Xenia Sidorenko and Darren Revill have curated a uniquely cozy home overlooking Zhongshan Park, infusing it with a harmonious blend of color, texture, and statement pieces.

The newlywed couple moved into their current serviced apartment on Changning Road on the first day of 2023.

Russian fashion designer and ecopreneur Sidorenko shared her thoughts on their evolving criteria for living in Shanghai.

“For different periods living in Shanghai, my criteria changed according to life stages and needs. Having experienced heritage houses, high rises and modern lane houses, my current list of priorities begins with the first experience of entering our home – a clean and inviting entrance to the house. Surprisingly I also place great importance on the heating system at home,” she said.

Her New Zealander husband Revill agreed: “The idea of the old-style Shanghai lane house carries this romantic image but after two years, this seems to have faded. Opting for a modern and serviced apartment appears to be the way forward.”

The couple found their perfect match in LIVIN833 by Greystar Ascot, ticking most of their boxes. Despite its modest size, the apartment has good amenities, and the building features a gym, outdoor living area, games room, and community space.

“Perhaps most crucially, it is dog friendly. And the environmentally conscious approach of this place was a great bonus for us,” Revill said.

Moving into the compact 35-square-meter apartment marked a shift toward a more minimalist lifestyle for the couple, where all their possessions fit snugly into a small home – to earn less and to experience more.

The simplicity of the “hotel” style apartment allows their carefully chosen furniture pieces to pop while not being too visually overwhelming in the openly segmented space.

The living/dining/working area, fitting neatly into 16 square meters, requires every object to be functional and unique.

As the founder of an upcycle brand UseDem, Sidorenko has a strong commitment to transforming unused products into useful ones and collecting items with intriguing stories.

“I’m an upcyclist and my life mission is to protect the environment, a core value I bring to everything I do. If I need to find a piece of furniture, I will research second-hand platforms and antique stores. Whether it’s gifts, clothes, or accessories, I prefer items with a story over brand-new ones.”

The dining/working table in front of the open kitchen used to be an old door that she found in a warehouse of reclaimed pieces collected from around China. She adjusted the height of the table to make it suitable for standing working, cutting jeans, and crafting a new product on the generously sized table.

“It is around this table we have beautiful dinners and also transform it into a workspace with amazing views from the window, which fuels our creativity,” she said.

The shelf that divides the living and dining area is a clever upcycled container painted in Revill’s favorite orange. Instead of a traditional tea table, Sidorenko opted for the stools she collected from a family leaving China last year. Above the bedhead is a moon picture discovered on a street back in 2017.

“You’d be surprised how many abandoned furniture pieces I collected when people leave – I fix them, repair them, and give them a new life with my own touch.”

Sidorenko expressed her desire to create a cozy living habitat for her husband and herself, so that their treasured items are always present and often echoe with cultural resonance.

She pointed to her jewelry box, a traditional Chinese wooden piece with tiny boxes and delicate doors, given to her by her husband as a pre-wedding gift.

“It’s an old Russian tradition before the wedding to present your fiancé a box with jewelry and tools for crafting,” she said.

A tea set from the finest porcelain brand Lomonosov also graces the dining table.

“My parents gifted the porcelain tea set to us as their wedding gift. The prestigious brand was established in 1744 in St Petersburg and this tradition of giving a complete tea from Lomonosov to newlyweds by parents serves as an enduring investment.”

In their living space, the central art piece is a painting from Bangkok that Revill has carried with him wherever he goes.

“It’s one of the most important items for me to have in the home. It was painted by a friend of mine who taught my children art. It reminds me of the chaos in beauty around Bangkok but also how disorganized the artist was herself,” he said.

Revill himself is an adventurous business manager with roots in the United Kingdom. A copy of an old photo of Revill’s grandfather and his father in the living room reminds him of family wherever he lives.

The vibe for the master suite is gentler, with linen bedding and a moon picture above the bedhead providing the room a soft glow that soothingly washes over its inhabitants after a busy day.

“Living as an expat in Shanghai, home serves as our sanctuary – a place where we can feel safe,” Sidorenko said. “It’s where each day begins and concludes, allowing us to curate the ambiance that sets the tone for our mornings and ushers in the serenity for our evenings.”