Materials from Asia informed the co-founders of California studio OWIU Design while renovating a house for themselves in Los Angeles originally designed by architect and SCI-Arc co-founder Ray Kappe.
Tucked in a suburban cul-de-sac in La Cañada Flintridge, the Glass Ridge House was originally designed in 1973 by Ray Kappe, co-founder of California school SCI-Arc, which happens to be the alma mater of OWIU Design’s Amanda Gunawan and Joel Wong.
The couple felt an immediate connection when they discovered the property, but it required a few updates to align with their aesthetic and collective experiences.
“The home had been badly neglected for the past 30 years, but the landscape and the architecture had grown together over the years in a harmonious way,” said the studio. “[We] wanted to honor this element in the overall design of the home.”
Both Gunawan and Wong were raised in Singapore and travelled throughout Asia, before studying in California and putting down roots in Los Angeles.
Their time spent on both sides of the Pacific has shaped their design practice, which blends Eastern and Western principles, and prioritises the connection between architecture and landscape.
With this project, “OWIU sought to marry eastern philosophy around natural elements with a distinctly Californian landscape and palette” according to the studio.
One of the elements brought in from Asian traditions is the presence of moving water in and around the home.
A koi pond wraps the entryway, where stepping stones lead to the front door, while the sunroom was transformed into an indoor stream.
The previously curved swimming pool was reshaped so that swimmers can see the hills beyond while immersed in the water. This prioritisation of views continues inside.
“From every window of the house, one can overlook water, trees or hills – the existing nature is as elemental to the design of the home as any other element,” the studio said.
Tea forms an important part of the couple’s daily ritual, so a dedicated tea bar was designed to be tonally and spatially separate from the rest of the kitchen.
Located next to the dining room, this element is topped with textured green stone and fronted with custom ceramic tiles by Japanese artist Hashimoto Tomonari, which feature a distinctive iridescent sheen.
The adjacent kitchen is decorated in light tones, and benefits from a tall ceiling and clerestory windows.
A sunken living room is lined with tatami mats sourced from Kuboki Tatami, a family-owned specialist based in Fukushima Prefecture since 1740, creating additional casual seating on the floor.
The bed frame in the primary suite is also covered with a custom-treated black tatami, adding subtle texture to the otherwise minimalist space.
A mix of classic mid-century modern furniture and contemporary pieces is used throughout the home, all employing a tonal palette of black and neutral shades.
Wooden sections of the facade at the front were stained black, while the large expanse of glass at the back overlooks the view of the valley below.
“The reimagining of the space is both a small prayer to the existing nature and the legacy of the architecture, dressed in their personal experience and the design principles that have formed their visual language,” the studio said.
OWIU Design has worked on projects for many Asian-American small businesses, such as Baroo and Sua Superette, as well as a long list of private residential clients.
Other examples of their work that integrate both Eastern and Western design principles include a home in Silverlake that they also renovated for themselves, a revamped mid-century residence in Mount Washington, and a loft in a former biscuit factory – all informed by Japanese ryokans.
The photography is by Austin John, unless stated otherwise.
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