In the summer issue of the magazine, Grace Lee-Lim showed us how to get the look of a Bay Area dining room that celebrates modern Asian design. Today, we’re taking a tour of the entire house.
“It’s in a small, charming town called Alamo in the East Bay of Northern California,” Grace tells us. “The home is built around towering trees in the backyard that give the magical illusion of being in a treehouse, which can be seen and felt throughout the interior of the home as well with the vaulted ceilings, warm wood beams, and skylights. The clients are also very in tune with nature and have an extraordinary green thumb that’s evident through the numerous indoor and outdoor plants they care for.”
They are a second-generation Korean family with two boys, age five and age three. “The design goal for the home was to create a calm, serene space that works well with the high, fast-paced energy of a young family,” she says. “The clients envisioned their home being a beautiful, welcoming oasis since the sense of community is very strong for them; they have a constant influx of family and friends who flow through their doors on a weekly basis.” Additionally, they wanted their home to celebrate who they are. “Their heritage is very important to them as well, so they wanted the design to be reflective of their Korean culture but simultaneously feel young and modern.”
Grace felt inspired by a modern take on the 1980s Korean American home, at a time when many Koreans immigrated to the States and incorporated their cultural art and artifacts into their new homes. “We incorporated the work of several Asian-American artists to highlight this feeling throughout the spaces,” she explains. For her, modern Asian design “is the synergy of harmony and tranquility balanced with vibrancy and liveliness.”
With this project, the biggest challenge was undergoing construction with the clients still living in the house. “They were so gracious and patient throughout the entire duration of the project, and it was a great reminder that communication is the most important in keeping expectations aligned,” she explains. “The great advantage to having a designer is that we’re the client’s representative and advocate, so we do everything we can to ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible. And when it doesn’t, which is always bound to happen, especially with construction, we’re the ones who go up to bat on the client’s behalf and take that stress off the client’s plate.”
In the slideshow, Grace shares details on her work—from the tranquil living room and serene bedroom to the color-saturated laundry room.
