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April 10, 2016

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Home » Sunday » Home and Design

A home for a tot, four cats and a drum set

MIKE Golden and his wife Xiao Ping got a first glimpse at their future home at the end of 2014.

“We were looking for a place not far from our Suzhou Creek office, and with enough space for our 4-year-old, Olivia, four cats, a drum set and a decent kitchen,” Golden said. “Since we were purchasing the apartment, we also need to make sure that we’d be happy there for a few years to come.”

Located on the 27th floor, the bright apartment immediately seemed like a great investment. “It has fantastic light on all sides, and very high-end kitchen and bathroom fixtures such as a SMEG refrigerator, German imported kitchen cupboard and stove top,” said Golden, who is now managing director of Adsmith China.

Golden also discovered the changes and advancements in layout compared to apartments in Shanghai 14 years ago, when he first moved to the city.

“Loads of light and smart layouts give privacy to the bedroom areas. This is droll but I appreciate the good construction of the windows and the unusually effective insulation,” he said.

To make the space homey and suitable for their lifestyle, the couple knocked down half of the kitchen wall to open up the space, required some architectural support beams to be put in along with the breakfast bar top. In the kitchen, they added an oven and dishwasher.

“The kitchen has to be completely functional and we like to have friends actually hanging out just around the bar area,” he said. “We also put in a large bookcase that includes a 65’’ TV — good for ‘Walking Dead’ binge-watching.”

The bookcase has a sliding door to cover up the massive TV during the week. “Of course we had to bring over our wine fridge from the old house, although it is sadly usually quite empty.”

The couple completely redid the utility balcony to add functionality and plenty of storage space as well as a washing machine and dryer.

“Our last apartment had one tiny closet so we did not want to make that mistake again. It is now full of cat food and backup cosmetics,” Golden said.

The couple describes the home style as contemporary European with a lot of rustic touches and eclectic decorative pieces.

“We tried to make it modern, but also rustic by utilizing some old furniture, which actually fits in perfectly. It’s also OK if the cats scratch up those old tables a little,” he said.

The décor theme basically started with the white sofa in the living room, which is inspired by designer Paola Navone and serves as a centerpiece.

It is an overall serene, modern home with wood and a rustic touch.

Whites, wood and neutral shades of gray make for a nice palette accented with art, flowers, and a few key decorative pieces.

Although there are two separate areas in the living/dining room, they don’t feel completely separate.

There are also loads of places to hang out, like the beautiful yellow Natuzzi sofa, which is usually covered up with a quilt to protect it from the cats.

Several art pieces brighten up the space. Their favorite, Golden said, is a monk with a bowl of rice painted by a Vietnamese artist named Minh Long.

“Our visitors always discuss what he is thinking or what the painting means,” he said.

Golden’s brother runs a photo gallery in Singapore, so they have one of his art shots printed on textured canvas.

“The cat pillows from Casa Pagoda are also love/hate item — some people think cats dressed in Victorian dresses on decorative pillows are creepy but we think they’re cute.”

The rustic furniture was sourced from Hongqiao Bird and Flower Market and from Kenas at 1933, while a lot of the decorative items stem from Em Gallery Singapore, Casa Pagoda, Platane and Hay.

“In the master bedroom we have some wonderful aged rustic pieces, combined with some type of Atlantic/Northern European feeling with a wood sailing ship model we got at Casa Pagoda,” Golden said.

Olivia’s room is simple, with pink walls and some cats celebrating Chinese New Year paintings done by a Japanese artist based in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

“My study features a Fender Stratocaster from Tokyo, and a Roland TD-9 electronic drum kit — great for stress relief,” he said.

Creating a home of beauty takes time. The couple loves to travel and try to find cool things for the home in places like Chiang Mai, Cambodia, Laos, Tokyo.

“We also think good cookware is important — Mauviel copper pans from Spain, Le Creuset dutch ovens, and a sharp Japanese knife from Tokyo.”

Q: What’s the best thing about living in Shanghai?

A: Awesome schools, great food, opportunities to meet people from all over the place.

 

Q: Describe your home in three words.

A: Rustic modern, cozy and effortless.

 

Q: What is the first thing you do when you get home?

A: Give the four cats a pet.

 

Q: How do you unwind?

A: Playing drums and guitar, having a glass of wine and chilling out.

 

Q: Where do you spend most of the time at home?

A: Lounging on the sofas or hanging out at the bar area, or in my “man cave.”

 

Q: What’s the view outside your window?

A: It’s a train and car lover’s paradise with the intersection of the inner ring road and Line 4 Metro. It actually looks stunning at night with all the car lights on.

 

Q: Where do you source furniture in Shanghai?

A: Casa Pagoda, Natuzzi, Hongqiao Bird and Flower Market: GUGU furniture, several pottery shops, Hay, hill tribe, Em Gallery.




 

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