It's better than California beach house
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Shelby McKean relaxes in her closed courtyard. |
Last summer the McKean family and their two dogs finally moved into their dream home, a 400-sq-m four-bedroom courtyard house, or siheyuan, in northeast Beijing's Chaoyang district.
From the moment the American couple and their three daughters moved in, Shelby, 39, and her husband Todd, 41, found their passion for traditional Chinese culture transformed into a way of life.
Their new home, reached by driving the Jingcheng expressway, then heading to Hegezhuang village, is only a stone's throw from the popular Orchard restaurant and a 10-minute drive from 798 art district.
Its inner courtyard is accessed by stepping through a classical red front gate, then a grey wooden gate several hundred years old, which is just one part of their collection.
"We bought it from a Chinese friend who opened an antique shop in Guangzhou. He told us to put the gate here according to the customs of fengshui, saying it will stop any evil and bring health," said Shelby, who has lived in China for 16 years with her husband.
"The gate, which is my favorite, functions like a folding screen to block the direct view from outside into the living courtyard and rooms," she said.
The floor of the whole courtyard is laid with blue bricks. A floor heating system and glass roof bring warmth and sunshine to the indoor courtyard on a cold winter's morning.
Shelby, a freelance writer, likes reading novels on the white sofa in the living courtyard. If an inspiration hits her, she can write it down in her own quiet writing office outfitted with an Apple computer.
Husband Todd is passionate about outdoor sports, especially cycling. In the corner of the courtyard, the former manager of a Nike production plant in Guangzhou now has his own "factory" - a closet filled with his tools and bicycle components.
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