A Parisian Eye Meets Old Shanghai in This Character-Filled Home

Julien de Preaumont's home near Wukang Building is tucked away in a quiet alley shaded by camphor trees, with the sounds of birds and cats rather than Shanghai's major tourist landmarks. The French entrepreneur, his wife, and their two daughters feel like they're on vacation rather than home.

Paris-born Julien worked in the technology industry before moving to Hong Kong, where he started and sold a French patisserie business. Today, he is based in Shanghai and working on his new project, SEASON2 | 再季, a destination for highly curated pre-owned fashion. His home reflects his passion for curation. It combines the architectural charm of old Shanghai with a distinctly personal collection of objects, furniture and art.

When the family began searching for a home in Shanghai, they had just one requirement: character.

"We wanted a place with a lot of cachet and charm," Julien said.

They had already seen several houses when their agent brought up one located on Huaihai Road. However, there was a catch: the renovation had only just begun, and the house was, in the agent's words, "a ruin."

That was precisely what made Julien want to see it.

The lane was lined with huge camphor trees from Soong Ching-ling's former home, creating a green, secluded atmosphere. There was little to admire inside at first glance. Some rooms had no ceilings after the house was stripped.

The architect Lam Sam Hoi of feiwa design | 飞瓦设计 showed the family 3D renderings of what the finished house would look like. They trusted his vision.

Three months later, the transformation was complete. The once-derelict property had become a quintessentially Shanghainese home, complete with wooden doors, metal-framed windows, wooden floors and even a fireplace.

The architecture was largely the work of the architect, while the family took charge of the interiors. Rather than committing to a particular decorating style, Julien and his family wanted the house to feel natural and personal.

"We didn't try to replicate any style," he said. "We've just tried to place objects we like in a harmonious way."

The result is a home that feels more like a collection than a decoration. The family brought some pieces from their previous life in Hong Kong, while they commissioned or bought others in Shanghai. Over time and across various locations, furniture and decorative objects have accumulated, each carrying its story.

The dining room is mainly designed for entertaining, featuring a bar and a large table that create a natural setting for dinners with friends and family. In contrast, the living room is intentionally more relaxed – a space where the family can gather with friends as well as retreat for quieter moments of reading, playing, or working.

In the master bedroom, the challenge was light. The room was not particularly bright, so the family introduced a series of Japanese-style paper lamps to create a softer, warmer glow. Personal objects added another layer of intimacy.

The kitchen, meanwhile, has become one of the family's favorite spaces. At its center is a round table, a simple but important feature that makes the room particularly suited to family meals and everyday life.

The furniture and decorative pieces reveal a family history that stretches across countries and generations. Some were wedding gifts, others were inherited from family members, while others were discovered during travels or bought in Shanghai.

Among Julien's favorite pieces is a collection of hand-painted plates by Jean Cocteau. The family bought them at an auction house in Paris and chose to display them on the wall, following the way such plates were traditionally presented in the past.

Then there is a Tizio lamp that has accompanied Julien for years, dating back to his very first apartment in Paris. Unlike a newly purchased design object, it carries the weight of personal history – a reminder of where his life began and how far it has traveled.

The art collection is similarly personal. Paintings and photographs collected over the years share the space with newer discoveries. Above the cheminée hangs a painting titled "Piano," created by Julien's uncle. More recently, the family added a work by Chinese artist Li Tao, represented by Art Labor, which has quickly become another favorite.

Together, these pieces make the home feel less like a showcase of a particular aesthetic and more like a portrait of the people who live there.

The interiors are not intended to follow a trend or reproduce a particular design language. Instead, they reflect the family's curiosity, travels and appreciation for objects with a story.

"We enjoy being able to lay our eyes on something that touches us throughout the day," he said.

That philosophy also explains their love of flea markets, where the pleasure lies as much in the search as in the discovery. A unique object can become a small reminder of a place, a moment or a person, eventually finding a new life within the home.

In many ways, the house itself follows the same principle. It is rooted in Shanghai, but its story reaches well beyond the city – from Paris and Hong Kong to family inheritances, travels, flea markets and contemporary Chinese art.

"Our home is a way to express where we come from but also where we're going," Julien said.

And perhaps that is what makes the house feel so at ease in its surroundings. It respects the character of old Shanghai without attempting to recreate the past, while the family's own history continues to unfold inside it.

Outside the lane, the crowds gather around the Wukang Building. Inside, life moves at an entirely different pace.