The view from one end of the main level’s hallway affords a dynamic cross section of curves and planes. At the opposite end, Emilia perches on the entry’s built-in bench; wall-mounted ceramic mermaid by Elisabeth Vandeweghe.
Art: Elizabeth Vandeweghe
That creative exchange began with their address. Rather than buy a single-family house (the ultimate goal by prevailing local standards), they chose an apartment on the top two levels of a centrally located building, with views over neighboring trees. Its expansive great room and mezzanine, both crowned by a curved ceiling, reminded them of their Tribeca loft, where they had been raising their two sons, Connor and Jude. “We were looking for ceiling height, character, and natural light,” says Lee, who studied architecture at Columbia University and later worked for the firm Rogers Partners. He knew that, with some tweaks, he could make the space work for their family, which would soon include daughter Emilia.
For additional pairs of expert eyes, they called upon Giancarlo Valle and Jane Keltner de Valle of the AD100 firm Studio Valle de Valle, to whom they were introduced by a mutual friend. “What I like about their work is that it never feels derivative,” says Lee. “Everything is something they interpreted on their own.” Before the big move, the two couples bonded over long meetings and meals, including a kick-off lunch at Le Mercerie, not far from Studio Valle de Valle’s Canal Street headquarters. “Each meeting became an exchange of ideas, references, and possibilities,” notes Yoo. Adds Jane, “they have become our friends themselves.”
The children gather in the boys’ room, where curtains of Décors Barbares fabric dress the bunk beds.
ART: Joel Mesler