Wow. What a week I have had… I was invited to work along side a Chinese design firm on some display apartments in Shenzhen China. A great opportunity that came my way at the perfect time, I couldn’t not go. So last week to China I went!
It was incredibly inspiring, satisfying,amazing and very exhausting. A LOT to get accomplished in only 3 days.
Here is some of what I got up to:
This is the design office where the firm I was working with are based. Its a large loft with a centre section that is open to the air that has a huge 2 storey antique Chinese gate and a long antique table (stupidly I didn’t take a better picture off, so what I’m talking about is seen through the glass) The staff have their meals here togther each day. Including their 2.5 hour daily lunch breaks which involve a hearty meal followed by a snooze at their desks! With all that rice at lunch I really needed a snooze too!
The purpose of my trip was to put together 5 display apartments that will be in these apartment buildings. The Chinese design team had put together the concepts for each apartment, my job was to pull all of that together and go over what they have done & make sure it all flowed.
I was taken to the design district. These buildings are filled with all sorts of design furnishings. They are HUGE. I saw 6 of these buildings (there would be more) and each one is 8 floors high and all filled with every kind of interior products that you could imagine. Some good, some awesome & a whole lotta crap!
Inside one of the design centre buildings.
I spent 2 solid days in this store selecting all of the furnishing fabrics for 5 apartments. (may explain the blurry picture!) It was very full on!
I had a team assisting me, but only one of which spoke English. I would describe what I was looking for ie “a cream coloured upholstery with a bit of texture” that would be translated and about 10 people who would then go searching for that amongst the piles of fabric sample books & present it back to me. The Chinese taste is far more ‘shiny’ than mine, so I constantly had to keep that in check so that the whole scheme wouldn’t be so shiny shiny!
Oh & always, ALWAYS someone had a camera on me. its a very weird feeling being constantly focussed upon. I so feel in tune with Brad & Ange now….!
Some of the selections made (hmm…looking very shiny!)
And then done.
Here I am ( the blonde one!) with some of the design team when we had just finished. I was exhausted as is very clear in this picture! (just to be clear, I am sitting down! if standing my head would maybe be out of frame!!)
In the next few days I will post about the hotel I stayed at which had a life size pirate ship, a Ferrari grand piano & the staff dressed as matadors. All true!