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Sergio Mannino Studio
Architectural Branding
Architectural Branding
People often think of luxury as a list of materials like marble, brass, custom furniture, or designer brands. However, the most convincing luxury spaces are not just about objects. True luxury comes from a sense of authority, where the space is created with cultural understanding, good proportions, and a clear vision. The New Classic Apartment Interior Design is a luxury residential project in Shenzhen, China, created for a family living in a high-end development. This project explores a modern kind of luxury by reimagining classic prestige with a fresh design approach. Here, “new classic” does not mean nostalgia, imitation, or decorative references. Instead, the project uses the core ideas of classic design like rhythm, hierarchy, and balance, and brings them into a modern home.
The New Classic Apartment was created for a market that values prestige and expects luxury interiors to show their worth right away. The goal was to design a home that feels refined and truly high-end, without relying on too much decoration or copying old styles.
The studio started by creating a strong design foundation, then used materials and decoration to support it, instead of letting decoration lead the way.
Classic design has never been a style. Classic design is a system.
It is made of:
A space feels classic when every part seems to fit naturally, as if it truly belongs.
In this project, luxury comes from using classic design principles as a base, then showing them through modern shapes and details. The interior does not try to look classic, but it acts classic by guiding your attention in a thoughtful way.
This is the real difference between true luxury and just expensive decoration: luxury is carefully planned and has a clear structure.
Luxury residential interiors must do something difficult: they need to impress, but they should not feel artificial or staged.
The New Classic Apartment is arranged as a series of thoughtful moments. Instead of a mix of separate rooms, the home feels unified with a clear design logic. There are main focal points and quieter areas, so the space feels high-end without needing dramatic features everywhere.
This is where luxury becomes readable. You don’t need to explain it. People sense it.
In “new classic” interiors, materials are not selected to be fashionable; they are selected to feel permanent.
Luxury here is not defined by novelty. It is defined by dignity: surfaces that hold weight, colors that feel intentional, textures that respond to light with depth rather than shine for its own sake.
The color and material choices are meant to show refinement, not to attract attention. The aim is to make a home that looks luxurious now and will still look luxurious in ten years.
Luxury is most clear in the way different parts of the home connect and transition.
A luxury apartment does not have messy edges or random joints. Details are important because they show if the space was carefully designed or just put together.
In the New Classic Apartment, luxury is reinforced through:
Many people think luxury means having a lot, but real luxury is making something complex feel simple and effortless.
Decoration is not opposed to luxury. In fact, when guided by culture and careful design, decoration becomes one of luxury’s most refined tools.
In this project, decoration helps build the home’s identity and sense of prestige. The space does not have to be plain to feel luxurious; it needs to be thoughtfully designed.
The apartment’s classic feel starts with its structure and layout. Decoration adds meaning, not clutter, and supports the overall story of the interior.
High-end residential design is built through specific decisions, not abstract intentions.
In the New Classic Apartment, luxury is achieved through:
A 'new classic' project is challenging because it needs both cultural understanding and strong design skills. Creating this kind of high-end interior depends on the designer’s ability to bring together layout, materials, lighting, and decoration into a single, balanced system.
This is what luxury interior services typically include:
Luxury shows itself when every part of the design works together without conflict.
Project developed in collabration with Area 17 Beijing
It is a modern style that uses classic design ideas like proportion, hierarchy, and rhythm, but does not copy old decorations. It feels timeless instead of nostalgic.
We create luxury by focusing on the overall design, not just decoration. When the proportions, hierarchy, and quality of materials are right, the space feels high-end, even with modern styles.
Prestige comes from a clear structure, with main focal points, subtle supporting areas, and careful details that show quality and lasting value.
Yes. Classic influence is often hidden. It is found in the design’s structure, like scale, rhythm, and balance, not just in decoration.
Full-scope interior design: spatial planning, material concept, lighting strategy, custom detailing, FF&E direction, and execution coordination.
The New Classic Apartment shows a specific truth about luxury residential interior design: luxury is not about copying a historic look. Luxury is about creating authority—an interior with cultural intelligence, compositional rigor, and a sense of permanence.
When classic ideas are used in a modern way, the result is a home that feels prestigious without being over the top. That is what makes it “new classic.”
