Since entering the industry in 2005, we have focused on the design of villas, luxury homes and large spaces. Founder of Shandong Meng Lijun Space Design and Qingdao Yunxi Space Design. Master's program in international soft furnishings and display at Tsinghua University; further studies in architecture at the College of Engineering, Metropolitan University, Japan; MBA major at Shandong University, multiple studies at home and abroad; loves traveling, has visited more than 20 countries, and likes fashion and food.
2020 Shanghai International Design Week SIDW intercity expert review; 2020 Asia Pacific Global Design Elite Competition "Villa Space Winner Award"; 2021 and 2022 Guangzhou Design Week "Her Design Award" recommendation officer; WYDF2022 (Greater China) 100 Outstanding Design youth.
Q: Hello, Mr. Meng! I am very happy to have the opportunity to accept our exclusive interview. First of all, I would like to congratulate Mr. Meng for winning the honor of WYDF 2022 (Greater China) 100 Outstanding Design Youth. How did you feel after winning the award? Share with us.
A: It was actually very unexpected, because I made the submission in early October, and the submitted work was an actual design case of Building 54, Huxindao, OCT. I really liked that work, so I submitted it. I didn't expect to receive the winning information yesterday. I was still very surprised and very happy.
Q: Could you please share with us your career history?
A: It’s an honor to share it with you. He joined the industry in 2005 and has 17 years of design experience. He previously worked as a design director in a large decoration company for 10 years. He founded Shandong Meng Lijun Space Design and Meng Xiang Space Design in 2019; he founded Qingdao Yunxi Space Design in 2022, focusing on various parts of Shandong. High-end villas, luxury homes and developer supporting project planning.
Q: In fact, you have always been a benchmark in the industry, but I understand that you are still learning. Can you share your learning experience? Where does the motivation for continuous improvement come from?
A: I have a character that is always dissatisfied with the status quo.
I was the design director of my previous decoration company, and my performance in Zibo was the best for many years in a row. However, I later found that the company was mainly focused on contract signing performance, and it was difficult to have time to create good works with my heart. I wanted to do Better representative works require greater professional efforts. After many considerations, I studied in the "Soft Furnishing and Display" course at Tsinghua University for two years in 2014. The instructors were all the best design experts at home and abroad. Teachers such as Liang Jianguo and Ju Bin also worked on some projects in addition to classes. Communication guidance, graduation because of poor gradesI was hired by mistake as a group tutor, brought two new students, and got to know more outstanding colleagues in the country. I have been traveling between Zibo and Beijing for about four years. Not only have I been greatly improved in my design major, but I have also undergone a qualitative change in my thinking. Later, I also went to Japan Metropolitan University to study. Every year, as long as there are good courses, I will go to various places to attend classes. When new hotels and buildings are opened, I will also visit and study.
Decoration design is a job that creates beauty and serves life. Only by truly laying a professional foundation (such as architectural structure, color aesthetics, etc.), and color releases and fashion trends are changing every year, only by advancing with the times and constantly improving the aesthetics can we create better works one by one. The improvement of "beauty" does not only lie in decoration design. I have been to more than 20 countries, and the beauty of different buildings and styles, art exhibitions, fashion releases and other industries released every year, beauty is all figured out, and only by constantly Only by learning and experiencing, and by keeping pace and thinking, can we create more "beauty".
Q: Mr. Meng is a mother of two children. Both the designer and the mother are relatively involved in energy. How do you balance it?
A: Many people think that if they are so busy, how can they still have a lot of time to study, travel, and see their favorite exhibitions? In fact, I would like to say that there is no such thing as "balance", it only depends on how you "make choices" in your own life.
Wherever you invest your energy, you will get results. When working, concentrate on your work and devote yourself 100% to your work. The economic foundation brought by your work can ensure a good life for your children. What I need to check more is their character and spiritual guidance. You can spend a fixed amount of time every week to communicate with your children, and you can also go on trips simultaneously during holidays. For example, my daughter is 14 years old this year and has been to more than 10 countries. My son has been traveling with him in a stroller since he was less than one year old. I have been seeing the world since I was a child, and I have a cheerful personality and don’t care about it. This year’s Monet exhibition in Shanghai and Zaha Hadid’s architecture exhibition were both taken with the children during the May Day holiday. Not only can I see what I like, but it is also the best parent-child time. Children's sense of beauty needs to be cultivated from an early age. When they see a mother who is constantly learning and making progress, they will take the initiative to make progress.
Q: There is a saying in the industry that you are an expert in difficult and complicated diseases? Where did this begin?
A: This may be because the case I designed is the most troublesome construction site locally. It is not about "difficult problems", but about making unique design solutions starting from the building structure.
Like the single-family villas in OCT Huxindao, I built three of the same house type. Each household has different requirements. How can the owner of a villa with an area of more than 700 square meters say it is not enough to live in?What to do? Then I added three floors to the hostess to make her a very large private storage space. Another owner said that all the neighbors had visited and wanted to be different from other homes. After studying the overall building structure, The idea of complete demolition and reconstruction was put forward, and the owner finally agreed. During the construction of this villa, part of the exterior wall was retained, the entire building was reorganized, and the elevator was also moved. After the civil construction was completed, the effect was particularly good, and it was hard to find anywhere else in the entire town. Go to such a construction site.
Of course, all building structure modifications must be made with strong professional knowledge and practical experience. Only these innovative ideas can give these owners different good designs. If you see more of my works, you will feel that all kinds of strange ideas can become reality here.
Q: What is good design in your opinion?
A: I think "de-stylization", tailor-made design is the best.
Good design must be based on the characteristics of the house and the needs of the owner. The best design is tailor-made. Fashion trends are released every year, and the overall trend must be towards simplicity. For example, the minimalist style has become more popular in recent years. You can build a house of 100 square meters or 1,000 square meters, but it depends on the actual situation of the owner: on the one hand, you will like minimalism if you are rich enough in your heart; on the other hand, the owner's life It’s hard to change habits at once. If you don’t provide enough storage for him, no matter how beautiful the renderings are, the home will not be minimalist when he moves in.
The houses I currently serve are all relatively large in size. Many people call them “luxury homes.” Where is the “luxurious” design? You must consider the building structure first and then the decoration issues. The appearance and interior style must be integrated to improve the indoor and outdoor aesthetics and extend the life of the building. So I generally don’t blindly follow trends. For example, an owner I am currently serving has been in the United States for many years and is now living in China. He hopes that the new home will have a combination of Chinese and Western styles. It would be very pale to use any one style, so it is integrated in this design plan. There are elements of various styles, but I use unified tones and stories to run them through. This home will be suitable for him for many years to come. What I design is living space, which must serve life, integrate my own professionalism and aesthetics, and design a home tailor-made for the owner.
Note: The pictures accompanying this article are the work of designer Meng Lijun
"Unbounded" is a single-family villa in Overseas Chinese Town, Zibo City. The young owner born in the 1990s hopes to create a unique living environment. All the original walls of the unit were demolished and only the load-bearing structure was retained. Renovate floor-to-ceiling windows,The garden and lake views are introduced indoors to create a fully open natural home space. The decoration style is Italian minimalist. The design theme is "boundless", which means that the living space has no boundaries.
