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A refuge for art, design, and a family of five
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NESTLED inside a real Shanghainese lane house community, this idyllic four-level villa from 1928 offers an escape from the city’s bustling streets.
Yet when Ivana Sedic first laid eyes on the building, she wasn’t impressed. “It was just a big, ruined building that had never been redecorated after it was built. It had many tenants when my husband and I first came to visit, and it was not possible to get a clear picture of the space because some of the rooms were locked,” she said.
Ivana’s husband, Filip, however, immediately saw the potential. And slowly, Ivana, too, began to fall in love with the old staircase, wooden floors, flowery ornaments on the balconies and the fragrant, 100-year-old magnolia tree in the villa’s garden.
On top of that, the property was also perfectly located in the former French concession area, where the couple intended to live, and was just about the size they had been looking for.
Naturally, creating their dream house was going to be a mammoth task, especially as the entire 450-square-meter property needed to be redesigned.
“Unfortunately we didn’t keep many original details of the house because our priority was to turn the space into a warm, safe and comfortable home for a family of five,” Sedic said.
For instance, the original house featured big round staircase, yet with little kids playing around, Sedic deemed it too dangerous to keep.
Their goal was to create something functional that was also suitable for their children — a space to socialize with friends, and, at the same time, to spend some quiet family time.
As a designer, Sedic couldn’t resist but to put her personal stamp on the house. “I did a lot of Pinterest research while we were renovating the house. After collecting ideas and images, I had a very clear idea of what I wanted for the interior,” she said.
To make the space neat and organized was one of her priorities, so three storage rooms were an integral part of the house’s design plan. The couple opted for a neutral, timeless look highlighted by different color schemes. Sedic’s choice of natural hues and her elegant arrangement of vintage furniture along with modern pieces make the overall aesthetic fresh and calming at the same time.
Some furniture was custom-made, some were lucky finds at antique markets and some, Sedic said, were even ordered from Taobao. “I love mixing different furniture styles into an eclectic collage. And I love to fill space with objects that catch my eye,” she said.
The ground-floor living and dining room have large windows that flood the space with natural light. Plenty of sunshine is perhaps the greatest asset any room can have, Sedic believes, and thus she avoided heavy curtains. The velvet in green and matching chairs in the center of the space bring a touch of class and opulence to the living area, and the neutrally-themed dining area shines in understated elegance.
The top floor is the highlight of the house. A sun room with a Jacuzzi, sauna room and abundant greenery gives the family plenty of room to unwind. It took Sedic one year to renovate the house — a process she has enjoyed, she says, especially since the building is now also a way to display her art collection.
“The house is a showroom for my art and objects,” said Sedic. Hailing from Croatia, Sedic is a big collector of her native’s art. One of her favorite Croatian artists is avant-garde painter and graphic artist Miroslav Sutej.
“I love colors that provoke imagination,” she said. “I started collecting Croatian art a few years ago and it’s not that I’m a big fan of just Croatian art. It was just easier for me to find good pieces in my home country where I go every summer and I have plenty of time to look around.”
Sedic is also impressed with Yang Fudong’s photography and hopes to add one of his works to her collection.
“I have a rule for expensive art. It needs to stay in my head for a very long time before I decide to acquire it. If I want something one month after I saw it for the first time, I will buy it,” she said.
Q: What’s the best thing about living in Shanghai?
A: Feeling safe and free.
Q: Describe your home in three words.
A: Bright, big, and vibrant
Q: What’s the first thing you do when you get home?
A: Prepare coffee or tea.
Q: How do you unwind?
A: By reading magazines or watching TV shows.
Q: Where do you spend most of the time at home?
A: In our living room on the ground floor.
Q: What’s the view outside your window?
A: Old, beautiful Shanghai.
Q: How do you scent your home?
A: I like Voluspa candles and Shanghai Tang home deodorants and oils.
Q: What’s your favorite object at home?
A: The patchwork sofa in our master bedroom.
Q: Where do you source furniture in Shanghai?
A: Custom-made, taobao and antique markets.
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