Working closely with the owner, Xie sought to design a unique home in which luxury and lifestyle would blend together in a unique and personal manner. “By projecting the taste in art, the depth of culture and the personalities of the residents, the presentation of daily fragments and the dialogue that returns back to the heart, the rhythm of the space’s core narrative is gradually laid out,” says Xie.

As part of the renovation requirements, Xie and her team had to reconfigure the original four-storey villa into a six-storey building that took into its account Shenzhen’s humid environment and the house’s waterfront location. Thus, Xie designed what she refers to as a “canyon” gap that links the first and second floors together within the interior of the residence. “A ‘canyon’ gap introduces wind and light, and large areas of white minimalist space [to the home],” explains the designer. “It gives the art of light and shadow to time itself, while linking the subtle changes [in light throughout the day] to interactivity [between] different floors.”

Right from the beginning of the journey through the house, the artistic approach to space is evident in the curation of the art that defines its surrounds. Artist Shuan Liang’s work, hanging in the first floor foyer, sets the tone for the residence by employing peaceful and quiet lines to focus on tranquillity and the layout of a zen mind, mixing implicit associations with cultural contexts on its canvas. The first floor is anchored by a workfrom Italian artist Loris Cecchini; this three-dimensional cactus steel sculpture aligns with Xie’s design approach, resulting in a contrasting blend of natural and man-made elements within the space. The sculpture links the most social spaces of the house: the dining area and the kitchen on the first floor.

The different staircases throughout the rectilinear home are given dual purpose to serve as functional connections between floors and as artistic passageways, with artworks strategically placed to mitigate the dullness of the circulation space and allow valuable ventilation into the previously gloomy first floor.

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The overhanging skylight, which follows the linearity of the staircases, brings additional light and shadow to the social spaces on the first floor and can be adjusted to allow different amounts of light into the house, in accordance with a range of scenarios and atmospheres. At the same time, the occupants can use the space carved out for the skylight to communicate as it provides open sightlines to the dressing room on the second floor, and to interact across the space between the dining room on the first floor and the family room and tea room on the lower level.

Stepping onto the third floor, the tranquil rest areas intertwine nature, art, elegance and culture. In the master bedroom, every scene is curated to capture light, shadow and views of nature, underpinned by minimal detailing and carefully positioned artworks to give a sense of belonging to the environment based on the philosophy of artistic living.

Not confined to a certain style, Xie mixes Eastern elegance with Western aesthetics, Chinese charm with French classics, and colourful inks with black and white minimalism to infuse this abode with different artistic spirits and spatial expressions. With the overall goal being to combine the spatial context created by art with the lifestyle requirements of the owner, Xie enables the home to facilitate an environment of self-containment, richness and warmth.

“To some extent, design is a means of self-expression and self-discovery,” reflects the designer. “With this home design, another aspect of inner expression is being completely relaxed to perceive the body and the mind, to generate emotions, to discover oneself, and to develop empathy with a particular culture.”

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