Homecoming

I first met Ney White a year and a half ago when I interviewed her on her Mexican heritage at home. Ney’s friendly disposition and beautiful home was like a warm hug for me, and we ended up chatting for hours on end. With some people, it’s like the stars aligned and the whole universe had a hand in your encounter. When we decided to resurrect this popular Home Tour column, I recalled Ney’s home and texted her. Luck has it that she was also wondering how I was since our last interview. Immediately she agreed, and I am delighted to have her home grace our inaugural spread!

Stepping into Ney’s villa in Pudong, which she shares with her Argentinian husband, three kids, and two dogs, always feel like a breath of fresh air. With her, there’s no awkward silence distanced by our time apart. We caught up like old friends as she took me on a tour where she shared travel memories and the loves of her life. For Ney, projecting and reflecting positive energy is a big part of her life. As a health coach with five full and twenty half marathons under her belt, she knows the importance and power of mental strength. This explains why Ney is so fascinated by The Third Eye, a symbol of spiritual awakening, wisdom, and guidance that is found throughout her home as part of its decorative motifs. Carving out time for meditation to center and ground herself is also a vital key to her well-being.

As expats, knowing that we will eventually leave can cause a sense of displacement and unsettledness when we decorate our rental home. How much are we willing to invest? Can we ship the new furniture to our next destination? What if we are only here for a short period? For Ney, a mother of three, her priority was to make her house feel like a home for her family. This means investing in art, furniture, and decorative pieces that she truly loves, and that includes shipping a gargantuan rattan lamp from Vietnam for her dining table. With rental homes, our hands are tied when it comes to furnishings that tenants are allowed to change. Since Ney who has been living in Shanghai for 6 years, can’t change the ceiling lights, this lamp was non-negotiable.

At Ney’s home, I hardly see Chinese furniture except for a jewelry closet and a red wine cabinet, compared to most expats I have visited who are eager to embrace Chinese designs into their homes. Ney explains that her décor style veers towards eclecticism. If her home is a dish, you will find a bowl with Latin American furnishings, a ladle of Chinese designs, and a sprinkling of her travels from all over the world. Nothing is too Latin American or too Chinese, yet somehow, they come together beautifully in Ney’s hands. I guess when you manifest positive energy, magic happens.

Ney’s favorite home décor places to shop in Shanghai:

Studio NooSH, Zara Home, Indigo Living, Spin, Ikea, Harbor House, Tianzifang and small vintage and antique shops.