Shanghai became a treaty port in 1843. Living areas known as Foreign Concessions were carved out by the French and British powers, and were governed by their own respective legal codes. The British Concession later became known as the International Settlement, and incorporated America and a mix of other governments. We particularly love the French Concessions area for its originality. Shanghai fast became a cosmopolitan metropolis with various styles of architecture from each culture competing for attention in the same space. The late 1920s was the great period of architecture and interior design fusion. Western architecture on a grand scale was built; in the French Concession, magnificent Tudor style mansions mix with low-rise Chinese style buildings such as shikumen. This fusion is reflected also in interior design.
Patrick Donovan
Below we see traditions mixed in baroque style. Asian motifs mix with modern forms, plant and organic lines opposite pure geometry, with eclectic elements of transformation moving in between. Modern flat surfaces repeat in pattern to delineate space. The key coordinating move is the chic all-white furnishings, hollowing out the center in favor of print, texture and color along the periphery.
Andrea Schumacher Interiors
Consider the interplay of surface and form while shopping our store.
