The Living Area
According to Deng, a square layout visually opens up the living area. “If there are corner walls, we like to clad these in full-length mirrors to make the recessed area disappear, so the space looks wider.” Another way to make walls less conspicuous is with wallpaper, which acts as a visual cue indicating a shift in the interior scheme. A versatile and elegant choice is Palawan, an art deco-inspired wall covering from Zimmer+rohde. Palawan is made with different types of partially pleated papers that are hand-dyed with natural colouring and then combined to create a wallpaper that mimics the texture of banana leaves.
For living room furniture, Deng suggests lower-backed sofas and round coffee tables to soften sharp corners. A good low-back model is the Dante sofa by Italian brand Black Tie, which combines a classical silhouette with soft, contemporary lines. For a coffee table, Iliade from French brand Liaigre is an unobtrusive and elegant piece. Designed by creative director Frauke Meyer, this chic table has a low profile, and consists of a sturdy cedar wood top and base held together by bronze insets.