4 days ago
Inside the east London home of the founders of cool eatery Bao
While Shing Tat Chung and Erchen Chang's house in east London looks and feels positively homely, there are several striking parallels between its decor and that of their award-winning chain of Taiwanese restaurants, Bao.
One is their shared affection for timber-clad walls — here swathes of Douglas fir cover every surface of the living room, extending from the kitchen units into a formidable wall of bespoke bookshelves with oak-tipped cabinets. 'Timber was the one element where we thought, let's just use as much as we can until we run out of money,' Chung, 38, says with a laugh. Over the course of almost five years the wood has darkened and turned a deep shade of ochre.
Another is the use of stainless steel, a practical material that is enjoying a resurgence among trend-conscious renovators but has always been a mainstay in professional kitchens. 'It's super useful, I love being able to easily wipe down everything,' Chang, 35, explains. The overall effect is utilitarian yet sophisticated, and a considered antidote to the usual codes of furnishing a period property.
