and some small stools sourced in Yunnan Province.
Nguyen-Than has also had a few pieces of furniture custom-made, including some bookshelves.
The light-filled living room provides an ideal relaxation area, complete with vibrant colors, a comfy sofa, artworks and knick knacks that provide a homely touch.
Paintings are among the easiest way to inject color into a home space, and Nguyen-Than has collected contemporary works by artists such as Chen Feng, Pang Yongjie, Sandra Bussiere and Christian de Laubadere.
Nguyen-Than frequently changes the color scheme in the bedrooms. At the moment, it is blue for the master bedroom with an Art Deco style and orange in the guest bedroom to give a colonial Indochine style, she said.
When she repaints the walls, Nguyen-Than also changes her cushions and bed linen to match. "Soft furnishings are the key to good ambience,'' she said.
She also believes that small details are crucial for creating the correct feel. "Candles bring a warm, romantic feeling and small objects you buy here and there reflect your personality and travels."
"Pictures can remind you of good times, while small pieces of furniture help you organize your things and keep an uncluttered living space," she added.
The Designer
Who is he?
Jason Smith, creative director and founder of Fontsmith Ltd in London, UK.
Tell us about some of your works and name the one you are most proud of.
I have designed bespoke typefaces for many corporations, such as Xerox, the Post Office in the UK and BBC television. Probably my proudest moment, creatively speaking, was when I designed fonts for Channel 4 television in the UK. I was part of the overall team of creatives designing the logo, music and on-air titles. The whole identity changed the way UK broadcasters approached their visual identity.
What projects are you currently involved in?
We're working on a series of fonts for Spanish beer San Miguel and its premium beer, Mahou. We're also working on a few other top secret projects in New York and Paris.
Describe your design style.
From the beginning, I was very hands-on in the way I designed and very rarely use a computer to conceptualize designs for brands. I'm usually quite conservative in my work, but have a very human and warm way of working that makes our fonts feel at once modern and crafted.
Where are you most creative?
In the middle of the night. I think this is a trait that many designers have. We simply never switch off. I have woken up many times and started to work on something before I forget or while I'm inspired.
What does your home mean to you?
Not much, actually, I enjoy my studio much more.
What do you collect?
I don't collect anything. I tend to throw things away and start over quite a lot.
Where would you like to go most in Shanghai?
I'd like to find a very local little restaurant down a side street somewhere and order some noddle soup and watch and listen to local people. Every city I have ever been to I have always enjoyed just watching people.
What will be the next big design trend?
I think we are definitely heading toward a style that looks more handmade but in a modern way, not at all traditional. There is something very beautiful about using traditional tools, materials and techniques in modern design. That goes for everything from calligraphy to fashion and architecture.
"I wanted to live with Chinese families in an old building that has a nice feeling of a neighborhood. I'm taken by the charm and style of the Shanghai old houses,'' she said. "And I need lots of natural light and nice materials, such as wooden floors and old tiles.''
Among the biggest attractions of the current flat is the 60-square-meter roof terrace - a real luxury in the center of the city. Nguyen-Than has added decking and garden furniture so that she can relax in comfort on the terrace and catch some Shanghai sun.
The apartment itself is square with good balance: the large living room is flanked by two rooms on each side - the two bedrooms on one side and kitchen and bathroom on the other. All have windows, ensuring the apartment has plenty of natural light.
An unusual feature is the apartment entrance. The front door opens on to a narrow staircase by which you reach the living space. "This always makes it like a surprise to come home," Nguyen-Than said. "I painted the wall at the stairway red, so that the entrance has a different vibe to some other areas. I like my home to be warm and inviting, so I've always paint one big wall red everywhere I've lived.''
As would be expected of a Paris native, creating a stylish and charming home is vital to Nguyen-Than.
"I wanted to create a personal universe that I love to live in, with a good mix of old and new objects, plus pictures I've bought during trips in Asia,'' she said.
Nguyen-Than's aesthetic is heavily influenced by different cultures she has experienced in her travels, combined with elements of her native France.
"I brought to Shanghai old pictures of Paris from the 1940s and family heirlooms, such as the table and chair that my grandfather used when he worked as a doctor."
Added to the mix are an old Chinese calligraphy table, a modern sofa from Minotti, Kartell chairs, a Chiquita stool by Filipino designer Kenneth Cobonpue, and some small stools sourced in Yunnan Province.
Nguyen-Than has also had a few pieces of furniture custom-made, including some bookshelves.
The light-filled living room provides an ideal relaxation area, complete with vibrant colors, a comfy sofa, artworks and knick knacks that provide a homely touch.
Paintings are among the easiest way to inject color into a home space, and Nguyen-Than has collected contemporary works by artists such as Chen Feng, Pang Yongjie, Sandra Bussiere and Christian de Laubadere.
Nguyen-Than frequently changes the color scheme in the bedrooms. At the moment, it is blue for the master bedroom with an Art Deco style and orange in the guest bedroom to give a colonial Indochine style, she said.
When she repaints the walls, Nguyen-Than also changes her cushions and bed linen to match. "Soft furnishings are the key to good ambience,'' she said.
She also believes that small details are crucial for creating the correct feel. "Candles bring a warm, romantic feeling and small objects you buy here and there reflect your personality and travels."
"Pictures can remind you of good times, while small pieces of furniture help you organize your things and keep an uncluttered living space," she added.
The Designer
Who is he?
Jason Smith, creative director and founder of Fontsmith Ltd in London, UK.
Tell us about some of your works and name the one you are most proud of.
I have designed bespoke typefaces for many corporations, such as Xerox, the Post Office in the UK and BBC television. Probably my proudest moment, creatively speaking, was when I designed fonts for Channel 4 television in the UK. I was part of the overall team of creatives designing the logo, music and on-air titles. The whole identity changed the way UK broadcasters approached their visual identity.
What projects are you currently involved in?
We're working on a series of fonts for Spanish beer San Miguel and its premium beer, Mahou. We're also working on a few other top secret projects in New York and Paris.
Describe your design style.
From the beginning, I was very hands-on in the way I designed and very rarely use a computer to conceptualize designs for brands. I'm usually quite conservative in my work, but have a very human and warm way of working that makes our fonts feel at once modern and crafted.
Where are you most creative?
In the middle of the night. I think this is a trait that many designers have. We simply never switch off. I have woken up many times and started to work on something before I forget or while I'm inspired.
What does your home mean to you?
Not much, actually, I enjoy my studio much more.
What do you collect?
I don't collect anything. I tend to throw things away and start over quite a lot.
Where would you like to go most in Shanghai?
I'd like to find a very local little restaurant down a side street somewhere and order some noddle soup and watch and listen to local people. Every city I have ever been to I have always enjoyed just watching people.
What will be the next big design trend?
I think we are definitely heading toward a style that looks more handmade but in a modern way, not at all traditional. There is something very beautiful about using traditional tools, materials and techniques in modern design. That goes for everything from calligraphy to fashion and architecture.
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