Wallpaper 10

Expert artisans were employed to carry out the house’s

intricate woodworking – and everything, from treating

and drying the timber to the final, meticulous size-

cutting and joinery work, was done by hand. The

architect also favoured more traditional finishes and

detailing where possible, such as using handmade black

and patterned tiles when constructing the garden walls,

leatherwork for the door handles, and flower motif-

decorated doors, all produced by specialist carpenters.

The owner’s personal art collection, ranging from

historical Korean earthenware dating from 5AD to

a painting by Julian Opie, is carefully framed in various

parts of the house. The crown jewel, a series of abstract

Dansaekhwa paintings from the 1970s, is located on

the lower level, where celebrated minimalist Korean

artist Lee Ufan’s painting From Line also hangs.

Offering a balanced blendf of Korean history and

modern comforts, this hanok’s rebirth is a rare treat

• and part of a growing trend among Seoul’s culture-
  savvy crowd. Yet, simply owning a hanok is not enough
  to truly bring this architectural legacy back to life,
  cautions Yang. ‘It is important to know and study the
  originality of the hanok and respect its roots before
  renovation starts,’ he says. An approach he has followed
  to the letter in his Bukchon masterpiece. ∂
  teoyangstudio.com

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT,

AN ARTEK PENDANT LAMP

AND CHAIRS IN THE DINING

ROOM, WHERE A ‘MOON’

WINDOW OFFERS A VIEW

OF DOWNTOWN SEOUL;

A DESK AREA IN THE

BASEMENT LOUNGE; THE

MAIN ENTRANCE HALL

Photography: Yoon Suk Sim

232 ∑

In Residence