Related News
Stylish cocoon without much clutter
By Patsy Yang |
March 8, 2009, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CREATING a cozy yet stylish home can be done simply with light, muted tones and beautiful furniture, as demonstrated by Frenchwoman Zolika Courcol, with an eye for combining shape, color and texture.
Set behind a lane on quiet Fuxing Road W., her apartment is on the third floor of a historical 1930s building. "I recently moved here from a residential compound as I wanted the real Shanghai with a little French touch," Courcol said. "Fuxing Road W. represents it and the area is like a hidden paradise, like 'Notting Hill' in Shanghai," said the freelance marketing and sales adviser for Chloe in Paris and New York.
Courcol had a clear idea of how she wanted the 170-square-meter home to look. Keen to preserve the integrity of the building - its sense of history and old Shanghai "feel" - she kept the original wooden floor and the accent French windows.
"I wanted to create a cocoon, not too modern, mixing European simplicity with Asian touch. I love subtle and earthy colors and decided on a range of neutral tones, from pinewood green, beige, sand, to powder."
Obviously she prefers subtle backdrop colors that don't fight with the furniture. Marlise paint was used for the entire house. She varied the paint colors in different rooms, yet all look consistent, airy and natural.
"It was important to have a home where I could surround myself with all my favorite things. The interior has to fit my personality and energy. It has to be simple, nice and chic," she said.
"To create a life here, it's not about buying expensive things and putting them together. It is about the message and the spirit you want for your house," she added.
Courcol made all the decisions about the renovation and decoration process within three months and tried to renovate the house on a small budget. For instance, she only spent 10,000 yuan on the kitchen. "I had to be smart and quick, and searched everywhere in Shanghai to find the cheapest but best-quality renovation necessities. I like to make things happen."
Ensuring the interior was flooded with daylight was a priority, so when it came to planning the space and choosing the window treatments she didn't want to block out the light with overpowering curtains and narrow rooms.
Courcol is a huge fan of lighting, and each room in the house has distinctive lighting features. She opted for modern Italian designs and tried to create an elegant ambience in the flat.
She appreciates clean lines and hates clutter, so the decoration was planned with that in mind.
The simplicity that Courcol pursued is well reflected in the furniture. She has a talent for furniture design and created several pieces especially for the apartment. "Sometimes I find furniture in the market looks too complicated and I always opt for simple shapes and simple use," she said.
Besides designing most of the furniture herself, Courcol added elegant, simple-style vintage "finds" here and there.
In the clean and elegant central living area, a relaxed-looking vintage cabinet, beige-colored sofa set and sheer curtains has a comfortable appearance. After customizing the living room with favorite wall colors, lighting and furniture accessories, Courcol felt the decor lacked something so she added a mood painting from Ann New.
The clean and elegant central living area opens to both the romantic lounge area and dining room. "My philosophy on TV in either the bedroom or living room is no. It has to be a specific place where I could comfortably lie down and take a cashmere blanket while watching a movie." She used a lot of purple in the TV lounge area to avoid the house becoming too bland.
Despite a knack for showcasing beautiful objects, Courcol claims the secret to creating a cozy, simple interior is not about knowing how to display objects, but being willing to shed items that no longer fit in.
"I like to keep things simple, which can be hard when you love beautiful objects. It's all about knowing when to stop, otherwise the home begins to resemble a junk shop."
And it's her tasteful choice of accessories and small details that makes the home's beauty shine through.
Set behind a lane on quiet Fuxing Road W., her apartment is on the third floor of a historical 1930s building. "I recently moved here from a residential compound as I wanted the real Shanghai with a little French touch," Courcol said. "Fuxing Road W. represents it and the area is like a hidden paradise, like 'Notting Hill' in Shanghai," said the freelance marketing and sales adviser for Chloe in Paris and New York.
Courcol had a clear idea of how she wanted the 170-square-meter home to look. Keen to preserve the integrity of the building - its sense of history and old Shanghai "feel" - she kept the original wooden floor and the accent French windows.
"I wanted to create a cocoon, not too modern, mixing European simplicity with Asian touch. I love subtle and earthy colors and decided on a range of neutral tones, from pinewood green, beige, sand, to powder."
Obviously she prefers subtle backdrop colors that don't fight with the furniture. Marlise paint was used for the entire house. She varied the paint colors in different rooms, yet all look consistent, airy and natural.
"It was important to have a home where I could surround myself with all my favorite things. The interior has to fit my personality and energy. It has to be simple, nice and chic," she said.
"To create a life here, it's not about buying expensive things and putting them together. It is about the message and the spirit you want for your house," she added.
Courcol made all the decisions about the renovation and decoration process within three months and tried to renovate the house on a small budget. For instance, she only spent 10,000 yuan on the kitchen. "I had to be smart and quick, and searched everywhere in Shanghai to find the cheapest but best-quality renovation necessities. I like to make things happen."
Ensuring the interior was flooded with daylight was a priority, so when it came to planning the space and choosing the window treatments she didn't want to block out the light with overpowering curtains and narrow rooms.
Courcol is a huge fan of lighting, and each room in the house has distinctive lighting features. She opted for modern Italian designs and tried to create an elegant ambience in the flat.
She appreciates clean lines and hates clutter, so the decoration was planned with that in mind.
The simplicity that Courcol pursued is well reflected in the furniture. She has a talent for furniture design and created several pieces especially for the apartment. "Sometimes I find furniture in the market looks too complicated and I always opt for simple shapes and simple use," she said.
Besides designing most of the furniture herself, Courcol added elegant, simple-style vintage "finds" here and there.
In the clean and elegant central living area, a relaxed-looking vintage cabinet, beige-colored sofa set and sheer curtains has a comfortable appearance. After customizing the living room with favorite wall colors, lighting and furniture accessories, Courcol felt the decor lacked something so she added a mood painting from Ann New.
The clean and elegant central living area opens to both the romantic lounge area and dining room. "My philosophy on TV in either the bedroom or living room is no. It has to be a specific place where I could comfortably lie down and take a cashmere blanket while watching a movie." She used a lot of purple in the TV lounge area to avoid the house becoming too bland.
Despite a knack for showcasing beautiful objects, Courcol claims the secret to creating a cozy, simple interior is not about knowing how to display objects, but being willing to shed items that no longer fit in.
"I like to keep things simple, which can be hard when you love beautiful objects. It's all about knowing when to stop, otherwise the home begins to resemble a junk shop."
And it's her tasteful choice of accessories and small details that makes the home's beauty shine through.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
