Inspired Interiors: KRT

Living somewhere as dense as Shanghai, it doesn't take long to appreciate the luxury of an abundance of space. Add in a few elegant accoutrements, tasteful touches and smart features and you have something close to the refined, airy sophistication of one of KRT's recent projects: a beautiful, modern villa, tucked away down a leafy lane in the city's French Concession.

Kevin Hsu, founder of the international architecture and interior design consultancy completed the project some six months ago – or rather, that's when his clients, a busy and sociable family of four, moved in. Business partner, Claudia Urvois, explains: "We always stay in contact with clients, at the very least until the place is completely perfect. Once they start living there, they realize things that are missing – sockets, decorations, changes in furniture. It can take up to two years, and often you become friends. We want to the place to be perfect too – it's not a case of getting paid and then thinking we're done: if the client isn't happy, we're not happy".

And indeed, after working with them on no fewer than three projects, affable Kevin has become good friends with these particular clients - a relationship that undoubtedly helped him pick out details and finishes to please. "Kevin knows the client so well now that there were some elements he didn't need to ask about – for example, they have a lot of parties, their living space is very important, the kids' space needs to be separate from the living space because the parents entertain a lot - sometimes on their new rooftop terrace… it's a house for entertaining."




With this in mind, KRT created a huge open-plan living and dining space, actually extending the property by some 2.5metres. "That was the challenging part – changing the structure", Kevin explains. "You need to think about whether new walls can hold the building. The client wanted to change the space a lot, so the real challenge was working out how to balance that. We knocked a lot down, moved lots of doors and completely changed the space. We didn't have the original plans to know which walls were needed, where the gas was and that sort of thing. For that reason it took longer than other properties".

The virtually seamless extension upped the villa's area to 500sqm and allowed for a welcome wall of window, adding to the space's airy feel. Dramatic, bulb shaped Moooi lampshades feature a subtly Chinese lattice pattern; a gas fire adds a cozy touch; whilst crisp white walls and beige marble flooring make for a clean, simple feel. The pièce de résistance of this floor and a favourite of Kevin's is the bulthaup kitchen. A central island with bar stools by Italian brand, Flexform matches the kind of conviviality KRT's clients enjoy. Above, Tom Dixon lamps in lacquered and textured brass are a creative touch against the slick, top-of-the-range appliances: fridges by Sub Zero, oven by Wolf and, naturally, a well-stocked wine cellar.





Continuing our tour, the villa's entrance space features rich, brown walnut storage units and a striking, oversized door of the same material. The reception area wends round to an oak staircase by Imondi, newly installed by KRT to replace the old, closed one: now panels of glass supporting the simple balustrades stream light to what must have previously been a fairly nondescript walkway.

The children of this family, aged 10 and 14 respectively have – wait for it – their own floor, complete with a lounge area boasting comfy sofas, storage a-plenty and a fridge. The room leads on to their two bedrooms, both featuring vast walk-in wardrobes and huge en suite bathrooms. "Actually one of the very important requirements of the client was that the kids' rooms are of equal size – they don't want any arguments," Kevin laughs. A sliding glass door shuts the space off from the rest of the house, conveniently allowing for rowdiness from the siblings, but still the option for mum and dad to keep an eye on proceedings.





Floor three has a decidedly more grown-up feel, with an office, main bedroom and bathroom to die for. Prior to KRT's remodeling, that used to be the extent of the 20 year old villa – until, that is, a curious Kevin enquired about the then redundant roof space. Seeing the potential of the area, he extended that oak staircase further still and laid down smart decking on the now shrub-lined garden. Best of all, and in keeping with the family's love of entertaining, is an outdoor kitchen and BBQ, as well as dining table, sofas and seating. Utterly peaceful, the terrace feels far removed from the frenzy of Shanghai and has become a welcome sanctuary for the family.



KRT's Kevin Hsu and Claudia Urvois

Most importantly, the client is content in their newly remodeled home. There are still finishing touches to be discussed with KRT: a few choice paintings for the swathes of white wall and upgraded furniture to replace the family's existing sofas and chairs. "Depending on the client we import a lot of stuff. Often it can take 6 – 8 weeks to import from Europe, but before I moved here I worked in Europe for three years for a big company so I have my retailers in Paris, Spain and Italy – I can call the factory directly now. There are shops that we work with here that sell imported brands too – Design Republic, for example, and Madison for kitchens", explains Claudia.

The trust Claudia, Kevin and their team have earned from their clients is palpable – and deserved. Current and future projects include a marina office in France, residential projects throughout Shanghai and a rather spectacular golf course club house. They're a small, international and inspired team, and, going by CreativeHunt's brief glimpse of one their beautiful interiors, perfectionists to the extreme. For more info and ideas, take a look at KRT's website here.

All photographs in this article are by Josh Tintner, (c) CreativeHunt.com