Dragon Diaries: Reflections on China (Beijing Part I)

Pagoda at The Summer Palace

Ni hao! I'm guilty of not posting sooner, but the past 48 hours I've existed in a near zombie-like state, replying (or reading and deleting) the hundreds of work emails; cycling through piles of laundry on auto pilot, and most importantly sleeping. Oh the wondrous, restorative benefits of sleep.

And so the sleeping dragon emerges (me, not China), and I look forward to sharing some highlights of my travels. I'll do so in three parts, logically divided into the three cities we visited in the order we visited them: Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

But before I do that, an update on the house hunt. After all, this blog was created for my (currently nonexistent) Norfolk nest. Tomorrow is April 1st and we are officially 60 days from when we would like to close on a place. Saturday we are meeting with our realtor to look at a few homes and now that spring has officially sprung in Virginia, we hope there are more to come on the market this month. So that is the update. Not much of an update.

I possessed a slight resemblance to this Chinese gargoyle after
the 20-hour journey home

Back to Beijing. The capital of the Republic of China is rich with history and a good first stop for us. The CNC (Chinese National Congress) was meeting in Beijing when we were there so security was on high alert.  Chinese military were posted in all the public spaces and seeing these young men in their dark green uniforms at attention dispelled the first myth for me: I was not that tall in China. The younger generation (20's and 30 somethings) in all three cities dress fashionably and the girls hit the streets in their high heeled, ornate, size 5 booties. Maybe it was the booties adding a few extra inches, but in general, I didn't feel like the giant at 5'9" Americans had warned me about. We visited many historical sites including The Forbidden City, The Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square (the largest public square in the world), The Llama Temple, the Temple of Heaven, and of course the magical, meandering Great Wall. Other than the Great Wall, my favorite place was the Llama Temple which is both a temple for worship and a monastery for the Geluck School of Tibetan Buddhism.  The buildings and art within combines the Han Chinese and Tibetan styles. It is one of the largest and most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world. 


I immediately gained an appreciation for the Chinese archiectural design with attention to detail and use of symmetry. Balance, or feng shui (ancient Chinese aesthetic of the laws of heaven and earth and translated to "wind, water,") is revered in their culture and though suppressed during the 1960's Cultural Revolution, the symmetrical design style remains in old structures and is experiencing a renaissance with contemporary urban planning.

I will spare you the list of exotic, authentic Chinese foods we were offered at each meal and instead post a few pictures of design inspirations from Beijing.

Chinese lantern outside a tea house in Beijing

Llama Temple

Door to the Imperial Vault of Heaven
Temple of Heaven located in central Beijing (Taoist architecture)

Geometric ceiling with paper lanterns at Peking Duck Restaurant

Door at Summer Palace (Qing Dynasty)

Vases we found at The Celadon Story House on Donghumen Street in Beijing;
I bought a few smaller pieces as gifts for friends

Chinese lacquer chest in the Jade market outside of Beijing

Chinese chaise with gorgeous wood carving detail at the Jade Market

Armoire with silk screen and gold carved inlay

(Sun) Bursting with Joy, Off to China

(Telegraph UK)

We are Beijing-bound in less than 48 hours.  Ne-how China!  I have researched various markets and interior design shops in the three cities we will visit (Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong) and I can't wait to explore them all. Upon my return in two weeks I promise to combat the heavy weight of jetlag and immediately post some pictures and memories of the design inspirations I find.

Until then, let's celebrate Daylight Savings this weekend.  When I return the days will be longer and I'm very thankful this long, bleak winter is coming to a close.  It's time to spring forward.  Out with the EST and in with the EDT. Daylight Savings welcomes in an extra hour before the sun sets, an extra hour to enjoy the evenings without the full cloak of darkness.

In honor of more sun in our days, I've posted some of my favorite sun-centric mirrors.  (The first one is from Kellogg Collection in Richmond VA that I found with my mom the other weekend.)  On my wish list for our first house is a statement sunburst gold mirror for the dining room.

So for the next two weeks I'll be battling the masses on my first Asian adventure.  I will explore as much as possible with plans to troll many Chinese bazaars, unearthing some intricate silk fabrics for framing, porcelain tea sets, or perhaps a set of antique foo dogs.  I'm ready to head across the globe where I'll constantly be seeking inspirations and ideas for my Norfolk nest back home.

Sunburst wall in Max Aria's home
(Harpers Bazaar)

sunburst sweet dreams
(retropad.com)

red mosiac above vintage dresser, love this

love fireplaces in bedrooms
(hgtv.com)

bright ideas for a work space
(thelennoxx.com)

Ahoy Matey!

(mividabonita) 

One of my favorite Samantha Jones' quotes from "Sex and The City" is when she spies handsome navy officers walking down the street during NYC's Fleet Week. Taking off her dark shades, she announces, "Ahoy Matey!"

I grew up in Central Virginia, and thus my husband dubs me "a land lubber." While he spent his summers sailing in North Carolina, I prefered the dry ground of hunt country on the back of horse.  But despite my propensity for land over sea, I fully admit I'm looking forward to living near the water in Norfolk (the city sits at 3" above sea level).  I plan to draw decorating inspiration from my coastal surroundings and to me there is nothing more crisp than the classic combination of navy and white.  The nautical color palate is preppy, whimsical and it doesn't have to be reserved for a child's room, if done tastefully.  I'm going to cast my decorating net wide to incorporate a few seafaring accents in our first house.

(modernwingchairs.com)

(Laura Casey Interiors)

you can create your own pillow on his website
(Johnathan Adler)

The "Nautical Room" within a home in River Dunes, NC
(Coastal Living)

crisp white chair and desk
(brightboldandbeautiful)

a pair of navy chairs in velvet

Color Pops

(tracery interiors)

I'm not afraid of color, but I like to keep it contained."-- Mark Gillette

I loved the spread in this February's issue of the UK's House & Garden featuring the Manchester apartment of interior designer Mark Gillette.  His cosmopolitan glamour of clean lines, rich fabrics, and art deco furnishings, is a distinct style I'd like to replicate when designing my first home.  I plan to use color, but in moderation, tightly tailored pops of color that draw your eye to unique accent pieces.  Here are some pictures from the issue of Mark Gillette's flat (all images courtesy of House & Garden).

Hermes oragne--j'adore

Mark Gillette's use of color is best described in the quote opening this post.  It's also my personal design taste when it comes to integrating color into a space.  For my first place, I plan to use mostly black, white, grey, beige, dark brown palates with bold color accents and plentiful mirror and glass that add dimension to a room.  Here are some interiors that use color as a pop versus a backdrop.


love the chair, love the disco ball, love the curved stone mantle, love everything
(Dylan Thomas for British Vogue)

while this room is too modern for my first home, orange is one of my favorite colors
(moderninteriordesigns.blogspot.com)

the shape of these yellow chairs compliments the geometric design of the window valance
The Viceroy Hotel in Palm Springs, room decorated by the color maven Kelly Wearstler
(herbchambers.com)

turquoise is one of my favorite accent colors
(Suzanne Kasler)

Ottoman Empire

hand-carved from mango wood
(serenaandlily.com)

There is nothing better than coming home from a long day and putting up your feet.  I find such joy in sitting in our oversized arm chair, nestled in a cashmere blanket, cup of tea in hand, feet elevated on the ottoman.  After an especially busy day it nearly rivals an hour of vinyassa flow.  This one above is from one of my favorite online fabric and furniture stores called Serena and Lily.  Their collection of fabrics is amazing and I will certainly be on trolling their site once we are settled in Norfolk.

A little Monday morning etymology....the word ottoman was first introduced into the English language in the early 1800s.  It is synonymous with "footstool" due to its typical use in a reclining postion, a European association with the fashionable Turkish style.  The original ottoman furnishings were tall and cylindrical, resembling the long, rounded hats worn by Ottoman government officials.

original ottoman shape, modern color
(furniturebyduval.com)

Currently we have a matching chair and ottoman, but I'm on the hunt for an ottoman true to its original form: one that can stand on it's own or can pull up to a chair.  We also have an extra large dark leather ottoman (below) that serves a dual purpose as our coffee table with the wooden trays on them, or a very comfortable place to raise your weary legs.  I love a multi purpose piece.

Ottomans can take so many different shapes and sizes.  I prefer one in a bold color with plenty of room for big feet (I wear a size 10 afterall).  Here are a few others I like. 

Candace Bushnell's living room with Morrocan ottomans
(Elle Decor)

bold pattern, neutral color with carved dark wood legs
(thirteenthandsouth.com)

white alligator ottoman
(thelennox.com)

round, white, crisp
(Lucas Allen Photography)

blue leather tuft
(wonderland.net)

Farm to Table

(House Beautiful)

I have one basic, distressed white table with four chairs in my place in Charlottesville.  My sister and I bought it in NYC in 2003 and it's been going strong for eight years.  The best feature of the table is that it has two leaves that can be added so it can seat anywhere from 4 people to 8 people (as long as your guests don't mind being a little squeezed).  I'm hoping once we move into our first house and have a proper dining room space, my current table will be repurposed in its smallest form to a breakfast table in a corner of the kitchen.  Then I will be on the hunt for a new dining room table.  While I've been eyeing everything from antique mahogany tables with detailed inlays to oval-shaped pedestal tables by Baker, depending on the house we end up with, I'd lovean elegant reclaimed wood farm table that can be dressed up (cloaked in a silk tablecloth and set with my fine china and Waterford crystal) or dressed down (decorated with sisal placemats and oversized white washed candlesticks) depending on the occasion.  My dream is to someday have a country retreat (and a small barn for keep my horse); modest and cozy, with an authentic French Country chateau feel.  Until then, I'd like to create a dining room in Norfolk that marries the refined elegance of a Parisian interior (crystal chandelier, elaborately carved wood chairs) with the relaxed livability of a Provence country house (reclaimed wood farmhouse table).  Here are a few for inspiration. 


(4top luxury interior design)

  

love the wooden board bottom piece for extra storage
also notice the gorgeous Mosaic tile backsplash
(House Beautiful)

(houzz.com)

(decorpad)

(Elle Decor)

Tile File

Mosaic tile backsplash that provides a glamorous shimmer;
I also love the chandelier and Hollywood regency cabinetry
(decorpad.com)

Below is an old piece of tile displayed in my kitchen came from my Dutch relatives in Rotterdam.  My grandfather on my dad's side was first generation American and his family is from this major shipping city in The Netherlands.  My aunt brought the tile back for me when she visited our relatives and I cherish it as a reminder of my heritage. I'd like to use the white and blue colors as inspiration for my first kitchen.

I plan to write more about tile and the process of tiling when we move into our new house and hopefully have a chance to role up our sleeves, source some tiles, and tackle a DIY project.  Until then, I find myself tear-sheeting different types of tiles for my inspiration book.  From kitchen backsplashes to fireplace frames to bathroom floors, I have begun to educate myself about the various types of tiles and how they can truly transform a space.  I'm drawn to both symmetrical graphics (mainly for bathrooms) and intricate mosaics (most often for outside spaces such as lining a walkway or for an outdoor bar or terrace).  Here are a few that in my binder for future reference.

(elementsofstyle)

Ann Sacks blue mosaic
(cococozy)

(housebeautiful.com)

(housebeautiful.com)

Tiles by Ann Sacks

(white haven interiors)

engraved terra cotta; I love this for outdoor flooring
(thisnext.com)