Foreign furniture not only refreshed Chinese design and extended the use of materials, but also ramped up the very modern approach of customer-centered product design and services. Market sensitivity is reflected in the height of sofas and armchairs produced for the Chinese, the placement of the curve in the back of a chair, the shape of a drawer's knobs, or the lighting of cabinet interiors.
Antiques are also enjoying consumer attention. Many antique furniture items that interested no one 30 years ago, are now the focus of a new collecting trend, and emblematic of good taste. Sun He is satisfied with her new furniture, but still she wants to buy one or two classic Chinese pieces. "Placing a Ming/Qing style long narrow table and tea table in a nest of European style adds distinction," she comments. "But if all the furniture was in classic style it would make me feel depressed; one or two make just the right difference."
"When the trend was fresh, most people who bought classic furniture were collectors. But in recent years more and more ordinary buyers come to look at and invest in our products," said Zhao Xiaobei, general manager of the Lu Ban Ming and Qing Classic Furniture Market. His market is located in Gaobeidian Township in eastern Beijing, on the prestigious commercial street specializing in classic furniture.
Yao Chungen, a classic furniture dealer from Jiangxi Province, said that he came to Gaobeidian to deal in classic furniture in 1997, and his business has improved year after year, and the cost of furniture has risen markedly over time. To meet the needs of ordinary people, many classic furniture dealers have begun to make reproductions. Yao Chungen also runs an interior decoration business specializing in the recreation of antique interiors. "At first I mainly made reproductions of antique doors, windows, tables and chairs for hotels and teahouses that wanted that look. Now many ordinary families are following suit with their homes. They not only like furniture in classic styles, but also like to outfit their homes with ancient architectural details. I do a brisk business in wood carvings for example," he said.
Zhao Xiaobei has been dealing in classic furniture for more than 20 years. He and his daughter run their own shops opposite each other on the same street, both specializing in reproductions of antiques. The samples are displayed in home settings, mixed with modern furniture to add an undeniably eclectic charm. "The imitation antiques are designed and made by ourselves," said Zhao Xiaobei. To meet the needs of modern times, they have changed some details of the popular old designs. One example is exchanging the square and round dining table for the longer and narrower Western style, coupled with six chairs from the Ming or Qing dynasties, which on the whole impresses with its sheer simplicity and comfort. In a cabinet of the Ming/Qing style they have added rhombus-shaped lattices for storing wine bottles, a combination of classic cache and modern convenience. "This is in line with people's pursuit of a modern lifestyle," concludes Zhao Xiaobei about his thoughtful hybrids.
By TANG YUANKAI
Editor: Feng Hui
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