SLEEPING IN LUXURY

For many people, and increasingly among the new Chinese middle class with the financial means, the bedroom is the one room in the house that can express a sense of luxury. It is, of course, the most private room in most homes and, with increasing size, becomes a place for more than just sleeping. With an open mind to the concept of luxury, many things are possible—exploring the romantic and the elegant without being limited to flower, linen, organza, gold or delicate details. The right combination of color and light, furniture and fittings, including the bed itself, and spatial configuration can create just such a harmony of romanticism and elegance. In these pages, luxury bedroom design comes in the form of 1930s sophistication with Art Deco surroundings, of innovation in the shape and design of the bed (note the cubic simplicity of the contemporary canopy bed below right, minus the canopy), in sliding windows that open the bedroom entirely to an outside garden, courtyard or pool, and in a mixture of traditional Chinese and contemporary accents, such as glamorous red lacquer or luxurious carvings and ornaments. Luxury in the bedroom is very much a matter of personal expression and indulgence.

The bedroom of a lakeside villa near Kunming. The French windows open onto a stone-flagged tub, fed from the local hot springs.

The master bedroom of the Pei family mansion seen earlier, with a glass wardrobe at left and a bay window. Backlit vertical panels on either side of the headboard are Shanghai Art deco designs.

The main bedroom of a large contemporary Pudong villa features a modern reinterpretation in stained oak of a traditional ming-style canopy bed.

This bedroom in a restored 1930s Shanghai property retains the original dark wood paneling. The gilt spiral decorations are modern.

The bedroom of the penthouse suite featured on page 26, separated from the living room by white chain curtains, contains a round bed in an all-white color scheme.

In this bedroom in a converted Beijing hutong residence, an exuberant combination of white and red lacquer on modern furniture was inspired by traditional designs.

The bed in this ground floor apartment is dressed with piles of cushions, Chinese woven bamboo summer pillows and bed linen, all in neutral tones. The side table and the dressing table with stool by the window are all contemporary Chinese, in wenge wood.

Soft luxury in this modern Hong Kong apartment bedroom is helped by the gentle color scheme of green silk walls, gray and cream Italian bed linen, neutral carpet and raw silk drapes.