Ye Yongqing is among the most prominent artists in China's booming contemporary art scene. In 2006, he purchased a house in Dali, China, an ancient walled city known for its allegiance to its traditions. The city is his mother's ancestral town. The entrance to Mr. Ye's home in Dali is shown.

Mr. Ye's wife found the house. They purchased the home for ¥1 million—about $160,900—from a Dali businessman who built it in the 1990s. The outdoor courtyard and sitting area is shown.

The three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 3,228-square-foot house is a classic Chinese townhouse, with a small courtyard garden on a 7,166-square-foot lot.

Shown here, a stone table in the outdoor courtyard of Mr. Ye's home with produce acquired from local vendors.

Shown here, a small cabinet in front of the door to the home.

An alcove near the entrance to Mr. Ye's home. Mr. Ye, who was born in Kunming, Yunnan province, and studied oil painting at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in Chongqing, knew he had to renovate his Dali house, but the question was what to touch and what not to touch

A detail of a wood carving on a stone pillar. Traditional Dali elements--such as gray brick stones--can be seen behind the carving.

Mr. Ye describes his house as a hodgepodge of styles: the original owner's 1990s sensibilities and his own creative flair. In the renovation, he installed white local marble on the staircase.

A view of the first floor seating area, looking down from the second-floor balcony. The home's interior has an open-floor plan, tall glass walls, a mix of wooden screen doors and a modern but modest kitchen.

Chinese calligraphy on a table in Mr. Ye's home. Behind, details from the original house--including the gray roof tiles and the traditional decorative style of the region (hand-painted gray, black and blue elements)--can be seen.

A small sitting room with traditional decor in Mr. Ye's home. Through the window is a view to the traditional entrance gate of the home.

The second floor office in the home. The shelves were originally painted jet-black by the workers, and Mr. Ye asked them to scrub it off. Although still not satisfied with the look, he has decided to let it be. 'You have to accept what they give you.'

The studio is shown here, with the sky reflected in the window.

Mr. Ye working on a new painting in the studio of his home. For his studio, he chose the big, open space of the attic. It has plenty of light, but only a few pieces of furniture, including a couple of tables in the classical Ming style that hold his containers of brushes

Outdoor seating, and tea cups, on the top floor roof terrace.

A view from the rooftop. The house, not far from the South Gate of the city walls, is surrounded by other traditional Dali houses, which are characterized by their ornate gray-tile roofs and elaborate stone gates featuring stone carvings.

Mr. Ye spent about $29,000 on the renovation. In the end, he was happiest with the more traditional aspects of his home that he hadn't counted on. 'Many people come to Dali and think that they can dictate their terms to Dali, but Dali will always be Dali. You have to be humble and accept its terms.'