Our regular Interiors features take a look through the keyhole into the homes of some of Shanghai's well known faces.
Spencer Dodington is, without a shadow of a doubt, an Art Deco fanatic. The Texas native, who’s been living in Shanghai for the last 21 years, is an expert on the style – he’s even published books about it – and an avid hoarder of period furniture. His house, an upper-level apartment in an Art Deco building from 1934 located in the former French Concession, mirrors his penchant.
Dodington purchased it in 2009, after a two-year search for the perfect deco place. The moment he stepped in, he knew he had found what he’d been looking for: “It took me 15 minutes to commit,” he says. “There aren’t many Art Deco structures left in the city, so I knew I had stumbled upon a rare gem.” Dodington refurbished the entire space, aiming to recreate what it may have looked like back in the 1920s. And he succeeded. Entering his home is like stepping back in time. Here’s a look inside.
When he first moved in, the apartment “wasn’t exactly to my taste,” says Dodington. “It had heavy, dark-wood details and cliché oriental motifs. I tore it down and rebuilt it up from scratch, from the glass-and-steel doors to the ceiling fans and shelving.” In the renovation process, Dodington made sure to implement materials typical of 1920s/30s Shanghai.
Spencer Dodington at his dining table, with two of his books Final Five Shanghai Walks and Shanghai Art Deco Master.
A classic 1930s style bookcase takes up a corner of the writer’s studio cum-guestroom, bursting with books and history.
The balcony in the kitchen was a major draw for dodington when he first visited the flat. “I had it as one of my requirements,” he says. One of the author’s favorite armchairs is here too, a beautiful leather-bounded piece that was part of the Jinjiang Hotel. “as a writer, I spend a lot of time at home working, so I like to have different writing and reading spots to move to and from.” I bought it during China’s sars outbreak back in 2003, when no one dared to go outside. It was a bargain.”
A glimpse inside Dodington’s study reveals even more art deco details in the room’s furnishings and architectural nooks.
A few contemporary art pieces dot the space, creating an interesting juxtaposition with the apartment’s Haipai (Shanghainese style) flair.
“Everything you see here, I’ve been collecting for years from antique shops and markets in shanghai,” says dodington. “Tea cups, chairs, desks – they all belong to the art deco period. I’m particularly drawn to furniture from old hotels – I have a few Peace Hotel pieces I am really attached to. anything that tells a story is just so interesting to me.”
One of Dodington’s favorite pieces is a writing desk from the Peace Hotel. “It feels incredibly inspiring to be sitting at it.”
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