Today we’d like to introduce you to Yoori Koo
Hi Yoori, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Though it is within the last year that I have really leaned into creating spaces, furniture making and wood working, the journey really started over 20 years ago when I went to university to study architecture. I got swayed into big corporate where I spent many years in marketing and project management across Europe and the US. I’ve only recently come back to where I started, it feels like a full circle moment. Settling down in Austin after decades of traveling (I started my career in England and then moved to Washington DC, then Istanbul to then travel and work remotely for a few years which took me to Barcelona, Berlin, Saigon, Miami, Portland and Bali for a few months at a time) and putting down roots, I am now focusing my intention to the home. I want my home to be beautiful and intentional. And that’s what I am doing one project at the time – for my own home and for others as well. I am self-taught and have started to rip out pantries, build coffee bars, floating bars, built-in cabinets and benches, and side tables in wood and metal. My style is somewhat more European and modern with a little nod to my German Korean heritage.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s definitely been a huge learning curve. I’m finding that the key is to find your niche and also your style. I am not a contractor per se, but more a designer who executes. So getting clear about that and being clear in my communication has been very helpful. Being a female it sometimes feels a little intimidating being in a field that’s male dominated, e.g. going to the lumber yard, meeting metal fabricator. So that took a little getting used to.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
It’s hard to put good design into words, but when you are in a well designed space, it feels different. And that’s what I am doing. Creating a ‘moment’ and an ‘intention’ with beautiful spaces. My style is influenced by my Korean and German heritage. When I went to architecture school in Germany, the Bauhaus movement made a big impression on me – the focus on functionality, the works of Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier. The other influence is my Korean heritage. I am fascinated by the beauty, the proportions and the geometry of the traditional hanok houses. The scallop design that I use in some of my furniture is inspired by the rooflines of the hanok with their gentle waves and the repeated pattern of the shingles. Your home, your space should reflect you and your values.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Just take the first step! No matter what business, we have the tendency to talk ourselves out of it. Wait until this one big project is over, or wait until the conditions are better. The thing is that there is no ‘perfect’ time to start, and you don’t need to perfectly master your craft to start out! The key is to start with the first step. Don’t take on more than you can chew, but start somewhere. Even if you’re not 1,000% sure where this is going. Take the first step.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://handwerk-studio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handwerkstudioatx
