constructed with closets so cabinets and chests of different sizes were used for storage. This pair of cabinets would have been used as wardrobes; today they have been lined with fabric and fitted with lighting. When the doors open they function as display cabinets for part of Lo's ceramic collection. The table between the cabinets is covered with an opium mat; on top stands a Ju Ming sculpture. The painting on the wall is of the Grand Canyon and is by Wu Guanzhong, known for his exciting contemporary work. Wu exhibited at the British Museum in 1992, the first time the museum held a one-man show for a living artist.
On the miniature display table in the living room is a collection of Lo's own designs, including Buddhist knots of destiny made of jade, ivory, wood and porcelain.
On a table stand Song dynasty figures and three Ming ceremonial tablets housed in brush pots.
18th-19th century Beijing glass pendants make attractive door pulls on a bamboo cabinet.
A pair of sofas dressed in pale textured fabrics stand in the centre of Kai-Yin Lo's living room, defining the seating area in the flowing, open plan space. Recessed and spot lighting illuminate her extensive collection of Chinese art and furniture. A low platform functions as a coffee table; it was originally one of the earliest types of raised seating in China. This rare piece dates from the 18th century and is made of nan mu (a variety of cedarwood). It is constructed of three modular sections which can function as a single platform (pictured here), or used separately as smaller seats, stands or low tables. On top is a miniature Ming display table featuring a collection of Buddhist knots of destiny. A silk padded screen, featuring artworks in ink and colour, shields the dining room from the living area. A 3rd-century Gandhara Buddha from the Indus Valley stands serenely in the entrance hall.
An Eclectic Mix
Softwood furniture mode from northern elm (nu mu), southern elm (ju mu), cedar (nan mu) and camphor (zhang mu) woods is on increasingly popular choice for contemporary living. Through the centuries, these woods were available in many of Chino's regions and were used widely to produce vernacular furniture. As classical hardwood furniture such as huanghuali becomes increasingly rare and expensive, more and more experts are turning to softwood furniture to reevaluate its position in the domestic environment of the time.
Chunky, country-style furniture fills the Singapore home of Michael Fiebrich and David Hoss, who are both avid collectors of Chinese antiques. Their three-bedroom, 167 sq m (1,800 sq ft) colonial bungalow built in the 1920s is a typical 'block and white', a term used to describe such buildings whose structural elements were typically pointed block and the panels white, in the Jacobean manner.
Fiebrich and Hoss chose their home because of its large garden and mature trees which offered total privacy and peaceful views. "Although we both love to entertain, the house and garden are on escape from demanding careers and busy travel schedules," explains Fiebrich. "So we surrounded ourselves with strong but simple pieces of furniture that reflect the calm, comfortable mood of the house."
An antique country style cabinet acts as a sturdy bedside table.
The Chinese pieces in their home are on interesting mix of styles, put together from years of travel throughout Asia. "We particularly enjoy combining Western and Asian pieces although as the years go by the house slowly becomes more and more Chinese in flavour. " These include a whimsical antique bamboo kitchen cabinet in the entrance hall, a large red lacquer wedding cabinet which odds regal splendour to the master bedroom, and on ornate carved and gilded canopy bed which provides a strong focal point and contrasts well with the interior's muted fabrics and colour scheme.
Balancing the furniture is a light-hearted combination of accessories, including a terracotta elephant from a Shanghai flea market, a traditional bamboo ladder from a local Singapore hardware store and a Texas longhorn skull hanging on the wall in the bedroom. They provide warmth and visual interest. "There is a peaceful simplicity to the pieces that allows them to blend well with a contemporary interior," says Fiebrich. "The strong colours and textures as well as the chunky scale of the Chinese country furniture give them on almost modern feel."
The strong lines of a large Qing dynasty cabinet dominate the living room; resting against the wall is a bamboo ladder which was found in a local Singapore hardware store. Accessories such as the red lacquer box and antique ivory vase have a rich patina of age and add colour and texture to the room.
"Its heavy scale and blocky proportions add a modern simplicity to the room," says Michael Fiebrich of the late Qing cabinet in the living room. On top are two lamp bases made from antique balustrades taken from an old Singapore shophouse. The ceramic dragon planter on the floor was selected for its rich, dark colour and pattern.
In the master bedroom, a red lacquer wedding cabinet purchased in Singapore adds regal colour to the room and contrasts well with the white walls and white-tiled floor. It has been juxtaposed with a Western Texas longhorn skull mounted above.
Lighthearted touches add to the relaxing feel of the interior. An antique bamboo kitchen cabinet is placed at the entrance to the living room. On the circular table in the foreground is a terracotta elephant found in a flea market in Shanghai.
This antique Qing dynasty canopy bed is a favourite piece and was purchased locally in Singapore. "It not only offers a restful perch for reading or napping but its ornate carved and gilded frame gives a strong focal point in the living room and adds a nice contrast to the simple fabrics and colours used elsewhere in the room," says Fiebrich.
Classical Precision
The London pied-a-terre of a prominent Hong Kong family features a modern, minimalistic interior furnished entirely with classic Chinese furniture. The four-storey house in Chelsea is on exercise in restraint, with ordered groupings of furniture inside a series of rooms accessed by a central staircase.
An intricate, late Ming huanghuali canopy bed fits neatly into on alcove in a corridor; a formal grouping of four horseshoe back choirs surrounds a table in the white walled dining room; and a clean-lined Ming canopy bed with built-in back is positioned adjacent to a gloss wall overlooking the stairwell. In every area of this home, precision is key.
Recessed spotlights throughout highlight the worm, lustrous woods and extraordinary craftsmanship that make up each piece of furniture. The use of natural materials-such as wood and travertine marble flooring, silk carpets and dashes of bold soft furnishings-serve to offset the museum quality feel of the space Here, the architectural lines of the interior and the furniture combine to produce a serene, quiet and intelligent decorative scheme.
Floor-to-ceiling glass panels overlooking a central stairway help open up the interior of this four-storey London house. In the living room, things are kept architecturally minimal with white walls, a pale wood floor and spot lighting. The clean-lined approach is maintained with select pieces of pared-down antique furniture. A Ming luohan chuang (couch bed)