Sitting at the dining table in his spacious two-storey loft, Taiwanese artist and interior designer Sergio Young muses, “I love that China still has people quietly, silently devoted to their ancient craft.” He shares this rumination while delicately preparing a pot of delicious Pu’er tea – in a porcelain tea set he designed himself. Whether he is aware of it or not, Young fully exemplifies this sentiment, and the proof is in the exquisite space he calls home.

Located in the center of Puxi, Young was lucky enough to find his current residence through his network of house renovation agents – one of the many perks of an established designer. The airy interior is modern – a sleek kitchen, contemporary brickwork, flashes of steel – but most everything contained within is the opposite, an antique connoisseur’s dream. “I love old things, but I also enjoy new designs. I think my style represents the classic East meets West, combining old and new,” he says.

Using furniture to cleverly create division, the main room separates into five distinct zones – foyer, dining room, kitchen, living room and office. The bedroom and bath are tucked away in another room, and the storage space for his art collection occupies the upper section of the loft.

His collection of timeless furniture, trinkets and art, 35 years in the making, blankets the space. Young’s work as an interior designer is an extension of his curio addiction. “You need to live with something to really understand its design. You achieve a sense of uniqueness this way.” Afghan rugs cover the wood floor, statues and figurines peek out from every nook and cranny, old wood carvings hang side-by-side next to over-sized incense ash paintings – visually it is a lot to process at once. Yet by taking it in slowly, it soon becomes obvious that everything fits, each item tells its own story and is an important piece of the whole.

One piece in Young’s art collection stands out in particular – a horizontal flat screen TV sitting atop a cabinet. The installation is called New King Kong Mountain, depicting a video of an original 16th century Korean landscape painting. Slowly and subtly a number of construction cranes, neon lights and skyscrapers began to appear within the mountainous scenery as it changes from day into night. The inventive juxtaposition of unexpected modernity in ancient surroundings is an inspired reflection of his home.

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