Our regular Interiors features take a look through the keyhole into the homes and businesses of some of Shanghai's well known faces.
Calling Valerie Brown a Jill-of-all-trades
isn’t an overstatement. Besides her
full-time role as the Director of the US
Agricultural Trade Office in Shanghai, the
New Jersey native is the host of the show Cooking with MeiMei, the founder of the
Women of American Wine Group of China
(WOW) and a mother of five.
Having joined USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service in 1995, Brown has been posted in London, Mexico City and Taipei before coming to Shanghai in 2014 – a vibrant city that she describes as “Disneyland for adults” and “New York on steroids.”
Her love for decorating is prominently featured in every corner of her 184 square meter apartment, where a well-curated collection of knickknacks from places that she’s lived in or traveled to are tastefully displayed. “Everywhere I go, I want to bring a piece of it back with me,” says Brown. “My father used to say to me, ‘You only live once and you don’t want to have any regrets,’ and I live by that.” Here’s a look inside.
The spacious living and dining rooms are blessed with ample natural light from a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooks Nanjing Xi Lu. Green plants and wood elements add a warm and homey touch to the space.
Brown and her daughter
Claudia have been living
in their penthouse flat at
the Shanghai Centre for
about 18 months. In addition
to having the luxury
of being able to walk
to her office in the same
complex everyday, the
self-described foodie also
loves all the restaurant
options and the bustling
energy here.
Food is a huge part of Brown’s upbringing, and she loves having friends over for parties – about 45 people gathered for a Thanksgiving feast a few days before the interview. “I grew up in a family of cooks and chefs, so the kitchen is the heart of everything,” she tells us. “My friends and I love sitting by the kitchen, and someone’s always cooking in it. They all love to cook here because it’s so big.”
Brown had always wanted to own an opium bed, and her
dream was realized in Shanghai. This prized possession now
sits in a small living area behind the dining table, along with a
collection of tea sets that she’s collected as gifts for family and
friends back home.
The green Aztec sun on the wall is an item that Brown purchased during her posting in Mexico City. “I love it because of what it means to me,” Brown explains, referring to her middle name, Rae (like a ray of sunshine). The staircase leads up to a private rooftop terrace where she hosts barbecues during spring and summer.
Paintings with African elements are displayed on Brown’s bedroom wall, all of which were collected by her parents’ and her own travels to the region. Her favorite among these is the one portraying a woman in a yellow headscarf. Brown explains, “I like the idea of having images of strong women in my home for my daughters.”
Photos by Mario Grey
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