Metro Beijing

A rustic haven looks to the past

Visiting Cindy Liu's home is like stepping into an American country home with an elegant flair.

Colorful life lived in black and white

It is not easy to find Robert Parkinson's apartment, which is carefully hidden in a cluster of recently completed compounds and winding cobble roads. And that is exactly what he was looking for: something "a little bit out of the city".

Harmonizing the old and the new

Entering the home of Andrea Cicini is like stepping out of reality and into an Andy Warhol painting. The 32-year-old Italian's 156 sq m apartment crackles with retro energy, while keeping a modern touch.

Home glows with exotic ambience

Southeast Asia is theinspiration for the house of an IT couple

Beijing to be more selective on garbage burner sites

The Beijing municipal government will take heed over future garbage burners' site selections after residents expressed environmental concerns, Huang Yan, director of Beijing's Municipal Committee of Urban Planning, said on the sidelines of a national congress Friday.

Buyer's guide to courtyard homes

Courtyard buildings are a classical style of residential housing in Beijing. Many of the courtyards in Beijing date from the Ming Dynasty. Buying them as second homes has become a trend among the city's expatriates and domestic elite. A single courtyard house usually has an open space, sometimes with a garden, surrounded by four rooms, each running along one of the building's high walls.

Decorating for luck

Chinese knots, magical rabbits, scarlet lanterns all back in fashion for homeowners ahead of holiday season

Festive shopping at Ikea

Home for Christmas

How to decorate your apartment

Italian home styling popular among locals