New Shanghai resident imbues historical apartment with personal tastes and tales
In a historical building on Huaihai Road M., Adriana Archambault has transformed a spacious rental apartment into a home that projects her tastes and stories. A newcomer to the city, Archambault followed her husband’s job relocation and settled in Shanghai in September. Born in Colombia and raised in France, Archambault has lived in Miami, Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo over the past 27 years.
“I had always dreamed to live in Shanghai,” she said. “The city exhibits charm in its different facets, from its tradition to modern-day energy and the European influences. I marvel every day at the dynamism and beauty of the city.”
Archambault created AALUNA — a brand of handbags handwoven in Colombia and designed in France, with the desire to share the excellence of Colombian indigenous people’s craftsmanship using ancestral techniques. The brand is now distributed in China by La Vida Mia.
Her ideal home needed to be calm, lightfilled with different levels, and also in the tree-lined downtown area. Gascogne Apartments turned out to be a perfect match.
The Art Deco residential building was built in 1935 by the legendary firm Leonard, Veysseyre & Kruze.
“I’m drawn to the building’s history — the sense of the passing of time in the structure, space and details. I love the high ceiling, the stunning metal windows and the way you arrive directly to the apartment from the 1930s elevator. The backdoor tiles, the view onto the traditional lilongs (lanes) and the abundant natural light add extra charm to the space,” Archambault said.
While respecting the deep history of the building, Archambault has introduced her own personal style and esthetics to the space.
“I brought all my furniture when I moved here. This is the best way to feel like home,” she said.
“Our home is where we live, so we try to recreate a feeling of keeping our identities. We have our own collection of furniture in every home we’ve lived in, but in every apartment the elements add a different feeling to it because of different arrangements and space layouts,” Archambault added.
“Everything in our home has a story to tell. Our home has to be a peaceful and protective space, and a combination of textures, colors and shapes to bring a relaxing atmosphere.”
The design on the main level delivers a seamless extension from one functional space to another, creating an airy, free-flowing space.
Archambault describes her interior style as modern with a mid-century vintage touch.
“I have several favorite 1950s vintage furniture items purchased in Miami that followed us everywhere we moved to. I love the mid-century style characterized by its bold, warm colors, sleek lines incorporating round shapes or organic forms, with a focus on capturing the spirit of modernity and
of the time,” she said. ve the 1950s furniture designed tile and adaptable to different setunctions. They are ‘easy fit’ in every
I had always dreamed to live in Shanghai. The city exhibits charm in its different facets, from its tradition to modern-day energy and the European influences. I marvel every day at the dynamism and beauty of the city.
RAR chair, Nicolle stools, an iconic nen dining table, a vintage coffee ed by designer Isamu Noguchi and latner lounge chair are mixed in ving and dining area with other finds from the years. Most of the sentimental value. walls create a neutral background tion of amazing artworks, which home feel authentic and personal. of art is dear to Archambault, and ou pause and reflect. king piece was created by French f, who lives in Tokyo. He invented ti as a contemporary way of making ography, which led him to develop ar Tape-o-Graphy technique. The ATARAKIMONO” was inspired by ork culture, and the artist photo0 everyday workers in uniform. bault also proudly points out Jundian’s artwork, which is anning piece placed above the USM ng has a deeply personal painting ving color lines, criss-crosses, d grids. This amazing technique m to reinterpret light and shadow space of his canvas, letting the ye travel back and forth between s and the elusive.
The master bedroom is calming, like a cocoon in which to unwind. The color scheme is predominately neutral but the vibe is further enhanced with accent pieces such as a custommade gray Chinese cabinet, a velvety bar stool purchased at the farewell auction of the M on the Bund restaurant, and a tiger-motif rug from Zamani Collection.
Oddly, there’s no Colombian deco items in this home.
“My culture and tradition is reflected in my ethnic chic brand AALUNA. You can see several pieces from the collection are placed in different corners of this home,” Archambault said.