Historic house restorer gives new life to old furniture in aging warehouse
In an inconspicuous old factory building in Nanxiang, Jiading District, there is a collection of furniture from old Shanghai in the 1930s and 1940s. Ke Haiqi, who is engaged in the restoration of historic houses, has amassed these Shanghai-style furniture pieces. Collecting furniture is not only his job but also his hobby.
In 2022, Ke moved his studio from downtown Nanchang Road to suburban Nanxiang and rented an old factory building on Xianghuang Road.
“The landlord felt that the factory building was too old and proposed renovating it before renting it to me. I said I liked it just the way it was. I didn’t want it if it was renovated,” Ke said.
After leasing the old factory building, Ke cleaned the walls and implemented minimal alterations, focusing primarily on rewiring to preserve the authentic “aged” ambiance.
As an example of Shanghai culture, Shanghai-style furniture combines classical and modern styles, and is highly sought after for its unique charm. In the old three-storey factory building, Ke carefully arranges and displays a large number of vintage furniture pieces, and walking among them feels like entering a time tunnel.
“Every time I see an antique item, what attracts me the most are two aspects: firstly, its history imbued by time; secondly, its design concept and the craftsmanship of the old masters.”
Most old furniture is quite worn out, and Ke hopes that the furniture in his studio can combine ornamental value with practicality. Therefore, the restoration process is indispensable.
He will refurbish the old furniture by reupholstering them with new fabric, meticulously cleaning off dust and damage, and conducting repairs with the goal of preserving their original appearance to the fullest extent and restoring them to their former splendor.
He also revitalizes old items that were once useless, such as using old tiles and flooring to create side tables with the added function of magazine storage.
Through Ke’s ingenuity and craftsmanship, the old furniture is imbued with a distinctive “Ke-style” aesthetic, seamlessly blending into modern households, and becoming another form of contemporary, modern design style.