WOB Shanghai

Private Dining Room — Chairs — The heart of the project is a series of custom dining chairs for an intimate private room reserved for small gatherings and celebratory dinners. Each chair frame in solid walnut, finished with an open-pore oil that allows the wood to breathe. The seat cushions are upholstered in a deep navy performance velvet, chosen for its ability to absorb the flicker of candlelight while resisting the demands of a busy hospitality environment. The walnut frames were hand-sanded to an exceptionally fine grit, achieving a tactile warmth that invites the hand to linger on the armrest. Concealed floor glides protect the marble flooring throughout.

Lounge Area — Modular Sofas — Custom low-slung sectional sofas in warm charcoal tweed define the pre-dinner gathering zones around a central fireplace. The deep seats and relaxed backrest angles are calibrated for the unhurried rituals of aperitifs and after-dinner conversation. The fabric was selected for both its textural richness and its commercial-grade durability — a material that softens with use rather than degrading.

Banquette Seating — A continuous upholstered banquette in midnight blue leather runs along one wall of the main dining area, its backrest divided into softly tufted panels that echo the rhythm of the room's wainscoting. The banquette frame in solid walnut mirrors the private dining chairs, creating a visual continuity that unites the two spaces across the room's length.

Bar Stools — Slim-profile bar stools in brushed brass and black leather line the central bar, their narrow footprint designed to allow guests to pivot between the bar and the surrounding dining zones without obstruction. The stool frames are weighted for stability, with footrest bars positioned precisely for extended comfort.

Occasional Tables — Low walnut side tables with softly radiused edges, positioned beside the lounge seating and at intervals along the banquette. Each tabletop is finished with a matte lacquer, imperceptible to the touch but resistant to glass rings and the occasional spill.

The private dining chairs were prototyped three times to achieve the precise relationship between the armrest height and the table apron — a dimension calibration requested by the Waldorf Astoria's food and beverage team, who wished to ensure that guests could draw their chairs fully to the table without the armrests colliding with the apron.

The midnight blue leather for the banquette was custom-dyed to match the deep navy of the private dining chair velvet, but with a subtle shift in reflectivity — the banquette leather having a slight sheen that distinguishes it from the velvet's matte depth under candlelit conditions.

The lounge sofa tweed was sourced from a Yorkshire mill, selected for its natural lanolin content that provides inherent stain resistance without chemical treatment, and for the way its heathered tones shift under the room's layered lighting from afternoon to evening.

The bar stool footrest bars were individually positioned after a series of comfort tests involving staff and regular guests, with the final height calibrated to the average leg length of the hotel's international clientele — a small detail invisible to the casual observer, but one that contributes to the effortless comfort that distinguishes the WOB experience.

All timber specified as FSC-certified American black walnut, matched for grain consistency across every piece of furniture in the basement space, ensuring a visual unity that reinforces the room's understated luxury.