Home » Sunday » Home and Design
Relaxing, bright and comfortable with a hint of elegance
Print Edition
ITALIAN architect and designer Domitilla Lepri is keen on crafting warm and homey spaces as reflected in one of her latest residential projects in Songjiang, Shanghai.
Relaxing, bright and comfortable, with a hint of elegance — the 250-square-meter villa is a cozy new home for Chinese couple Sun Chen and Zhang Yeqi, both in their 30s.
The couple contacted Lepri after reading an article on her designs and the villa completely matched their expectations.
After an initial first meeting they decided to invite Lepri to transform a home to match their personal tastes.
“Our major concern for our new home is comfort. We both need a lived-in space instead of a pretty showroom,” the homeowners said.
Lepri said she liked the location, the abundant sunlight from each room and the many trees in the compound.
The Italian also liked the overall layout of the house which has a square plan, allowing you to avoid too many corridors. And on each floor, from the foyer, you can easily have access to all of the rooms and the stairs.
Comfort and simplicity is the guideline of this design project.
“I don’t like to have overly decorated interiors for residential projects, contrary to restaurants or commercial projects that are usually more impressive regarding the style. I always try to focus on the idea that this is a residence. When people return home they aim to rest and relax without the necessity of being surrounded by too many colors and materials,” the designer said.
Lepri is keen on using a neutral color palette of grey and white as a background on which she can play with colors. Each room has a focus color playing on different tones. For example, in the living room, they have used lavender blue in the cabinet combined with a brighter blue for the two armchairs and a greenish blue for the carpet.
“I like mixing tones of the same color to give a more sophisticated effect,” she said.
Aside from a themed color, each room also features one or two highlights. The living room has a central focus that is the fireplace. On both sides, in a symmetric way, they added two libraries and in the back to accentuate the axis they used a blue stripe pattern on the wall.
“The purpose of all that is to highlight the centrality of the room. The rest of the walls are in plain colors so the whole vibe is not overwhelming,” Lepri said.
The dining room, with an angular entrance, is a closed space that inspired Lepri to make the walls look more playful and elegant by using boiserie — the decorated paneling in different colors.
As for the bedroom, the main decorative element is the natural fiber wallpaper in white and blue. Once again the element is used to accentuate the balance of the room. Balance is so important for any stylish, relaxing interior: void and filled, light and dark, soft and hard. Lepri knows how to balance different elements to make a rather elegant style.
“From the color of the carpets, the lighting materials to the curtain designs, everything has to find its place without damaging the overall balance. The architect Van de Velde used to design the dress of his wife in accordance to the style of the room so I strongly believe that balance is the correct answer,” Lepri said.
She also took charge of the furniture selection in order to achieve a well-balanced result.
“Part of the furniture is custom made, some is bought from local or international suppliers, and the rest is done by our artisans. It’s important to have an initial general concept, and as in a puzzle, organize all the elements in the correct way,” she said.
Furniture pieces from Camerich, Nemo, Nohor, Kartell, Flos, Moooi, Maison Dada are chosen for their appealing looks and functionality.
“However, the selection of furniture is not based on a particular brand but on the respect of the interior style,” she said. “The color selection is also in accordance with the interior vibe, so if the overall walls are in white and neutral tones the sofa will be in a bright color to give a balanced effect, or if the sofa has a neutral color, the two side armchairs will feature a stronger color. There are no special rules to follow, only the sensibility guiding how all the room has to work in balance.”
Lepri also tried to break a general rule with some modern or unexpected accessories. For example, in the boy’s room, a generally classic style, Lepri placed a bed-side table from Kartell and a funny lamp to bring a lighter touch.
“I like the feeling you get when you enter this villa house — the level of peace of mind and calmness that this house transmit. I like the satisfaction and happiness that I perceive when I am there,” Lepri said.
Q: What’s the best thing about living in Shanghai?
A: Comfortable living and we are surrounded by our families.
Q: Describe your home in three words.
A: Warm, comfortable, happy
Q: What’s the first thing you do when you get home?
A: Get a coke and discuss with my wife which movie to watch before going to bed.
Q: Where do you spend most of your time at home?
A: Kitchen
Q: What’s the view outside your window?
A: An orange tree with its seasonal changes.
Q: What’s your favorite object in your home?
A: Our living room sofa. It’s simple, chic and extremely comfortable.
Q: Where do you source furniture?
A: A selection provided by our designer.
- 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.
