Designer in China. Guangzhou Hyatt.

I stayed in many many hotels while traveling through/working in China. Many many many that aren't worthy of discussion, but they're all 5 star hotels. I'm under the impression that all of the hotels in China are "5 star" hotels! But while in Guangzhou shopping for furniture we stayed at an A+ #1 absolutely 5 star hotel, the Guangzhou Hyatt. Basically we were hooked up by a showroom we used in Hong Kong, they know the manager & wanted to impress us. We were impressed. Absolutely.

It's the floorplan of the room that got me. It's brilliant! I DIE over floorplans. Fabrics, paints, pretty things are fun but it's floorplans that keep me in interior design. Making more usable space in a previously POORLY designed space gives me life. Most don't realize that Interior Designers do such things, well they do. Interior Decorators don't. See the difference.

Here we go! In designing for the Chinese you must know 2 things: they LOVE marble & they LOVE red. You can't add too much marble or red to a space. {Fun fact: I was told not to use granite b/c it causes cancer. From people that are ALWAYS smoking. They were serious.} In designing bedrooms over there it's also important to remember to have an "entrance". They don't want to walk right into the room, bad Feng Shui apparently. So upon entering the hotel room we're in a red marble hallway with a red marble wall in front of us. All of the rooms are hidden by sliding doors, some solid "wood", some glass. The LARGE bathroom is on the right, with the separate toilet room (with it's own tiny sink!!) is on the left. On the other side of the red marble wall is the bed/ desk/ TV area. Well designed, spacious. Pretty. 2 twin beds. It's either twin or king over there, no in betweens that I ran across. I sketched up the floorplan to give you an idea of what I'm talking about. I can't wait to use the same concept in someone's home!

Designer in China. Christopher Guy.

I went on many shopping adventures while in China in March. I can't believe I haven't continued to share until now. So here is the resumption of Designer in China. On my second trip to Hangzhou a new friend from Markasia Limited (a major importer/exporter of design home goods & hospitality design company) took me through several high end showrooms. To that point I'd only been to the China Furniture Markets (really you won't believe your eyes...I'll show that soon). I was extremely excited to meet up with the Markasia designers as well as to see that US brands do sell in China. Although the prices are about 40% more there due to the taxes. Crazy. The showrooms in Hangzhou were very much like the showrooms in the US. Here are the shots from the Christopher Guy showroom, beautiful furniture. The showroom was stunning. The furniture is more impressive in person than online & in catalogs. The curves of the wood, the details of the upholstery...simply elegant.

I absolutely LOVE those little yellow mustard chairs! The proportions are perfect. The finishes are nearly unlimited as are the fabrics.

THAT sofa! I liked it in the catalog & online, but in person it just takes your breath away. I know I know it's just a sofa...it's not often that I get to see such a well designed, well made sofa. I love good furniture.

Christopher Guy furniture pieces can easily move from traditional to transitional to contemporary with just a change of fabric or finish. NOW some of the pieces are pretty wild Alice & Wonderland style, but most of them are like the pieces shown above. Simple, classic & classy.

XX,

Jamie

Designer in China. The Neighborhood.

My office in China is cold & plain (cold b/c they don't have central heat & everything is marble & COLD). But it's ok, it's right next to a Buddhist Temple & sometimes I can hear the monks chanting while I work. I'll post about it sometime. ALSO in my office are these incredible models of the neighborhood/ subdivision I'm working on. 1 of the models shows phase 1, which is being built now. The other includes phase 2 which is currently in the planning stages. The neighborhood is right in front of a mountain, that's really sort of a large hill, but it's pretty. All of the water you see will be put in when the houses are further along, it's not natural.

This is the main entrance to the neighborhood, the clubhouse I'm designing is at the end of this street/walkway. The make streets here about 1-1/2 lanes wide, makes for some interesting driving confrontations, a lot of honking. I try not to pay attention, it makes me too nervous, I don't drive here I always have a driver or a taxi.

They build houses differently in China. There are no wooden studs, all of the walls are concrete cinder blocks. WHICH means that all of the plumbing & electrical has to be added ON TOP of that, not within it. That has taken a large adjustment & also made the rooms smaller than originally planned. I am working on 2 houses right now. The clubhouse & the model. The clubhouse is a sort of entertaining area for the investors of the neighborhood. It is NOT for use of the neighborhood like the clubhouses in the

States. It is huge & there are 4 main suites as well as a master & guest suite. The model is exactly that, an example of what can be done in the houses. In China when a house is sold it is empty. No cabinets, no flooring, no lighting or electrical. There are no selections for the homeowner to choose from, no assistance from the builders in getting the house finished. The same is true for the MANY high-rises in town. It makes it easier for me because I don't have to make selections while making sure there is enough tile, lighting etc to fill 20 houses. This is for sure a learning experience:)

The Clubhouse. Also seen here.

The model. Notice the 1 car garage, it's a different lifestyle in China.

Phase I.

Phase II.

View from the Model....so there is still a LONG ways to go.

Admittedly I'm disapointed in the stage the houses are in. I expected them to be MUCH further along. The original schedule was to have the neighborhood opening the first week of April. Obviously that won't be happening. So I'll be here for another approximately 20 days, then I'll be back again. Whewwww. Today they were talking about how well I eat with chopsticks & how well I have adapted to living in the country. That's a pretty good compliment. I can't wait to get home. Luckily the hotel has HBO (have you guys seen Treme?? it's about post Katrina New Orleans, it's SO good) & the Discovery Channel in English, I've been watching a lot of movies & learning all sorts of weird things.

Thanks for reading!

Jamie