Stairs

Ren von Hasseln studied architecture before founding Ren Ceramics, and she drew from both experiences as she transformed her midcentury ranch house in Ojai, California. Ren led the renovation of the property and crafted ceramic details found throughout the interior.

On the ground floor, the living room is anchored with soft furnishings contrasting the stark industrialism of granite floors and concrete walls. A Blueloft couch sits atop a carpet from Jaipur Rug Company, with a coffee table custom designed by CollectiveProject.

Casa Dosmurs is decorated sparsely with furniture by friends and local designers. The couple also collect prints from Benjamín’s brother, who works as a photographer.

Sinking the floor level meant the couple couldn’t have a raised ventilated floor, they had to have a ground bearing slab made up of a layer of concrete slab, insulation and then concrete screed above. Rather than add another layer of flooring on top, Christian and Faye decided to stick with the polished concrete floor, which reduced extra labour and material costs.

The kitchen is lower than the rest of the open-plan living area, helping to create distinct zones between the cosy living space and the practical cooking area. A three-metre long rooflight above floods the kitchen with natural light.

Architect Hernán Landolfo and his girlfriend, photographer Lucia Gentile, live and work in the apartment, sharing an elevated office space. - Buenos Aires, Argentina Dwell Magazine : September / October 2017

Ample greenery in the courtyards softens the neutral material palette.

A concrete-block-lined hallway connects the pavilions.

The stairs.

The stepped wooden platforms provide built-in seats for the library. Down the stairs to the left is a guest room.

In Slovenia’s Bohinj Valley, an area in the northwestern part of the country surrounded by the Julian Alps, local firm OFIS arhitekti transformed an old cattle barn into a 1,507-square-foot family retreat. The original exterior, which is composed of a rugged stone base with a timber-truss framework and wooden walls above it, was kept intact, but the architects built a new internal wooden shell using locally milled spruce to alter and freshen up the interiors.

Glass, steel, concrete, and wood mingle throughout the interiors, presenting a refined aesthetic.