NOSTALGIA for a past era inspires every nook and cranny of Michelle Blumenthal's apartment near Suzhou Creek. An avid collector of Shanghai vintage items -- Blumenthal has amassed a vast selection of Art Deco furniture, glassware and accessories from the 1920s to 1940s, and each with its own story.

The 160-square-meter apartment itself evokes memories of old Shanghai and Blumenthal displays her pieces with an impeccable eye for art and beauty and a great sense for color. With a limited budget, she transported this four-room flat back in time.

Originally from South Africa, Blumenthal's respect for Chinese culture and art developed early since her first business trip to Shanghai in 1985 when she was in the commodity business. A change of circumstances led her to study at Christie's auction house in London, where she studied artistry and researched Chinese antiques.

She became an antique dealer in Hong Kong in 1994 but since more and more fake pieces began to appear on the market Blumenthal decided to focus on Asian contemporary art. "I started to work with Southeast Asian contemporary art. China has the strongest tradition in painting so later I chose to focus on Chinese contemporary art and specialize in one area: abstract," said the art consultant, who curates and produces but primarily looks after selected artists.

Blumenthal's passion for Chinese art has taken her all over the country. "I began to spend more of my time in Shanghai since 1998 and I fell in love with the city. I wanted to be more integrated here rather than purely being any outsider," Blumenthal said.

Since 2003, she started to search, experience and moved between a number of houses all over the city. Before purchasing a property, she has lived in eight houses in Puxi area. "High rise, low rise, old, new, I tried every different type to get the feeling of Shanghai living," she said.

"I wanted to preserve what I'd fallen in love with in Shanghai, which is the old part of Shanghai. I also understood what Chinese people have been through and why they don't want to live in old buildings. It's up to people like me to love an old building, to convert it to be nice enough for the Shanghainese to admire it, and want to live in it."

Blumenthal currently divides her time between Hong Kong and Shanghai but she prefers living in the latter. "Shanghai has a good mix of architecture, people and living styles," she added.

Blumenthal bought a 1930s lane house on Taiyuan Road in 2005. Halfway through the renovation, she thought it was too big for her to live in. So she bought this old apartment in late 2005 and rents out the lane house.

"One of my artist friends took me to the local market and I couldn't believe there was so much old Shanghai stuff there," recalled Blumenthal. "I saw so many people throwing out Shanghai Art Deco furniture. It should be saved because one day Shanghainese will appreciate it." Back in 2005, Art Deco furniture pieces were still cheap because people didn't appreciate them.

Shanghai Art Deco is a distinct style that evolved in the 1920s and 1930s, strongly influenced by the generic Art Deco style and a combination of traditional Chinese furniture designs and woods.

Over the years, Blumenthal has become friends with many old furniture dealers all over Shanghai. Most pieces she bought are cheap but very pretty. She even picked up neglected pieces out of trash on the streets.

One of her favorite items is an Art Deco sofa placed in the living room which she found on the street. "I asked the woman in charge of the rubbish on the street and she said I could take it way. I couldn't believe how lucky I was."

"None of the things looked like the original pieces when I found them. All the upholstery has been changed and I have interpreted them my way," she said. "I liked the challenge to preserve them, to make them live a new life."

Blumenthal didn't change much of the existing layout and she didn't want to ruin the original feeling of the space. With her keen eye for detail and some clever placement, she has retained the vintage feel, while packing her home from floor to ceiling with a treasure trove of antiques from the era.

She decided to focus on the furniture and emphasize the open flow of the space. Her goal was to create an integrated feeling throughout the house and a look that is a well-balanced mix of nostalgic Shanghai home and practical modern living. "I want the apartment to look beautiful but I also want it to be comfortable to use. I always think about the double purpose," she said.

The apartment is composed of a living room, an attached kitchen and dining room, the master bedroom and a multi-purpose room which can be a study, a TV room and a guest room. The homeowner spends most of her time on the nicely decorated balcony that serves as a transition between the indoors and outdoors. And it is a tranquil place, a small oasis at home in which to retreat.

After furnishing the apartment, Blumenthal needed some decorative pieces to warm up the space as well as to reflect her taste in expressing individuality. "I have had a passion for glass since I was a child. I went crazy for old Shanghai glassware." Indeed, everywhere you turn in her apartment, some special old Shanghai glassware catches the eye, even in the nooks and crannies.

After the nostalgic elegance of old Shanghai pieces, the most stunning of all Blumenthal's contributions to the apartment is her extraordinary collection of Chinese contemporary abstract paintings.

The home is filled with some of the most amazing pieces of abstract art imaginable. When the pure, earthy background with Art Deco furniture is created, the artworks' dramatic effect on the eye is maximized.

Who is he?

JB Ablaza Macatulad is a freelance web and graphic designer based in the Philippines. He graduated with a BA in English Literature from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. in 1996, and a BFA in Fine Art/Illustration from the Academy of Art in San Francisco in 2000.

Macatulad worked as a web designer for ThriveOnline, the healthcare division of Oprah Winfrey and Geraldine Laybourne's high-profile website for women, oxygen.com, which won the Webby award for best healthcare website the two years he was there.

He's been a freelance designer since moving back to the Philippines in 2001 and has clients from across the globe, including Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, London and New York.

Macatulad has also had a few oil painting exhibitions. Although his last one was in 2002, he may resume them soon.

Tell us some of your works and name the one you are most proud of.

I did a gigantic digital mural for a mall cinema complex in Manila. It's huge - over 6,000 square feet. I don't consider it my best work but it certainly is the most visible and high-profile project I've done thus far. As for websites, the website I did in 2007 for my sister's spa in Shanghai (www.shuiurbanspa.com.cn) is still near and dear to me, not just for the design but because it's the one project that really kick-started my design practice. Because the Internet has made the world so much smaller, I had always dreamt about working remotely while entertaining a global client base. This website started it all so to speak. I'm also proud of my food and travel blog Sushi Bytes (www.websushidesign.com/blog). I love to write as well, so I use this as my outlet.

Are you currently involved with any project?

Several. I'm the international graphic design partner for the Singapore-based Spa-Esprit Group, so I handle the graphics for pretty much all the branches of Strip and Browhaus outside of Singapore, including the ones in Shanghai. Recently, I completed two projects for Shanghai-based clients. I also have a few other projects I'm presently working on, including another solar module company based in Shanghai and an art gallery in Manila.

Describe your design style.

Hard to pinpoint really as it's ever evolving. For example, with my personal portfolio websites, if the present design is colorful with many varied textures, chances are the redesign will be minimalist with plenty of white space. It depends really on how I'm feeling and what I'm inspired by at that particular time. But regardless of the approach, my designs are usually concept-driven as I like to work around a well-developed concept or theme.

Where are you most creative?

Inspiration can come from anywhere and at any time. This is what's so beautiful about anything creative - the work is mostly in the mind, so there are no walls, no beginning nor end. I can be inspired by something I see while driving, while reading an interesting book or by a conversation. Inspiration and creativity can come from the strangest places at times.

What does your home mean to you?

I work from home so home to me is everything. It's a place of relaxation, concentration and inspiration. My wife and I recently bought a small plot of farmland in the province and are saving up to build our dream house. My goal is to become a hydroponic farmer/fine art painter/web and graphic designer.

What do you collect?

I'm a big Tim Burton fan so I collect toys inspired by his movie characters. I also collect a few vinyl toys, the prize of my collection being a set of limited edition Manny Pacquiao and Mickey Mouse figures by MindStyle. Only 300 were made and sold worldwide.

I'm also an animal lover so I have a lot of pets - two pugs named Henry and Mona, an Argentine black and white tegu named Juanchi, a pair of red-eared sliders, and a few leopard geckos. I used to keep a few snakes too but currently don't have any in my collection.

What will be the next big design trend?

It will probably have something to do with Facebook.