To gain an understanding of the desired aesthetic we visited several new residential projects in Shenzhen and nearby Hong Kong. We found that these projects were all characterized by a high level of décor; there were no white walls or plain surfaces anywhere. It seemed that there was a major difference concerning minimalism. In the US and the western world in general, minimalism is often regarded as an elegant solution for various design projects.

However, it seemed to us that if we were to adopt the same focus for the project at hand, it may have been seen as cheap or lazy. We began to understand that luxury in China is often defined by an abundance of materials and finishes, especially stone and marble. Having been trained very differently and having come from an almost opposite cultural background, the team found that adapting to this new design language was initially a real challenge.

Regardless of the design choices, however, our main priority was to ensure that the project was a commercial success. After a lot of work merging these Chinese expectations with our own design sensibility, we managed to negotiate an attractive outcome. The final design was rich and colorful with an emphasis on marble - without being grandiose.

All the apartments were sold long before completion at asking price or more, and the developer was extremely satisfied with our efforts and commitment to the project.