In 2024, City News Service reported on 12 inspiring homes in Shanghai and uncovered the unique stories behind them.
Amid an ever-changing world, we've noticed a growing trend: People are more inclined to create their own personal sanctuaries. As homes transform into more than just places to live — becoming spaces for work, relaxation, and self-expression — people are investing time and creativity into crafting environments that reflect their identities and provide comfort.
We've selected five homes that featured last year, from reviving old structures with modern touches to cultivating tranquility and joy for personal growth and connection with loved ones. Their beautiful stories highlight a collective yearning for harmony, creativity, and a sense of belonging in the spaces we call our own.
New SH resident imbues historic apartment with personal taste
A newcomer to the city, Adriana Archambault settled in an iconic Art Deco historical building off Huaihai Road M. and transformed a spacious rental apartment into a home that projects her tastes and stories. While respecting the deep history of the building, she brought all her furniture, including several favorite 1950s vintage items characterized by bold, warm colors, sleek lines incorporating round shapes or organic forms. Archambault also collects amazing artworks, which makes her home feel authentic and personal. Each piece of art is dear to her, forcing you to pause and reflect.
A comfortable bohemian haven tucked away on Shaoxing Road
Having lived in Shanghai for 16 years, Natasha Ivachoff and Rodney Evans' Shanghai home fuses old-world charm with the warmth of a comfortable bohemian haven. They share a history with this two-level apartment inside a typical lane on Shaoxing Road, having worked on it over the years and continue to style their home to keep it evolving. The interior decor is bohemian or you might call it gypsy — a collection of everything — things they've bought, been given, or found over the years.
Parisian sculptor creates a retreat where every detail matters
Anne-Laure Delmotte arrived in the city at the end of 2022 and settled in a three-level lane house that exudes historic charm and unique atmosphere. Every change was made with care to make the house a real home and retain its authenticity. Delmotte loves the idea of bringing it back to life in her own way. By choosing objects that resonate with her, she turned the space into a personal gallery where history and emotion take precedence over trends. She loves mixing her own wooden objects with pieces she's found in China, Poland, Paris and South Korea. It's the first time that Delmotte has displayed so many of her own works at home, so it brings a personal and artistic touch to the space.
An expat couple's dream home in Embankment Building
Anna Chitty and Geoffrey Handley wanted to lived in the iconic Embankment Building since 2007 and their dream was realized in 2017 when they purchased apartment 310. The couple was keen to restore and protect the history to the best of their ability as the apartment had been virtually untouched since 1936. It was a painstaking process to replenish all the floorboards, and select, clean and polish those that could be saved to refit their "Shanghai Room" which has kept every original intact. The building is a masterpiece of functionality and aesthetics — a trademark of Palmer and Turner and the Art Deco period. In keeping with the design intention of the period, features were introduced throughout, with the floor-to-ceiling bookcases and bathrooms all having Art Deco-influenced design.
Home infuses indigenous influences and tropical aesthetics
Christine Low effortlessly crafted her Shanghai home, bringing together cultural and indigenous influences from across the world. Tucked away in a lane on leafy Xingguo Road, it's the sixth home she's lived in Shanghai. Originally from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, Low invests in furniture pieces crafted from natural materials such as teak and rattan. There are plenty of remarkable items to be found here, from African decor masks, a collection of crystal glassware, and works from young and unknown artists — nothing extravagant but quirky in taste, just like herself.