Modern Shanghai apartment made charming

HAVING lived in an old, renovated apartment on Tai’an Road for more than five years, BJ Macatulad and Jeremy Young decided to move into a modern apartment in 2011 to begin a new phase of life in Shanghai.

“We love the character of these old buildings but they are just like vintage cars — gorgeous to look at, but they often break down and do not provide modern, practical conveniences,” Macatulad said.

After several years of putting up with freezing winters, bursting pipes, weak water pressure ... the couple finally decided it was time to move on. “We traded the vintage car for a reliable (albeit plain) new compact car, so to speak.”

However, the couple was reluctant to give up the charms of an older apartment, so they really wanted a new place that still had some personality. “Most of the apartments in the new high-rises are really stiflingly bland with few interesting elements, and I think I could not have stayed in those places very long,” Macatulad said. “What attracted me to this apartment in Central Residence, apart from the fact it was just renovated and in excellent condition, is the balcony’s charming views over the trees of the former French concession area, and beyond it, the iconic buildings of Xujiahui.”

The greenery reminds Macatulad, who is from the Philippines, of their old place with its wide windows shaded by plane trees. Her husband, Young, from New Zealand, also likes that there is an extra half-room enclosed by floor-to-ceiling glass doors, which serves as his private office.

The apartment was in great condition so no structural changes were needed. Since they've amassed a lot of furniture over the years, they needed for the space to be totally unfurnished so that they could put their own stamp on it. The couple did spend a lot of effort in decorating so it would still feel warm and evoke some of the charm of their prior homes in older Shanghai apartments.

As always, they like to mix styles, periods and influences. They have modern pieces alongside antiques, Asian-influenced accents alongside Western-style furniture, sleek surfaces with some natural textures and materials mixed in.

“As for the overall feel, we were going for something relaxed and unfussy, but still refined — a place where we could have grown-up dinner parties but where everyone felt comfortable putting their feet up on the furniture,” Macatulad said. “I really think everyday decor needs to be livable and comfortable first and foremost. I could never have a ‘show house’ where people felt uncomfortable touching anything!”