Shanghai habitat, dream huaxi home stay facility

The Qimeng Huaxi homestay renovation sits near the Shanghai Disney Resort, adapting two parallel rural self-built houses into a boutique guesthouse of 830 square metres completed in 2022. Architecture and courtyard design were led by Pingjie Design, while interiors and soft furnishings were handled by Ze Wen Design. The Qimeng brand is known for its girlish aesthetic, and pink is the project's signature colour, tempered by hard materials and large volumetric forms so that sweetness is balanced by strength, much like the women who build careers in the city. Cool neutral greys, carefully proportioned colour blocks and gold accents complete the palette, while hard-finish materials such as glass, metal, acrylic, perforated panels, terrazzo and micro-cement are softened by fabric upholstery, producing an organic interplay of firmness and tenderness. Originally the courtyard was split by a road that compromised privacy; after discussion with the owners, the route was relocated and the side entrance moved, with a new feature wall screening the inner garden to create a hidden arrival that opens into a landscaped courtyard. Two swimming pools anchor the courtyard, their clear water bringing life and movement to the still landscape; steps and a sunken lounge area carve out quiet corners for every guest. Light is treated as carefully as air: windows were refitted and the facades replastered in pink, with perforated panels filtering natural light into dappled interior patterns. Large windows serve as landscape openings while small ventilating windows are masked by perforated panels to keep the elevation coherent. The ground floor of the main building was opened into a public living room with bar, dining table and kitchen appliances for guests who wish to make their own breakfast, while guest rooms face the view, prioritising comfort over theme. The project notes the inevitable compromises of pandemic-era scheduling, budget and collaboration, but treats them as an essential learning process for a growing studio.