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Modern touch lifts lane house character
By Patsy Yang |
February 8, 2009, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
IN a city filled with modern homes, old houses have a devoted following. People who live in them either chose to because of their charm and character, or feel they were stuck with them.
While some occupiers run away from the renovation challenges, others are seduced by the beauty and - in many cases - the potential of old homes, feeling they could make a difference to them.
Dick van Motman and Seunghee Lee have never liked new apartments. The husband, from Holland, and his Korean wife have always worked on their old properties, including a 275-year-old house in Amsterdam, the 100-year-old one in Singapore, and the current 220-square-meter lane house in Shanghai built in 1948.
Always with an eye toward the preservation of historical character, the couple has cared for their old homes the best way possible. Their senses come alive when they see a classic home built in old times. For them, rehabilitating an aging property can be an act of love and devotion, and the rewards are many.
"When we looked in the market for the ideal home, we took the designer to the key properties that we liked to see if we could make something out of it," said van Motman, who is president and CEO of DDB China Group.
"This one on Dingxi Road was the best when evaluating the price, the area and the opportunity and flexibility to preserve elements of original style and make it functional for modern life."
There is nostalgia filling the air of this house. The couple purposely made strong features of the old-Shanghai-style window and door frames, underlying their authenticity. The facade and exterior architectural details were also prized as nostalgic touches to the house.
"It really has old charm about it, even though we put contemporary furniture and fittings within a really lovely old building," he said.
They approached the renovation project with consideration for the home's character in the 21st century.
"The interplay between old and new really appealed to us. Here, we interplayed colors, dimensions and materials in order to make the new fit-out sit comfortably with the old spirit - a blend between old character and modern convenience."
In the open-plan design prevalent in modern living, there is seldom a natural divide between different functional areas. On the ground floor of the house, the living room, dining area and kitchen are happily integrated.
The couple put in some "boundaries," however, using flooring materials to delineate space.
The raised central marble floor area is a focus of visual attention where there is placed an interesting sculpture created by the famous artist Yue Minjun. Scattered rugs and cushions become helpful in carving out separate areas, as well as creating warmth and comfort underfoot, in the living area.
With a plush sofa set, the living area is the social focal point, where friends meet, converse and enjoy good times.
Contemporary materials, like stainless steel and high gloss marble, subtly tame the exoticism of Eastern elements like old Chinese carvings and Tibetan wood.
"Glass, marble, steel and wood are used throughout the house," van Motman said.
"We love to combine different materials to see how they interact, such as the roughness of cement and smoothness of marble.
"We also divide the space with materials without creating a boxy feeling."
The homeowners recommended the Marlise brand of pure paint, which is a premium, 100 percent water-based interior coating imported from Holland and used all over the world by the elite of interior designers and project developers who want unparalleled quality.
"We only choose natural materials in the house. This paint is water-based, which makes it a highly environmental-friendly, pure product," van Motman said.
"Besides that, its drying time is surprisingly quick and you can move in after 48 hours. Interiors painted with Marlise are guaranteed of long lasting colors."
When it came to furnishing the house, the couple didn't need to take up much of their time.
Having lived in South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong for almost 14 years, the couple acquired furniture from different areas and mixed the styles.
"We took our designers to the house we rented on Yongjia Road so they could see how we lived and what we had. It was a merge of our old life and a new property."
The en-suite on the top floor is typically a reflection of their taste and style. Like in a hotel room, they created areas for sleeping (the bed), reading (seats) and grooming (the bath and closet). Materials like marble, wood and steel were used again in the bathroom to help reflect light and render a peaceful feeling.
This charming house features a collection of paintings the couple has accumulated over the years as well as a group of ceramic sculptures scattered here and there.
The sculptures were created by Lee, who attended art college in Singapore. From her artworks, you can see she is infatuated with the interaction and relationship between living creatures.
While some occupiers run away from the renovation challenges, others are seduced by the beauty and - in many cases - the potential of old homes, feeling they could make a difference to them.
Dick van Motman and Seunghee Lee have never liked new apartments. The husband, from Holland, and his Korean wife have always worked on their old properties, including a 275-year-old house in Amsterdam, the 100-year-old one in Singapore, and the current 220-square-meter lane house in Shanghai built in 1948.
Always with an eye toward the preservation of historical character, the couple has cared for their old homes the best way possible. Their senses come alive when they see a classic home built in old times. For them, rehabilitating an aging property can be an act of love and devotion, and the rewards are many.
"When we looked in the market for the ideal home, we took the designer to the key properties that we liked to see if we could make something out of it," said van Motman, who is president and CEO of DDB China Group.
"This one on Dingxi Road was the best when evaluating the price, the area and the opportunity and flexibility to preserve elements of original style and make it functional for modern life."
There is nostalgia filling the air of this house. The couple purposely made strong features of the old-Shanghai-style window and door frames, underlying their authenticity. The facade and exterior architectural details were also prized as nostalgic touches to the house.
"It really has old charm about it, even though we put contemporary furniture and fittings within a really lovely old building," he said.
They approached the renovation project with consideration for the home's character in the 21st century.
"The interplay between old and new really appealed to us. Here, we interplayed colors, dimensions and materials in order to make the new fit-out sit comfortably with the old spirit - a blend between old character and modern convenience."
In the open-plan design prevalent in modern living, there is seldom a natural divide between different functional areas. On the ground floor of the house, the living room, dining area and kitchen are happily integrated.
The couple put in some "boundaries," however, using flooring materials to delineate space.
The raised central marble floor area is a focus of visual attention where there is placed an interesting sculpture created by the famous artist Yue Minjun. Scattered rugs and cushions become helpful in carving out separate areas, as well as creating warmth and comfort underfoot, in the living area.
With a plush sofa set, the living area is the social focal point, where friends meet, converse and enjoy good times.
Contemporary materials, like stainless steel and high gloss marble, subtly tame the exoticism of Eastern elements like old Chinese carvings and Tibetan wood.
"Glass, marble, steel and wood are used throughout the house," van Motman said.
"We love to combine different materials to see how they interact, such as the roughness of cement and smoothness of marble.
"We also divide the space with materials without creating a boxy feeling."
The homeowners recommended the Marlise brand of pure paint, which is a premium, 100 percent water-based interior coating imported from Holland and used all over the world by the elite of interior designers and project developers who want unparalleled quality.
"We only choose natural materials in the house. This paint is water-based, which makes it a highly environmental-friendly, pure product," van Motman said.
"Besides that, its drying time is surprisingly quick and you can move in after 48 hours. Interiors painted with Marlise are guaranteed of long lasting colors."
When it came to furnishing the house, the couple didn't need to take up much of their time.
Having lived in South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong for almost 14 years, the couple acquired furniture from different areas and mixed the styles.
"We took our designers to the house we rented on Yongjia Road so they could see how we lived and what we had. It was a merge of our old life and a new property."
The en-suite on the top floor is typically a reflection of their taste and style. Like in a hotel room, they created areas for sleeping (the bed), reading (seats) and grooming (the bath and closet). Materials like marble, wood and steel were used again in the bathroom to help reflect light and render a peaceful feeling.
This charming house features a collection of paintings the couple has accumulated over the years as well as a group of ceramic sculptures scattered here and there.
The sculptures were created by Lee, who attended art college in Singapore. From her artworks, you can see she is infatuated with the interaction and relationship between living creatures.
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