Udi Behr eschews minimalism. He has no appetence for white walls, sharp edges, or color-coordinated upholstery.

The jewelry designer’s sprawling TriBeCa loft — its walls are, alternately, cerulean and gold, burgundy and cotton candy pink — is instead peppered with small, intimate, and boldly colored sitting spaces. There are oriental-style floor cushions along one wall in the great room, and an antique bench along another wall; there are overstuffed chairs of the shabby chic variety in one sitting room, and three wide chaise lounges in another.

His space does not boast the high ceilings that are so often selling points for downtown lofts. But Mr. Behr said the low ceilings give the 3,500-square-foot apartment a cozy feel. “It makes it a warm environment,” Mr. Behr, who designs a jewelry line called Love and Pride, said. “It’s big, but you don’t feel lost.”

Walking through the sun- and candle-lit apartment yesterday morning, wearing a black T-shirt, plaid pants, and flip-flops, Mr. Behr pointed out a floor lamp resembling tree branches, that his wife, Vered, bought at a Los Angeles gallery 20 years ago; the papier-mâché masks purchased from Russian artists years back in a Tel Aviv art mart; the contemporary Dutch painting purchased for his son’s bar mitzvah, and the Buddha statue he brought back from a recent trip to India. “This apartment is a collection of my life, and my wife’s life,” the 46-year-old Tel Aviv native said. “When I look around here, every piece has a story.”

The loft is testimony to Mr. Behr’s extensive travels through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. “Some people buy paintings to match the walls or the couch or the lamp,” he said. “For me it’s an impulse. If I like something, I’ll buy it.”

He and his wife — the couple has two children, ages 14 and 20 — purchased the apartment from rocker John Cougar Mellencamp 11 years ago. “It has light; it has water; it has space,” Mr. Behr said of the apartment, which looks out on the Hudson River and boasts an unobscured view of the Statue of Liberty.

When the family moved in, the unit also looked out on the nearby World Trade Center towers. Although Mr. Behr was abroad on September 11, 2001, he said the day marked a personal and professional turning point for him. “I see my life in two parts: from the time I was born until 9/11, and from 9/11 to today,” he said.

Before the attacks, Mr. Behr primarily designed mass-market collections. His jewelry, which sold in stores including Zales and Macy’s, featured animal-print designs, colorful crystals, and butterfly shapes. “It was fun and it was fashionable, but 9/11 changed my perspective,” he said. “I didn’t just want to design jewelry that said, ‘I’m good looking’ and ‘I’m a consumer.'”

He launched his Love+Peace+Hope jewelry line the following year. The silver, gold, and beaded pieces incorporated three icons: hearts, peace signs, and the activist ribbons that are often worn as a sign of solidarity causes such as AIDS and breast cancer. Last year, Mr. Behr designed two lines of engagement rings and commitment bands, respectively called “Love and Pride” and “Love and Freedom.” He donates 10% of the proceeds to gay-marriage advocacy groups. The designs are available at Saks Fifth Avenue stores, and on his Web site, www.loveandpride.com.

Mr. Behr’s loft doubles as his workspace. His desk sits on a cobblestone platform, and yesterday his antique wood dining table was covered with pieces from his new collection of “Time for Peace” watches, along with the line’s promotional materials. Surveying the apartment, he said he prefers the exposed brick wall and interior wood beams — it even features an original wood-burning oven — of this 1890 former warehouse space to the “aquarium” look of new glass-and-steel buildings going up nearby.

Mr. Behr said that this corner on the northwestern edge of TriBeCa, lined with 19th-century low-rise lofts, has managed to maintain its away-from-it-all charm. But he has resigned himself to the neighborhood’s changing character amid a blitz of new construction. “Progress is progress. You can never hold time back,” he said. “For now, this area is still part of the old TriBeCa, at least for the next five minutes. You can already hear the cranes and architects marching.”