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Divia Harilela

Contributing writer for Style by SCMP, specialising in fashion, beauty and lifestyle


Historic names like de Gournay and Gracie may dominate the market when it comes to couture wallpaper, but newcomer Lala Curio is following closely in their footsteps.
Founded by Laura Cheung, the lifestyle and home decor brand has been courted by luxury fashion and hospitality brands such as Rosewood, Mandarin Oriental and Cartier, and is a mainstay at design fairs like Paris’ Maison&Objet fair thanks to its bespoke creations that blend couture craftsmanship with a sense of whimsy.
“My mission is to create a new chapter for rare ancient crafts in the 21st century – to make them exciting and meaningful again, and to inspire young artisans to feel proud, motivated and invested in carrying these traditions forward for future generations,” says Cheung.
Her obsession with crafts runs in the family: her grandmother ran one of the few businesses in Hong Kong that traded cloisonné with the West – a decorative art that has centuries of imperial history in China.

Cheung’s love for decorative objects led her to study interior design at Parsons School of Design in New York, followed by a master’s in fine and decorative arts from the Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. After working in fashion event production and museum exhibition design, she was drawn back to Asia to learn more about her first love.
“I spent a couple of years connecting with artisans, travelling to remote parts of China and finding ateliers I wanted to work with. It was challenging at first because so many were set in their traditional ways. It was important to respect the integrity of the techniques while allowing the design language to evolve,” she explains.
The fruits of her labour materialised with the 2013 launch of Lala Curio, which she describes as a “beautiful merger” of her passions for interior design and storytelling.

At the heart of the brand, in the early years, was an eclectic boutique tucked away in Sau Wa Fong, Wan Chai. Filled with hand-painted wallpapers, furniture, lacquer boxes and other objets d’art, it showcased traditional techniques and crafts reinterpreted through Cheung’s playful, contemporary aesthetic.
“I modernise crafts by rethinking scale, function and context. That might mean transforming a traditionally decorative technique into something functional for daily life, or collaborating closely with artisans to reinterpret classic motifs in a more abstract or graphic way,” she explains.
“My approach is to treat tradition as a living language. By introducing unexpected colour palettes, whimsical motifs and modern silhouettes, I aim to make these crafts feel joyful, approachable and relevant to contemporary life,” she says. “The playful aesthetic is very intentional. For me, play is a form of reverence – it keeps tradition alive rather than placing it behind glass.”

Over the years, the business has evolved along with Cheung’s personal journey, which saw her become a mother, shutter the boutique and move to Washington, where she continued to tell the story of Asian crafts through her brand and collaborations. While she worked on multiple projects ranging from private clubs and hotels to residences, she still yearned for a space to showcase the breadth and spirit of Lala Curio through her eyes.
This became a reality last year when Cheung was presented with the opportunity to open a showroom at Hong Kong’s Peninsula hotel.
“It is far more experiential than my previous boutique. It’s not just a place to shop – it’s a place to slow down, linger and engage with craft in a deeper, more intimate way,” she says.
“We’re also actively inviting artisans to showcase their work through rotating exhibitions, live demonstrations and limited collaborations. The goal is to create a genuine dialogue between maker and audience.”

The store is a treasure trove of collectable items with a story to tell, be they ceramic works by master artisans, cloisonné pieces from her grandparents’ collection, or framed embroideries that can be displayed as wall art. There are also stunning repurposed clutches made by Cheung from bejewelled vintage handles and handwoven rare silks.
The real draw, however, are the bespoke wallcoverings, which push the boundaries of ancient crafts through technique or by using more unconventional materials such as wood marquetry veneer. Each space in the boutique, including a Zen tea room, highlights a range of artisanal crafts through Cheung’s whimsical lens, from fantastical seascapes featuring hand-painted jellyfish and pearl-embellished coral, to couture wallcoverings depicting constellations, intricately embroidered phoenixes and playful monkeys knocking back champagne (what else?).
“The greatest challenge has been protecting the creative vision while navigating real-world timelines. Craft takes time, patience and trust between people, and that rhythm doesn’t always align with the fast pace of projects, especially in hospitality,” she says. “I hope to create a story that proves these traditions can remain relevant, revolutionary and deeply alive. I want to show that heritage and imagination can coexist – that tradition doesn’t need to be rigid or solemn to be meaningful.”


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Laura Cheung, founder of Lala Curio, at its flagship store at The Peninsula, Hong Kong. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

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Laura Cheung collaborates with artisans to recreate traditional motifs. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

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Craft traditions inform bespoke wall coverings and collectable objects for the contemporary home at the brand’s Peninsula Hong Kong showroom


Craft traditions inform bespoke wall coverings and collectable objects for the contemporary home at the brand’s Peninsula Hong Kong showroom.


Ancient Asian crafts come to life in modern interiors at this home and lifestyle brand

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Craft traditions inform bespoke wall coverings and collectable objects for the contemporary home at the brand’s Peninsula Hong Kong showroom

Craft traditions inform bespoke wall coverings and collectable objects for the contemporary home at the brand’s Peninsula Hong Kong showroom