RON DESIGN / ArticiousCo.,Ltd.

If I were to build a villa, there is no one else I could think of but Ms Ogoshi. Or rather, it was because of Ms Ogoshi that I felt like building a villa.

The sun is too bright in the afternoon to see much of the ocean here, but it’s the best time in the evening when the scenery starts to turn orange. As the sea and sky turn red, and you watch the sunset, the dimmable lighting comes into play. The play of light on the walls by plasterer Kusumi-san are further enhanced by the subtle lighting and the setting sun.

There are ways to enjoy this place in each season, such as drinking a beer while sitting in the Patricia Urquiola chair and watching the flickering fire. There is a hobby room on the first floor, a relaxing deck on the second floor, a circular bathtub, a counter in the bedroom facing the sea, and the use of the sliding doors allows you to feel the breeze and make the room feel spacious.

Ms Ogoshi uses her extensive knowledge of architecture and interior design to propose designs that matched our tastes, and always made sure we, the client, were her focus.

The most important thing I want to convey is that after completion, there were no moments of regrets, such as “Was this the design?” or “I wasn’t told about this”. The accumulation of small meetings plays a big role in the satisfaction after delivery. I was really lucky to have met Ms Ogoshi and to have been able to create a building that I am very satisfied with.

Since our project, Ms Ogoshi has won several international awards, and now I can see why this is the kind of person who goes on to become successful on the world stage.

I saw Ogoshi’s work “Tanoura Weekend House” on her website, and it was very close to the spatial concept I had in mind, so I asked her to do the planning and interior design. The process of touring the wide variety of showrooms together, touching all kinds of things, expanding on my ideas and images, and bringing the concept image to life as a very fresh and enjoyable experience. Since I was always in the passenger seat and Ogoshi the driver, I felt at ease in saying what I wanted and moving forward.

Although Ms Ogoshi lived far away at the time, we also had online meetings and the project proceeded without any problems. Every space has enriched our lifestyle, from the step-down and atrium living room with ocean view and a large painting, to the open and functional kitchen, to the bedroom with a combined bath, toilet, washbasin and closet.

What made the biggest impression on me was that at the very last moment, we changed the real fireplace we had planned to an Eco Smart Fire. It we had gone for a real fire based on our own ideals we would have regretted it. We were grateful that Ms Ogoshi made the decision based on our lifestyle. People who visit the house say ,“The quality is so hight that it’s hard to believe it’s the first house he’s built”. We were impressed by Ms Ogoshi’s uncompromising attention to detail.

I was looking for a skilled architect and the reason I decided on RON DESIGN without meeting many others was because they also specialise in interior design.

I was impressed by the way the defined my favourite colour as “Marsala” and expanded on the idea from there – and the way they skilfully proposed ideas based on an accurate understanding of the differences in tasted between myself and my wife. They also created a story for the fusion with the existing architecture (the family home and garden), and the whole site became one, resulting in a wonderful result beyond our imagination.

What I remember most fondly are the actual texture and materials of the interior when we were allowed to tour Tanoura’s weekend home, determining the axis of the spatial layout, my shocking encounter with the art of Kusumi’s walls, and when we were having trouble deciding on a pillar for the alcove in the Japanese-style room, Ogoshi-san went to look for one deep in the snowy mountains of Kishu.

Other notable points include how the flow of movement has been smoothed, drastically reducing stress in daily life, how the insulation keeps the house cool in the summer, and how the opening and closing of the doors and windows are well thought out so as not to interfere with other items.

The tenacity of the Ryoko ＆Hiromi duo was impressive; they never gave up. They were also reassuring in their negotiations with the government, and before we knew it we felt like we were working together on the construction of our house, rather than just leaving the work to them. We are also surprised by Ms Ogoshi’s knowledge of construction in general and materials and the breadth of her network of contractors.

When I open the door to the man cave and show visitors around, they cheer and it makes me very happy to hear them say, “This house is just like you” - it makes me feel even more attached to the house.