Chuen Yee is all about balance. On one side, there’s her craft. With two degrees in the field of interior design, including one from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, Yee approaches her work at MCYIA with a solid artistic foundation. Yet she recognizes the importance of form and function, the beauty and purpose that make all the variables sing in unison. Utilizing elements both modern and classical, gracefully toeing the line between conventional and progressive, her aesthetic defies pigeonholing.
You’d be hard-pressed to get the modest, soft-spoken woman to talk about herself, much less her myriad accomplishments and accolades, but Yee’s buzzworthy work speaks volumes. In fact, in 2011, MCYIA took home the Design Excellence Award of Merit in the single space category from the American Society of International Designers. The firm raked in three more awards in 2015 and a whopping five in 2016 alone, including overall wins in the residential and commercial categories, and awards of excellence in sustainable design, commercial and single space. As her boutique design firm gathers more awards by the year, Yee finds her balancing skills tasked in ever-increasing ways, especially when it comes to upholding the keystone of MCYIA’s business philosophy—client experience.
“Sometimes design is not just about style, it’s about function, proportion and scale. We take all those things into consideration,” Yee explains. “The goal is to greatly exceed the clients’ expectations through service and design excellence.”
Perhaps the most demanding balancing act for Yee is the one that she approaches with the most grace: being an artist and a businesswoman. Communication is an integral part of the process.
How does a creative tell her client what’s best? She doesn’t. Instead, Yee draws from her knowledge and experience, hones in on the client’s vision and makes it a reality, no matter the cost. Whether that means juggling hats as buyer, stylist and construction overseer, staying up into the wee hours contacting suppliers in other time zones or scouring the Internet for statement décor on a strict budget, Yee does what it takes to make it work. “You do whatever you have to do to make the project successful,” Yee says. “I’m a night person. During the day, I meet with clients, conduct site visits and take care of the business responsibilities.
At night, when it’s quiet, I can design without interruption.”
The MCYIA team is determined to make the design and build process as efficient as possible, and that involves welcoming in 21st century technology and know-how with open arms. Yee’s cosmopolitan, multicultural background has taken her across the globe, from Thailand to New York to Hawai‘i. She’s worked with a vast range of clients and colleagues, which has given her an appreciation for progressive thinking and different approaches. These powerful tools open up a world of possibilities, from utilizing a new way of laying tile to turning her thoughts into digital sketches that clients can weigh in on before the hammers come out.
“We’re younger than most firms, I think, so our process relies a little more on technology,” Yee says.
“Technology is fast affecting the construction industry to allow designers to do things that were once considered too expensive or too technical. We have the capacity to do computer renderings beforehand, so we can see everything and modify things to make sure the client is happy.” After all, the final output is what matters most to Yee. That means coordinating with contractors, shipping partners and team members to produce a result in keeping with the approved rendering—right down to the last accent, toiletry or throw pillow.
It’s a job that doesn’t stop for pau hana and doesn’t take weekends off. It means embracing problems, being a people-person and an artist, all at the same time. Fortunately, Yee has found balance in her work. “It feels natural for me,” Yee says. “Design is a lot of work and a lot of fun—do both and you will be successful.”
