With a background in architecture, Li Xiang has emerged as a cutting-edge female designer in the field of interior design with her unique style.

She first gained attention when she began designing bookstores in Shanghai. Her focus on the parent-child space was special and it's something she's continued throughout her career.

Using a variety of shapes, symbols, lines and radians to create the feel of natural elements like grass, trees and rocks, Li brings what she sees outside into an indoor space.

The result is a space both inspired by, and hopefully a source of inspiration for children

When she designed a children's amusement park in Shanghai, she divided the venue into two European-style buildings.

The whole children's park is divided into five main functional areas: book area, restaurant, simulation city, climbing area and party classroom. When you enter from the main entrance, the first thing you see is a patch of scattered groves and rolling hills.

These hills and groves decorate the bookshelf and make it an ideal place for children to play. Children can go into each tree hole and enjoy the tiny world by themselves.

The interior space is designed from the perspective of the child, and from there, Li takes into account the dynamic between parent and child.

With this philosophy, Li also designs in a way that encourages parent and child interaction, rather than relegating parents to just watching their kids play.

Li Xiang believes it's important to integrate her spaces with elements from the local culture, including which materials and colors are used.  

For example, the parent-child space in Kunshan integrates the local Kun Opera culture, and incorporates costumes and characters in the space's colors and designs. 

"Man is the yardstick of all things," Li Xiang said. Good design is expected to make people feel positive. She believes that design is not only a creation of aesthetics, a functional expansion, but also a way to allow people to have a spiritual connection to the space. 

Editor: Zhang Ziyu

Cover image designer: Jia Jieqiong

Executive producer: Zhang Xiaohe 

Producer: Si Nan 

Supervisor: Zhang Shilei