House tour: Inside La Maison de Famille, Longchamp’s newest home in Shanghai

SHANGHAI – China’s trendiest city has been on the rise as a top travel destination among Singaporeans in recent years. Its reputation as the country’s fashion capital has only blossomed with more discovering its charms, particularly in the tree-lined French Concession, on social media.

Every self-respecting fashionista knows that no visit to Shanghai is complete without checking out Anfu Road, Wukang Road and Huaihai Middle Road – bustling shopping avenues lined with independent boutiques boasting photo-ready interiors and merchandise.

So popular are these streets with young people, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, that a trend named “Citywalk” has emerged on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, where users detail trails to take to hit the best stores and photo spots.

Now, there is one more stop to add on your walking tour of Shanghai’s French Concession: Longchamp’s new boutique La Maison de Famille in Wukang Road, its first store globally designed to embody a French family home.

Chief executive Jean Cassegrain looked upon the design as if it were his own family home, complete with imported vintage furniture and art from France. “We’re in a city that has received a lot of Western influence. And the house is a Western-style house, so even though we designed it like a French house inside, it doesn’t feel strange. It’s not Disneyland,” he says.

Inspired by 1950s and 1960s interior design, the duplex residence bears strong mid-century modern influences. At its entrance, carvings of intertwining branches and leaves evoke a nest – the maison’s emblem as a tribute to patience, craftsmanship and care, just as a bird weaves its home with dedication.

Step inside into the living room, distinctly blue thanks to a striking sofa by French furniture designer Pierre Paulin and a geometric canvas, H Luz (1970), by French painter Genevieve Claisse.

On display are heritage pieces from Longchamp’s archives, including gaming tracks, ashtrays and tobacco pots. Herringbone parquet floors and delicate mouldings recall Haussmann-style Parisian apartments.

A large communal table anchors the dining room, where natural light pours in from floor-to-ceiling glass doors that give a peek into the garden.

Designed by Mr Cassegrain’s sister, Longchamp’s creative director Sophie Delafontaine, it was inspired by the garden of their own family home near Paris.

Wrought-iron furniture among the blooming hydrangeas and manicured boxwood shrubs evoke an authentically Parisian courtyard, while a traditional French coin toss game, Le jeu de la grenouille (Toad in the hole), provides fun for little ones.

In place of a kitchen is the adjoining Cafe Longchamp, where French delicacies such as Croque Monsieur (110 yuan or S$20), quiche (110 yuan), madeleines (25 yuan) and caneles (33 yuan) are served. Prices for drinks range from 30 yuan for an espresso to 45 yuan for a latte, tea and juices.

Upstairs, take a moment to pause at the wall of real family portraits – baby photos included – from the four generations of the founding Cassegrain family.

Upstairs is a playroom with a solid-wood Billard Nicolas table, a type of French gaming board, and lithographic posters. Get entranced in the library next door, where shelves of French literature and beloved comic books such as Asterix and The Smurfs make for light browsing.

Traditional games like bilboquet, solitaire and “petits chevaux” (a French board game similar to Ludo) invite moments of play no matter the age.

Finally, the dressing room showcases Longchamp’s ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories in a cosy, carpeted setting. Rest weary soles on a pair of Paulin’s Mushroom armchairs from 1958, complemented by a Rene-Jean Caillette pedestal table from the 1950s, tucked in a private corner that would make a dream reading nook in another universe.

Archival Longchamp creations including a clock and a stirrup-shaped desk accessory bring you back to reality – and send you on your way, likely with a camera album full of home inspiration.

Info: Longchamp’s La Maison de Famille is located at 12 Wukang Road, Shanghai 200030, China.