Contemporary Reinterpretation and Design Practice of Decorative Elements in Cantonese-style Furniture with AIGC Assistance: A Case Study of the Passionflower Motif

Abstract

Traditional decorative elements in Cantonese-style furniture are often reproduced merely as surface patterns in contemporary design, with limited morphological integration into furniture structural components. Taking the cross culturally influenced passionflower motif as a case, this study explores how its morphological and compositional features can be translated into forms for modern furniture components and examines how artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) supports early-stage concept design. Based on literature, antique furniture catalogues, and image resources, representative passionflower motif samples were collected and analyzed. Three morphological translation directions were summarized: central floral motif and bilateral extension, axial organization and vertical layering, and continuous curves and directional transitions. Guided by these directions, side table concepts were generated in ChatGPT and Midjourney using text prompts and reference images under consistent constraints. Eighteen candidate designs were produced. Three representative options were selected for expert evaluation, and the best-performing concept was further refined. The final design integrates the reinterpreted passionflower motif into the side table apron, combining a contemporary geometric structure with mixed materials including wood, stone, smoked glass, and subtle metallic accents. The findings suggest that reinterpreting traditional motifs requires preserving recognizable morphological features as well as respecting compositional relationships and adapting them to component proportions and spatial limits. While AIGC facilitates rapid visual exploration and multi-scheme comparison, designers still bear responsibility for cultural interpretation, formal coherence and structural feasibility. This practice-based case offers references for the contemporary reinterpretation of Cantonese-style furniture decorative elements.