An elegant mixture of a faint flower fragrance and the trickling sounds of water greet visitors who step into the home. Furniture and wallpaper in each room is in a simple European style.

"A home with too dense a European style is not our cup of tea. We've tried to keep a simple elegance," said Wu, who is in the aeronautical industry,.

"We believe it only takes a few symbolic elements, such as a fireplace, simplified Roman pillars, and flower-embroidered tablecloths to give the home a touch of Europe.

"We don't like showing off. Nor do we want to pull in our belts while enjoying Baroque luxury."

Wu, who is in his 50s, is picky with the decorations, ensuring that nothing used is harmful. Even the glue used for the imported wallpaper was specially made. Wu said the salesperson even tasted the glue to show it's harmless.

In the apartment design, Wu and his wife, have successfully balanced asthetic and practical needs.

There are two kitchens downstairs. One is a splendid looking open kitchen facing the living room where family parties can be held. The other, smaller and plainly furbished, hides behind two nice white impending blind windows. It's used to cook Chinese food, which generates oil and smoke.

"Separate kitchens for different cuisines. That's how we manage to have our cake and eat it," Wu's wife said.

Though highly practical, the apartment is still vivid with life. The couple is particular about the smallest detail that can reveal a lot about the taste of its owners. One is the pink-flowered wallpaper in their daughter's bedroom - shining silk pressed inside the wallpaper, which adds texture to the wall.

Decorations are plentiful throughout the house: Lovely puppets, a sculpture of a dog lying on its belly, a wall of exquisite handmade golden Egyptian plate and adorable airplane models in all sizes. All are souvenirs from the couple's business trips overseas.

"Each little thing works wonders as a reminder of the best things life can offer," Wu said.

The couple is also proud of the transformation of the rooms. They enlarged two bedrooms by removing part of an original wall and used the opposite rooms as step-in wardrobes.

They also knocked down the wall between one of the kitchens and the living room to create a continuous space for parties. "Space is more important than the number of rooms you have," Wu said.

To achieve an interesting rhythm, the couple keeps the rise and fall of the courtyard. In one corner is a Mediterranean-style fish pond decorated with blue and white mosaics.

Aside from the pond, the family's most romantic creation may be the bathroom with a view. By opening a blind that separates the bathroom and the bedroom, you can have a lazy bath on a sunny day in a porcelain tub while enjoying the scenery.

Since the couple works in the city, the residence is used as a weekend villa. But Mrs Wu said they plan to move there after retirement.

"This is like a private castle we have built with our hearts. It engages all our life attitude and expectations," Wu said.

"You can say our years of hard work are crystalized in every object in the home. This is the place we really feel at home."

China Daily