Modern Chinese Furniture: Seat for T. by JinR

We found them ! Remember, that my girlfriends and I had lunch at the Green T. House Living in Shunyi, outside Beijing last October and we saw these awesome red acrylic horseshoe shape Chinese chairs (see my post) and wondered ever since if they would be for sale? My friend Yvalie, beside other talents, she is a very talented web surfer, found them at the Green T. House online shop and at an US online shop here.

Quan Chair red acrylic (as seen at Green T. House Living)  

Interior of the Green T. House in Sanlitun, Beijing

The above acrylic chair is also available in clear and in another shape. When you click on the first picture, you will see the price, and this is not so funny anymore... 3,755 USD.

The Ming Chair (left) with a 2,30 m high back, costs even more. What a pity, these chairs are so cool.

The Green T. House(s) is famous for JinR's creative concept offering sophisticated dishes on unique plates in a minimalistic surrounding while sitting on special seats. Now JinR has even launched her "Seat for T." collection.

Sometimes it is difficult to believe that behind all this beauty is just one master mind. JinR, originally a musician, when she became a tea house owner in Sanlitun, later a restaurateur, interior designer of her restaurants and now even a furniture designer. I think she is not only very pretty, but also very smart and has some very good consultants working for her. An allround entrepreneur that I admire!

JinR the creator of the Green T. House

Active Expat Ladies in Beijing - or Selfmade Entrepreneurs

click to enlarge

I admire these active expat ladies !

Another bazar is coming up, this time on Wednesday, November 17 at East Lake Villas! In Sanlitun, Beijing, my old home! - And look at the flyer they made ! It is send out via email and probably hangs out at expat compounds, condos and supermarkets.

I love their "label" names : Shanghai Trio, Mandarine Coco, Tang' Roulou ... - and the money they have to pay for their bazar stand goes to charity. What a clever concept.

The products you can buy at these kind of bazaars that go round in the community are mainly designed by these active expat ladies and produced by Chinese workers or factories that they found suitable. Some other ladies import products you otherwise would not find in Beijing. And so they keep them self busy and try out entrepreneur's life. Some of the ladies are so successful that they have their own shops yet.

Take Shanghai Trio, they just opened a  shop at the new North Village in Sanlitun. They have already boutiques in Shanghai and Paris, but in Beijing they tried only bazars for a long time, or on appointment at home.

While in Beijing, my friend and I went to their shop and bought small bags in shiny red waterproofed material. Shanghai Trio is one of my favorites and I hope they survive the probably very high rental fees at North Village.

And long before Constance de Toldi, the organiser of the above "So French" bazar, started with her cashmere business, my friend Ira Walendy was already doing her private Cashmere Parties. Now, more ladies try their luck, also with kid's cashmere collections. Ira meanwhile concentrates on her 0813 spa collection , where she and her friend aim more at hotel shops to become customers.

Since this is a unpaid advertising post for all active expat ladies in Beijing, I want to name some more - also as inspiration for "still dreaming" expats - like me.

Some other successful entrepreneur ladies in Beijing :

Kathrin von Rechenberg : "tea silk" fashion made in China. Kathrin, originally from Munich, married to a Chinese, shows her collections at fashion shows at The Orchard Restaurant, shoes up at bazaars (preferred the Embassy house) and has her own shop in Sanlitun (near Embassy house) were she works and lives.

Rouge Baiser Elise  : home embroidered linen by Parisian Elise de St. Guilhem. After a successful shop in Shanghai, she opened one more boutique in Sanlitun, Beijing. This is run by some French ladies taking turns in the shop.

If home made necklaces or cashmere from the wool spinning city are not enough handcraft for you, I have two more examples of successful entrepreneurs: Take the French butcher Michel or the German bakery "Cafe Constance" (Konztanz). That's real business.

But I still dream small. Online sales, paypal payment... just don't have the product yet.

Find more inspiration via nicely made in China, a portal for quality products made in China aiming at export. You can browse by categories like DESIGN, FASHION, HANDMADE, CRAFTS. You will find the stories behind Shanghai Trio, Kathrin von Rechenberg and many more active expats that became entrepreneurs !

about Chinese Style

Okay, I have left China. I am out of Beijing since two weeks. I don't miss much. Maybe that I had more time for writing. But it hopefully comes again when I am more settled in my new / old life. But there are still some open posts that I need to do... e.g. about Beijing, my life in Beijing and about leaving Beijing.

Here is one of them. It is my last publication in Beijing's urbane magazine in April 2008. It is about Chinese Art Deco or Shanghai Chic with photos from interiors in Beijing and Hong Kong.



My draft goes like this:

Last century, a very decorative style developed in Shanghai during its glamorous 1930s, just before World War II. It developed at a time when Shanghai was known as the Paris of the East - synonymous with decadence, romance and glamour. This bustling town was populated with gamblers, gangsters, singsong girls, opium traders and immigrant crowds from all over China and the world. It was parallel to the development of Art Deco styles in Europe that Shanghai experienced its own Art Deco revolution, a unique fusion of Eastern and Western design.

Bright colors and dark antique furniture from the East team up with Western Art Deco elements to create the famous so called 'Shanghai Chic' style. The Art Deco’s strong horizontal and vertical elements, its decorations reduced to geometrical shapes together with Jazzy American zigzags were combined with elaborated Eastern floral carvings of petals and leaves as well as with classic Chinese patterns.

Produced only in Shanghai and for just a brief time, roughly late 1920's to late 1940's, Shanghai’s Art Deco furniture is both rare and original. However the influence on Shanghai’s architecture can still be admired in many areas of Shanghai, especially on the Bund.

Entrepreneur David Tang is a huge fan of the pre-war Shanghai style and introduced it to modern Hong Kong by launching the first China Club on the top floor of the old China Bank Building. He turned the Club into a showcase for Shanghai Chic and for what could be developed further by melding the best of Eastern and Western styles. Following his concept he founded the shop Shanghai Tang, specializing in clothing based on traditional Chinese styles of glamorous pre-war Shanghai. Shanghai Tang also offers a small selection of decorative accessories for modern households.

Now, if you feel attracted by old Shanghai style and want to add a splash of it in your home, you can paint your walls in bright lime green or mustard yellow. Alternatively, using Chinese retro pattern wallpapers, birds, braches and flowers are the most common themes in these wallpaper design. Moreover, other signature elements to create a retro feel such as old Shanghai newspapers, calendars, black and white photographs, and old Shanghai posters; especially those cigarette, alcohol and movie ad posters. In addition, an old record player and a petal shaped pendant lamp or brass fan sitting next to a set of leather club chairs is also another key look for “Shanghai Chic”.

This was my draft. The version in the magazine was edited, of course, and shorter.

The pictures used in the article are one private interior in Beijing. And a corner of the China Club in Hong Kong.

I will show them again here and some more related to Shanghai style:

Shanghai Style in private residence in Beijing - source unknown

China Club in Hong Kong via 'China Style' by Sharon Leece photo by Michael Freeman

I love the atmosphere of the restaurant in the China Club in Hong Kong - via 'China Style' by Sharon Leece photo by Michael Freeman

'Pudong' Club Chair by Shanghai Deco company

Salt and Pepper by Shanghai Tang

Silver plated photo frame by Shanghai Tang.
It shows the typical Shanghainese deco mix of western Jazzy zigzag and Chinese ornaments.



And last but not least, some Shanghai poster girls at the weekend market (Panjiayuan) in Beijing.

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Remark:

I am thankful that I had the chance to become a regular contributor to urbane magazine in Beijing. It was an easy co-operation and a great experience! It will be much more difficult to find some similar job back here in Germany with no journalism education. But, now I have at least some references...

Decorating with Chinese Furniture

Let me share with those who have not access to the Beijing based urbane magazine (left: March cover) my latest article about Chinese furniture. There is a brief introduction to Ming and Qing style and how ancient Chinese furnishing could be used to decorate modern homes. Next month an article about 'Shanghai Glam' will be published.





Read my version prior to editing:

China Decor goes Global

While lots of young Chinese turn towards IKEA or Boloni to decorate their modern homes with western style furniture, China style is popular in the West more than ever.

The history of Chinese furniture dates back over 2000 years. The ancient Chinese knelt or sat cross-legged upon woven mats surrounded by various furnishings including low tables, screens, and armrests.

The development from sitting on the floor towards high seating was influenced by foreign customs and the migration of Buddhism. Chairs and raised platforms began to appear as the status enhancing seats of great masters. In the 12th century the use of stools and chairs was widely spread in China.

The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) was considered as the golden age of Chinese furniture. Most Ming furniture feature clean lines and have a system of assembly without the use of nails. The timeless simplicity and perfect proportions of the Ming style allow these pieces to fit even today in contemporary homes around the world.

Later, during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) more ornate carvings, bright lacquering and inlay work become common. Traders exported along the Silk Road blue and white Ming porcelain, Qing furniture and textile to Europe. European craftsmen soon caught on the exotic motifs, which movement was called Chinoiserie in the 18th century. This is also when Chinese hand painted wallpaper and screens became popular.

In the same century the influence of Chinese furniture and porcelain spread over Southeast Asia, due to Chinese merchants travelling and settling in the region. In the 18th century in Thailand was a vogue for all things Chinese. Courtiers wore Chinese slippers and jackets, Chinese furniture found its way into noble mansions and temples.

The blending of artistic form with practical functionality can be seen as a common thread running throughout the long history of Chinese furniture and is the reason why it is still popular today. For everyday life, you can convert the original function of Chinese furniture and adopt it to your home needs. An altar tables can serve as console table behind a sofa. A small opium bed can be used as coffee table. A wedding cabinet might store a TV while a pharmacy cabinet can store CDs and wooden rice measure containers serve as magazine stands. And finally, accessorize your home with some blue and white ginger jars. Or hang framed hand painted wallpaper panels in your living room. This is a less expensive and flexible alternative to wallpaper a whole wall or room as you can move with your wallpaper.

Another very decorative style developed in the glamorous 1930s in Shanghai. A fusion of Eastern and Western styles including both Chinese bright colors and Western Art Deco elements created the famous so called 'China Chic' or 'Shanghai Chic' (1930s) style.

To achieve a bit of this style and vivid atmosphere in your home you can paint your walls in bright lime green or lemon yellow like it was chic at that time. Shocking pink and lime green silk cushions freshen up dark Qing dynasty chairs in Hong Kong’s private China Club. It comes in handy that the man behind the China Club, David Tang founded Shanghai Tang, an exquisite shop for China Chic where you can find some matching accessories.(more about Shanghai Chic in urbane's April edition and here on my blog)

In the 21st century China style is hotter than ever! Today, you do not even have to travel to Asia to get Chinese decorative items. Interior Design shops around the globe offer Chinese lamps, vases, wallpaper or the famous wedding cabinets. But not only interior designer are focusing on China Style. Hollywood celebrities are wearing qipao, form-fitting Chinese silk dresses. Chinese modern artists are best sellers. Stylish Chinese restaurants, bars and courtyard houses are en vogue among foreigners and Chinese.

And if you feel your Chinese furniture look 'too Chinese' give them a contemporary face lift! You could lacquer a chair or cabinet in clean white or colors like bright orange, pine green, lemon yellow and Prussian blue. You can add cushions with a cotton print or striped pattern to a Chinese daybed instead of using silk. Combine pieces of Chinese furniture with contemporary Western furniture and colorful Western oil paintings for an eclectic mix.

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Photo Caption: In Rome, not far from the Spanish stairs, in a beautiful park of palm and lemon trees lives Mafalda Princess of Hessen with her family in a red colored villa. This villa has a Chinese Salon decorated with an impressing over 100 years old Chinese hand painted wallpaper. The construction of the villa was influenced by the taste of the Nobles of the 18th century. This was when Chinese Salons were en vogue. ‘Such a room used to express that you were well-educated and widely travelled’, tells the Princess.

other photo Caption: Take a look into today's interior design magazines. Pictures of beautiful modern houses with blue and white ginger jar on a chimney or a horse shoe shaped Chinese chair in a hallway are never missing.

Treasure Hunt: In Beijing you find lots of treasures by exploring Panjiayuan Antique Market, Gaobeidian Village, Chaowai Furniture Warehouse, Liangma Antique Market or some local decorating shops like Dara or Zizaoshe. Others more pricey: Radiance, Shanghai Tang (Remark: These and more addresses can be found in "urbane" magazine and “Insider’s Guide to Beijing”.)

Beijing Courtyard House: Mei Lanfang's Siheyuan

To me, the best in Beijing is Old Beijing that you can find in narrow hutong alleys. Most of the time you only get a tiny glimpse of how Chinese live in these old one storey grey brick stone houses. But there is one to visit!




I posted a while ago that I have visited Beijing Opera star Mei Lanfang's former residence, that is a museum, open to public since 1986. I want to give you more details today.


The courtyard is located in Huguosi Lu, a quiet lane in the Western District of Beijing.
A courtyard house has an atrium garden in the middle of the house as you can see from the two layouts, that I scanned from the beautiful book Chinese Houses.


My book shows pictures from the interior, but when you visit, you only can sneak a glance through the windows.

However you can learn more about Mei Lanfang (1894-1961). His biography is illustrated with pictures and you can see two traditional Chinese Opera costumes. There is also a TV that plays scenes from Chinese Opera featuring Mei Lanfang on stage. As the Opera Star also liked to paint and collect Chinese painting, his collection is on display as well.

It is a peaceful atmosphere and definitely worth a visit when you are interested in the traditional style of living in Beijing. For me, the hutong alleys and grey brick stone courtyards are the most authentic and charming part of old Beijing. It worth to stroll around or rent a bike to discover the real China in a city that is changing daily and transforming more and more to one of these modern international exchangeable cities.


This is a view from one room into the courtyard towards the entrance. It has been raining the day before and the whole night. The air was washed out and clean and so were the trees and everything else. The first sunshine tried to break through and the wind blowed some white blossoms from the tree on the ground.


In one of the corner courtyards I got this view through a typical Chinese round gate and took that picture of one of the 'Nine Million Bicycles in Beijing'.


Open Tue - Sun, April - November 9am - 4pm (10 RMB), 9 Huguosi Lu, Xicheng District, tel. 6618 0351


More info at Mei Lanfang Website

Picture source: all mine, except the layouts of the courtyard that are from Chinese Houses: The Architectural Heritage Of A Nation

Chinese Wallpaper

I discovered the beauty of Chinese wall'paper'. They are mostly hand painted on silk and very expensive. As the Chinese are good in copying everything, I went to the home decorating markets to look for the same beauty on normal paper for affordable prices. But I found only some less interesting prints on vinyl paper. So far. I still have that idea of having a room decorated in Chinese Style or a bathroom or guest toilet covered with Chinese Wallpaper.

Here are some pretty wall decorations - above and below hand painted on silk, available via Lehman & Qian in Shanghai and Karolina Lehman in Beijing.







The last three pictures I found via Wallpaper and digital murals on Flickr.

The Chin Family by Alessi

The 'Chin Family' belongs to Alessi's new products from the 'A di Alessi' Spring/Summer 2007 collection. Although I would not buy them, I thought they are cute. 'The Chin family' is a group of household items designed by Stefano Giovannoni with Rumiko Takeda in association with the National Palace Museum in Taiwan.




The pictures show the following products:
salt and pepper set, egg cup with salt castor and spoon and the kitchen timers.

Photo source: Alessi.com and Elle Decor

Charming Courtyards in Beijing

A courtyard house is the most charming way to live in Beijing. But not the most convenient one. There are only few courtyards available that have bathrooms and electricity. They are difficult to access because hutongs are long small one way alleys. And, it is a fairly new and not a very transparent market. You have to ask around. Renovated hutongs are gone fast. To find one and convince a landlord to renovate it (with your money) or to buy one is even more difficult. A courtyard purchase is several times more complex than buying a house anywhere else as you find yourself confronted with six or more owners and their support team of 20 or more extended relatives (see Tom's Hutongs for rent here). And then at the end, you never know how long your new investment is save from the Beijing's bull-dozers (see post from Daily Telegraph's China Correspondant Richard Spencer). Because Beijing's preservation plan seems not always to protect where it was supposed to.

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For the moment, I suggest, the easiest was to enjoy the charming courtyards is to have dinner at one of the many restaurants located in courtyard houses.

HERE IS A LIST OF COZY COURTYARD RESTAURANTS FOR ROMANTIC RENDEZ-VOUS:

The Source
Superbly restored old Hutong House with delicious, spicy set menu (120 or 190 RMB).
14 Banchang Alley, Kuan Jie, Dongcheng, phone 6400 3736

Red Capital Club
Red Capital Restaurant opened in 1999, followed by Mr. Brahm's boutique hotel. Both are crammed with Mao-mentos - Cultural Revolution paintings and figurines, antique phones, radios and actual chairs from Zongnanhai. The courtyard restaurant can't be missed in the alley as Mrs. Mao's car is parked outside.
66, Dongsi Jiu Tiao, Dongsi Dajie.

Mei Fu or Mei's Mansion
Peking opera master Mei Langang's favorite dishes are served in this three-level courtyard house. Dinner is an experience in this low-lit, chic and contemporary, restored 200-year-old Hutong with its fountains and pebbles and simply furnished dining salons. Set menu, around 300 RMB per person. Little English is spoken.
24 Daxianfeng Hutong, Houhai, Xicheng, phone 6612 6845

Yi He Ya Ju
Very popular, very casual restaurant with two 'beer garden' like gardens. Ideal for lunch combined with a walk in Ritan park or shopping in this area. It serves a mix of Sichuan, Shandong, Cantonese, Beijing and Shanghai cuisine.
Northeast corner of Ritan Park, Cahoyang, 8561 7643
(some expats call it the 'hole in the wall restaurant', because of its entrance)

Dali Courtyard
Hidden off an Alley. Warm and rustic, with coal furnaces, and old jazz tunes.
67 Xiaojingchang Hutong, Gulou Dong Dajie, Dongcheng, phone 8404 1430

Huajia Yiyuan
Courtyard with painted girder and roofs. Beijing style food.
235 Dongzhimennei Dajie, phone 6405 1908

The Gourmet Room
A small courtyard with delicate cantonese food and good wine.
Mo - Thur 6 pm - 9.30 pm, Fri - Sun 11 am - 2 pm, 6 pm - 9.30 pm.
3 Qianhai Xijie, Shichahai, Xicheng District 3, phone 6613 9641

Yan Yi Shan Zhai Ge Ge Fu
Staff dressed in ancient Chinese costumes. The cuisine is the so-called 'official cuisine' and there are nutritional soups. (??)
11 am - 2 pm, 4.30 pm - 10.30 pm.
9 Daqudeng Hutong, Meishuguan Houjie, Dongcheng, phone 6407 8006

Tan Hua Xuan
Tanjia Cuisine featuring the best of all Chinese cuisines.
112 Gulou Xidajie, Xicheng, phone 6403 3171

Baijia Dazhaimen
Official cuisine served in a Qing Dynasty king's former residence.
15 Suzhou Jie, Haidan, phone 6265 4186

Family Yue's Banquet House
Nutrious soups in the backyard of a king's former residence (same king as above?...).
29 Suzhou Jie, Haidan, phone 8262 5960

Village of the beautiful stove
Local Jiangxi food prepared in porcelain pots and nutritious soups
11 Suzhou Jie, Haidan, phone 6253 8883

Gui Gong Fu's
two yards are the best part of the restaurants as the rooms are a bit dark. The courtyard is said to belong to Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) empress Cixi's brother. The restaurant is famous for its dishes made of tea ingredients, as well as for Cantonese and Sichuan cuisines. 10.30 am - 2 pm, 5 pm - 10.30 pm.
11 Dafangjia Hutong, Chaoyangmennei Nanxiao Jie, Dongcheng, phone 6512 7677

Bodhi-Sake
Plenty of space for outdoor and indoor dining. It's a three level courtyard house adapted from a nunnery where a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) princess spent her life as a nun. Vegetarian food.
10 am - 10 pm. 200 meters north of North gate of Taoranting Park,
10-16 Heiyaochang Jie, Xuanwu District, phone 63557348

Courtyard No 28
Small restaurant with a big tree and three rooms decorated in ancient Chinese Style. Spicy Guilin and Sichuan food. 11 am - 11 pm.
1 Xilou Hutong, South of Lama Temple, Dongcheng, phone 8401 6788

Crabapple House
Inside simple and a bit dark, outside under wisteria vine two wooden benches. Menu in Chinese and quiet expensive. Maybe better for tea time in the garden.
32 Xuanwumen Xidajie, Xuanwu District, phone 8315 4678

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Remark: There is this chic restaurant called The Courtyard, that is overlooking the moat and the Eastern wall of the Forbidden City. Despite its name it is not a typical courtyard house and offers elegant indoor dining. The contemporary art gallery has moved from the basement out of town to Shunyi. Instead you could dine very intimate with a cozy bed next to the table... Reservation some days in advance:
95 Donghuamen Dajie, Dongcheng, phone 6526 8883

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Oh, well, I have to say, I did not know that there are sooo many courtyard restaurants. I have tried only three or four so far. And I will use this list to check them out one by one, as it is courtyard season right now!

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One more thought after reading Richard Spencer's post and the comments... I have never before thought about what has happend to the former residents of a courtyard restaurant or bar. Were they forced out? Were they compensated accordingly? Not only modern developpment projects are a threat to hutong residents even restaurants and bars might be.

*

Sources:
- China Daily's Beijing Weekend Guide (May 18-20), list of romantic courtyard restaurants,
- Luxe City Guide Beijing for the review and addresses of the Source, Mei Fu, Dali Courtyard, The Courtyard,
- That's Beijing's tbjhome (May 2007) for the courtyard renovation and purchase articles 'Hutong Heaven' and 'This Courting Life' by Tom Luckock. For further info about renting, buying and renovating courtyards contact the writer at tomshutongs@hotmail.com or visit his website about his two renovated courtyard houses. One is for rent, and one is a Bed & Breakfast that will open during 2007.
- photo via Red Capital Club

My older post:Beijing Courtyard House sells for Record Price (April 2007)

Beijing: Panjiayuan Antique Market

This Must visit antique market is known under many names: weekend market, Sunday market, antique market, flea market and some call it the 'dirt market'. The Chinese name is Panjiayuan market and it is not only on Sundays, even not only on weekends and it is not dirty at all. Last Saturday morning when our son went to school, we had that desire to browse once again that huge market of thousands of treasures (on about 45 thousand sqm).
I have taken my new 'toy' and made some pictures to share:

Porcelain and Shanghai poster girl in front of an antique shop

Chairman Mao and military stuff (I hope the hand grenades are fake)

Brushes for Chinese calligraphy and painting

Chinese cyclist in traffic jam from sheet metal

Browsing is part of the fun

'The difference between crap and treasure is luck, hard work and arriving early.', says the Beijing LUXE city guide.

Find more pictures and map and an American Journalist about Beijing's Dirt (cheap) Market.

Part of the market is open every day, but the real thing happens on Saturdays and Sundays from about 7am to 5pm at the 3rd ring road East. Every taxi in town knows the market.

Remark:
Ask your concierge to write the destination in Chinese language for the taxi driver. And even more important: make sure you have the address of your accommodation in Chinese language otherwise you might not find your way back.

Photo Source: all mine !

The Beijing Peony

The pink peony is Chinese painters' favorite flower. And the pink peony is in a famous Beijing pattern. The pink peony often comes along with a blue rose and some exotic bird on red, blue and green background. Although it is a beautiful pattern, the business man and woman of the souvenir shops focus more on silk. I know only one shop selling peony pattern pillow cases (in Liangma Flower Market, stand 23, one case for 15 yuan). Some shops sell peony pattern notebooks. I personally own about a dozen pillow cases with the peony pattern and bought peony pattern fabric in blue from Miyuan Fabric Market to make a table cloth. Recently I discovered the peony pattern on a postcard (picture above).

However, Philippe Starck, him again, seems to have discovered the same interest in the peony pattern (maybe while designing the interior of Lan restaurant in Beijing). I was well amazed to see his Ghost chairs padded with 'my' Beijing peonies.

Again: China Style goes gobal...

Photo: retromodern.com

Chinese Furniture in Modern Life

While Chinese people run to IKEA to decorate their modern homes with western style furniture, China style is popular in the West.

Furniture in Asia has Chinese roots. Thais as other Asians used to live on the floor (sleeping, eating, sitting). While in China in the 12th century the use of stools and chairs was widely spread. The Ming period (1368-1644) was considered as the golden age of Chinese furniture. Timeless simplicity and perfect proportions of Ming furniture allow these pieces to fit even today in the most modern homes around the world. Later, heavy ornate carvings were the style of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Take a look into today's interior design magazines. Pictures of beautiful modern houses with blue and white ginger jars on the chimney or a horse shoe shaped Chinese chair in the hallway are never missing.

A piece of Chinese furniture can make you dream of far away countries and can be functional at the same time. Chinese altar tables serving as console tables, opium bed serving as coffee tables, wedding cabinets serving as TV storage, pharmacy cabinets serving as CD storage, wooden rice container serving as magazine stand… the list is long.

Living in Beijing and exploring Panjiayuan Antique Market, Gaobeidian Village or Chaowai Furniture Warehouse I can find lots of examples. I will keep you posted!

And if the Chinese furniture looks 'too Chinese' lacquer them in white colour!

Remark: Funny, the nicest Chinese furniture we saw was in Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong and not in Beijing.

Photos: from different magazines showing from top left clockwise: white lacquered daybed, bedroom with two wedding cabinets in pastel colour, bedroom with wedding cabinet Ming Style, bedroom with storage boxes and Chinese door serving as paravent.

China Style

China is conquering the world with style.

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) are the two famous styles that influenced Chinese furniture, pottery and art. In the 1930ies another style developed in Shanghai, the Paris of the East. A fusion of Eastern and Western styles including both Chinese bright colours and Western Art Deco elements created the famous so called 'China Chic' or 'Shanghai Chic' style.

In the 21st century China style is hotter than ever! It was never out of demand. Today, you do not have to travel the Silk Road to get Chinese decorative items. Interior Design shops around the globe offer Chinese lamps, vases or the famous wedding cabinets. Hollywood celebrities wearing qipao, form-fitting Chinese silk dresses. Chinese modern artists are best sellers. Stylish Chinese restaurants, bars and courtyard houses are en vogue among foreigners and Chinese. A copy of the private China Club in Hong Kong has opened in Berlin in 2003.




All pictures are from the book CHINA STYLE(photos by Michael Freeman, text by Sharon Leece, printed in Singapore by PERIPLUS). The small pictures above represents 'China Modern' Style. The larger pictures above are taken at the China Club, Hong Kong decorated in 'Shanghai Chic' Style and at a private residence in Shanghai, French Concession. (I love the lemon green painted wall!)

Remark: I own this book and love to look at the pictures. After this post I think it is time to also study it as Sharon Leece has done a great work. Here an extract from her table of contents:

'China Style Goes Global, Ming and Qing Elegance Redefined, The New Mandarin Style, An Eclectic Mix, Chinoiserie Old and New, The New Orientalism, Brilliant Baroque, The New Shanghai Style, Retro Modern, Art Deco Decadence, Shanghai Chic, The New Jazz Age, China Modern, Stylish Minimalism, East West Fusion, Zen Sanctuary, Decorating China Style, Ming and Qing Furniture, China Country Style ...'

Doesn't this sound interesting? At Amazon.com you can search inside the bookfor more pictures!

Chinoiserie

In Rome, just 5 minutes by motorino from the Spanish stairs, in a beautiful park of palm and lemon trees lives Mafalda Princess of Hesse with her family in a red coloured villa. The Villa Polisena was featured as ‘La Dolce Villa’ in the Architectural Digest Magazine of April 2007 (German Issue). What caught my eyes was the Chinese salon with an impressing Chinese painting style Wallpaper.

The Princess was interviewed about the story behind the house. Her grandfather Prince Philipp von Hesse came from Germany to Rome in the early 20ties to study architecture. On a party he met her grandmother, Mafalda of Savoy, the daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele III. of Savoy and Queen Elena. When they got married in 1925 they were given a piece of land - the land the villa is now located. It was the former vegetable garden of the Italian Royal Family. The construction of the villa was influenced by the taste of the Nobles at that time, the style of the 18th century. This was when Chinese Salons were en vogue. ‘Such a room used to express that you were well-educated and widely travelled’, tells the Princess. The Chinoiserie-wallpaper was repaired by three generations. Some mandarins become blond nevertheless.

Chinoiserie was the style of European art in the 18th century modelled on Chinese art. Chinese products such as silk, porcelain, paintings and artifacts came to Europe via the famous Silk Road in the 17th and 18th century.

Photo: Oliver Mark, AD

Beijing Shopping: DARA

DARA is offering elegant Asian and Western home decor. It runs its business since 1998 and has now three stores and an art gallery in Beijing. The product range inculdes chinese and western style furniture, 'antique' accessories, dishware, cushions, lamps, lush fabrics, mirrors, pottery and more. The art gallery in Dashanzi Art Zone 798 shows contempory art. It hosts as well the DARA club, a unique showroom space. DARA is appreciated by chinese and foreign customers. In their high glossy brochure they claim Hollywood director Oliver Stone to be one of their customers. Not only have they private customers but also real estate projects asked them to furnish their showrooms. DARA products are pricy in comparison to the home decor price level in Beijing. However they have been cultivating their brand when brand consciousness was not formed yet in China - and now they belong to the top addresses when it comes to interior decoration in Beijing.



Unfortunately the website is only for Chinese customers in chinese language and taste: see DARA.com.cn