PERSPECTIVE
The art of storytelling
Text by Teresa Chow, photography by Dicky Liu, June 2014
At Lala Curio, owner Laura Cheung achieves her dream of bringing forgotten crafts back into the contemporary spotlight.
In the gentrified Wanchai neighbourhood of Sau Wah Fong — where a quieter atmosphere than the hipper Starstreet Precinct pervades — a newcomer has arrived, bringing with it a delightful air of whimsy whose delightful presence to the area.
Spanning 1,500 sq-ft, the Lala Curio showroom (with its pleasant front yard) adds a mellow note to the energy of the area, which is what drew its owners to choose this spot. Bright colours make a confident, almost theatrical statement for the interiors, which are designed to mimic an actual house. Outdoors, visitors are first greeted by a persimmon red façade and a gold-leaf door. A porthole window allows a peek inside, where Thai silk hand-painted wallpaper adorns the salon, embellished with details of traditional motifs inspired by imperial court designs.
In the dining room, a soft yellow dominates, with a ‘cabinet of curiosities’ providing a spot to browse before moving on to the pantry, decked out with a Kelly green wall. All these were personally selected by Laura Cheung, founder of Lala Curio, with the intention of creating a sense of warmth and welcome.
“All my closet friends call me ‘Lala’,” she explains of the store’s name. “As for ‘Curio’, I chose this simply because this is an antiquity shop collecting bits and pieces from all over the world. But it’s also a a pun: ‘curatorial’ is about the art of curating a space, which I think we are quite strong at, in terms of creating the totality of a space from hand-painted chinoiserie wallpaper to lighting, flooring to furniture, and accessories.”
But behind this light-hearted, playful and eccentric signature is Cheung’s determination to revive forgotten arts and traditional craftsmanship. Coming from a family whose long-standing manufacturing expertise in furniture and ceramics, her passion for the decorative arts goes back a long way.
Take her efforts with cloisonné, for example. Originally used only for imperial ware, Cheung reinvents it using the same traditional materials and production techniques, as a series of patterned tiles inspired by pieces dating back to the reign of Qianlong. With a modern twist, the tiles now appear on a lacquered box, table top, or as floor tiles — and even on the ceiling.
Cheung true calling is, she says, is to create statement homes that are fashionable and ever changing. “Making a home fashionable, as I like to describe it, is important for me; I love creating a theatrical impact using colours and textures. Lala Curio is a bit glamorous, a bit humorous and not too flashy. We are not afraid of using colours, textures and bringing back history into the space,” she says.
While every corner of the shop, functionally and aesthetically, speaks volumes about the beauty of decorative art, Cheung’s impetus has been to blend east with west to create a style she calls ‘Imperial Bastide’: the first word refers to imperial palaces in China which celebrate handcrafted art; while Bastide is a château out in the south of France which has provided much inspiration.
“Chinoiserie came back in the 18th century, when France began to really appreciate Chinese decorative arts. They brought in pieces and blended into their environment, and achieved it so seamlessly and beautifully.”
Cheung’s multi-cultural background has been an impressive influence on the space. While Hong Kong is her home base, she was born in the West and grew up there, developing a global vision thanks to experiences gained from her travels all over the world to explore native craftsmanship. Looking around Lala Curio, she says: “You could be anywhere right here:
the south of France, or in an Indian temple.” •
Thai silk hand-painted wallpaper dyed in an Yves Klein blue provides a contrast to the collection of Japanese obis
Founder and interior designer, Laura Cheung Wolf’s house is an art itself. This place is a combination of love, family, and her view of art. Laura decorates every corner precisely by using refined decorations, chinoiserie furniture, and hand-painted wallpaper.