Casey Hall has been contributing articles about Shanghai residences to the International New York Times’ Great Homes column since 2012, and last October, the Australian writer and editor released her first book, Shanghai: An Interior Design Reference.
Featuring beautiful photos and descriptions of the homes that she’s written about over the past few years, as well as some of the most well-designed restaurants, bars and hotels in the city, the author manages to use these places to construct a very cohesive narrative showcasing the unique characteristics of Shanghai-inspired designs.
“When I started the book, I didn’t really know how I’d tie all the properties together. But as I was drafting the introduction, it struck me that Shanghai has a wonderful balance of East and West, old and new,” says Hall. While selecting homes to feature for the International New York Times column was tricky at first, story ideas started coming her way through word-of-mouth as time went on.
She adds, “For the Great Homes articles, I’m not necessarily looking for the fanciest or most luxurious places to feature. As a writer, I’m more interested in the stories behind these places and their owners. That’s what really appeals to me.” Here’s a look at some of the places that encapsulate the narrative of the book.
Tianping Lu Lanehouse
Once a dental clinic in the 1930s, the young family who currently lives in this lanehouse on Tianping Lu has turned the place into a bright and airy home with white walls and an open layout, while retaining some of its tiles in the courtyard area. Hall explains, “[One of the owners] works with upcycled wood in her business, so that was incorporated into the design as well.” Hall had also just started her own family when she first visited this property, so it was interesting and inspiring for her to see family lanehouse life.
Villa by Baptiste Bohu
Many expats in Shanghai opt for marrying a Western aesthetic with touches of Chinese elements in their homes to reflect their roots as well as their love and interest in China. One good example featured in the book is this villa designed by Baptiste Bohu. “The owners are very keen on a traditional French style and they have a collection of Chinese antiques as well,” Hall says. “A thangka painting serves as the centerpiece of the living room, and all these colorful Tibetan elements and the classic French black and white meld together very well.”
Restaurants & Bars
Besides residences, Hall felt it was important to include a section on F&B venues, as they are a very important aspect of the city’s social life. “Interiors of Shanghai’s bars and restaurants are on a whole new level compared to other cities in the world,” says Hall. Glam, a gastrolounge by veteran restaurateur Michelle Garnaut at Bund 5, is actually the very first space that Hall decided that she must include, she tells us. “I love the design by Stephanie Clift; it includes a lot of Art Deco elements and pieces from Michelle Garnaut’s personal art collection. With the view of the Bund, it’s a place that’s very uniquely Shanghai.”
Design Inspirations
The ‘Inspirations’ chapter at the end of the book highlights general Shanghainese aesthetics that readers can use as references. Color themes including red, gold and turquoise, as well as textural and design aspects like bamboo, porcelain and lanterns, are all featured as some of the city’s most defining interior design elements.
Purchase 'Shanghai: An Interior Design Reference' at Book Depository or Amazon.
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