Thank you to Anne and Design*Sponge for the mention of Paper Tiger and a sneak peek feature this week into my house!  Truly honored to be included.  谢谢 Xie Xie！

Tangs Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur

When we used to live in Singapore, one of my favorite department stores was Tangs on Orchard Road.  I had forgotten about Tangs until my recent trip to Kuala Lumpur over Chinese New Year.  To my delight, there she was at the Pavilion decked out in her finest Chinese New Year garb.  I loved Tangs for its inspired store displays and windows and I wasn’t disappointed at their KL store.

It seems most retailers over Chinese New Year follow the same script—Red, red, gold, red and more red.   I love that Tangs follows their own script and adds pinks, purples and other colors to celebrate this time of year.    Of course red is the dominant color theme in their display, featuring an abundance of silk plum-blossom flowers, chrysanthemums, jasmines…etc,  but it also focuses on the Spring aspect of what the holiday is also referred as —”Spring Festival” (Chun Jie).

'handbag' package of CNY food treats

These beautifully designed packages for Chinese New Year treats are refreshing and inspired.

'Suitcase' made out of heavy cardboard filled with treats

More beautifully packaged treats of biscuits, candies and other traditional Chinese New Year sweets inside.

Truly a nice break from the traditionally garish and gaudy packaged Chinese New Year goods I normally come across!

After almost 2 years in Beijing, I finally got myself to Panjiayuan Antique Market on Saturday with my friend Juliet.    More flea market than antiques, the open-air market features trinkets, ceramics, vases, books, textiles, silver, jewelry, furniture, jade and more.   No bargain basement prices here, unless you’re prepared to haggle hard for stuff that can also be found at Gaobeidian and Dongjiao market, at better prices with less hassle.  However, if you look hard, there are some cool finds that I haven’t seen before.   The ‘antiques’ of the market’s namesake are long gone, but still worth going to see for the number of vendors and the amount of wares laid out.  Also fun to do if you like a good ‘hunt’ for something unique.  The market’s open from 4:30am- to 6:00pm Saturday and Sundays and from 8:30am-6:00pm Monday to Fridays.   A few of our ‘finds’ below:

A) Cute ‘Nong Jia’ (country home) home-made crafts, textiles and bags found towards the back of the market.  B) Mix of old vintage signs, cameras and these old address plaques.  This stall owner had alot of these –would be fun to make something out of all of them; cover a wall perhaps or a door? C) No shortage of pottery, ceramics and plateware.  D) Lots of stones and rocks being sold outside by the wall.  If I had a garden or a fountain I would surely line it with these.

A) Horse-hair (the tail) brushes tied with twine at the brush table.  Good for cleaning jewelery?  B) Flat ceramic painted ‘dolls’ found outside by the wall .  C) Bought this cool little vintage (looking) metal food container.  It was randomly amongst some old looking tools.   D) Silver cutlery and serving spoons.  E) Wood-handled tools.

A) One of a few retro tables at the market  B) Etched ceramic vase found outside by the wall  C) Silver ornaments perhaps hung from belts  D) Taxidermic bird found perched along with fellow birds and a couple of dogs outside of the market.  E) Tibetan beaded headpiece.  F) Zeiss film projector found in one of the shops that line the market.

It was so great to be back in Shanghai for a few days for the Eco Design Fair last week.  The number of companies in Shanghai that are committed to being environmentally sustainable and responsible left me excited and hopeful that it’s not too hard to be a responsible citizen especially in a city that’s heaving with people and development.   That’s the NEST table above featuring a ‘picnic-themed’ table and (yours truly) Paper Tiger Shanghai at the left end of the space.

Shanghai Mulan Gifts Co., provided a great creative space for kids to create DIY art on a blank cardboard canvas frame using organic items such as beans, rice, dried pasta, textiles..etc.   Local fashion label Finch showcased her Spring collection at the event’s fashion show.   Finch’s clothes are made using organic fibers grown without pesticides and toxic chemicals and low-impact dyes.  The Good to SH group featured sacks of soil for your own DIY urban farming at home.  Their goal is  to create a community of environmental and social initiatives that aims to provide people with insightful and actionable ways to practice ‘sustainable living’.

A friend recently took me to the new Easy Style home wares shop not far from Chaoyang Park.   Fitted out to feel like a Cape Cod-style boutique, the shop features retro metal furniture and accessories from Dulton, designed by Yasuaki Sasamoto;  glass vases, jars and bottles,  and my enduring favorite—Chinese-retro vacuum flasks.  The shop is by the team from Lost and Found and a little tricky to find as the signage is small.  but once there, you’ll be treated to an interesting collection of retro wood furniture, clothes, kitchen wares, clocks and more.  Best to call the shop: 6599-6018.  After shopping, head upstairs to their cafe “Structures in Time” for tea, coffee and free wifi.

Coming out of the Liangma Flower Market recently I stumbled upon a shop across the street whose colorful dining wares in the window caught my eye.  The colorful wares turned out to be quite ugly, but they did have these wonderful blue bowls on the sale shelf.  I also found this sweet glass vase with a rounded mouth, which I don’t see often.   The entire purchase (6 bowls, 1 vase) was just under rmb100 (around $15).