Take a walk through an amazing luxury apartment in Shanghai Riverside House of Shimao, designed by Muxing Studio and find out what pursuit of happiness incarnated in space looks like.
Zhang Lei, the designer, believes that home is a safe space secluded for family and friends, where one can share private time and emotions. There, our loved ones can inspire us and make us happy. Thus, Zhang Lei decided to base every design decision on the pursuit of happiness.
This poetic space belongs to a family of five. Located in the iconic Shimao skyscraper in Shanghai, it provides an amazing view of the river and Pudong Business District, which is one of the most famous areas in the world. Therefore, the view is the apartments’ most breath-taking decoration.
“The best space is this: we live in it, but we don’t feel where nature ends and where art begins”. This is the philosophy utterly visible in this luxury apartment. Space is kept simple but adorned with carefully selected materials and decorations, that create a sophisticated and romantic atmosphere. “The adoption process of these original materials, we call it the addition of life, and then we need to make some choices, refine every detail, and finally extract the most appropriate way of discourse to face the balance between personalization and group resonance — That is, the subtraction of design.”
Muxin Studio chose a simple and neutral palette of white and black, creating an elegant and bright space. The living room is connected to the dining area with a glamorous marble dining table designed by Zhang Lei exclusively for the customer. The art installation on the wall adds a flowing atmosphere while not overwhelming the space.
The living room, which covers the area of 80m2, is kept simple and classy, with a touch of chic created by the use of gold stools and a center table. In order to maximize the display surface, the studio decided to integrate the TV and bookcase into a whole. The design of this space plays the role of a perfect display for the view of the river, visible through big windows covering a whole wall.
As the owners of the house are art lovers, white walls and neutral décor give plenty of room for art pieces, proudly displayed around this luxury apartment. In the living room we can see an amazing Picasso-style painting, casually leaned on one of the white walls.
The Master bedroom suite consists of a bright bedroom, a cloakroom and a bathroom. Space is kept in the palette of the house, with warm beiges and whites, accompanied by black and wooden accents. Space provides a ‘soft’ feeling, like an invitation to relax and rest.
Another bedroom is meant for the elderly and was designed according to their needs. Keeping a room for the parents is a very Chinese feature, as they tend to live with the elderly to help them during their old days. Muxin Studio chose soft and warm tones, with soft-edged furniture, so as to prevent bumping against them. The room is full of natural warm light, that provides a perfect sleeping environment.
Bathrooms of these two bedrooms are kept in white, with black elements. With the help of the mirror reflection effect, the vertical components are wrapped with paint baking stainless steel, which brings more vertical segmentation feeling to the interior.
The two remaining bedrooms are for the children: a girl and a boy. As expected, the girls’ room is kept in a pink & beige palette. The designers went for curved shapes, visible all around the room.
The boys’ room is more lively, with shades of blue and greys. This space is meant to reflect the boys’ strong hero complex and energetic attitude towards life. Zhang Lei wanted to leave some room for the changes, that will be applied to space as the boy grows. The effect is a simple, but very powerful space, with some room for adjustments in the future.
This luxury apartment is a poetic interpretation of the family’s’ features and characteristics of its members. Kept quiet and simple, this sophisticated space has a unique charm hidden somewhere in between, ready to be discovered.
