Mi Casa | Ren Von Hasseln

Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about what you do creatively and for work?

I’m Ren Von Hasseln, I’m a ceramic artist with a background in architecture and before that, biology.

How’s life in Ojai? 

I really love Ojai. I lived in LA for almost 10 years before moving here, and loved so much about it, but the ease of a place like Ojai is very special. I can walk to everything I need, hike everyday, there’s good coffee & food, and I can still pop into LA if I have a city itch.

How would you describe your home in a few words?

My house was originally built in 1956, but had fallen into disrepair. Right before the pandemic I bought it and rebuilt it. I wanted to maintain the original footprint and massing of the classic 50’s ranch, but not restore it per se – instead retain the ranchy flavor while updating the material palette.

How does your home influence your creative process—or vice versa?

The design of my home is so personal to me, and so is my ceramic sensibility, that both are essentially synonymous with my brand identity. If a piece feels right in my home, that’s basically the definition of success.

How would you describe your work as ceramist?

I hand build at a large scale, and I’m most interested in form and texture. As my practice has progressed, I’ve been really pushing myself to build bigger and bigger. This year I’ve produced vessels larger than I am!

Can you share some of the story behind how you’ve styled your space?

I wanted the space to feel warm, rich in texture, color & pattern, but not precious. Mid century architecture can feel a bit austere, so I wanted to balance that out with the materials of the home itself, and also to bring in some funky, chunky brutalist furniture and textiles that didn’t take themselves too seriously.

We couldn’t help but notice your adorable cats while visiting! Tell us a little about them and how they fit into life at home.

We adopted Ryo and Domi about a year ago from the humane society here in town – they’re sisters. Domi is scared of shiny surfaces like chrome and hates the sound of packing tape. She is missing one of her top canines, and her bottom one on that side catches her upper lip into a little sneer that makes her look like a tiny pirate. She makes noises that sound more like turkey gobbles than meows. Ryo is tiny and wiggly, we call her our fishy. She is a voracious snugler. She loves to play fetch with certain toys – her favorite at the moment is a small felted star – and when she’s on a roll she’ll fetch for 15 min straight until she needs to lie down panting. They start every morning with an epic play session, chasing each other around the whole house, leaping over furniture and running laps across the bed (and inevitably, us!). Their weird & wonderful personalities, joyful energy and little bodies tucked in with us at night are so much of what makes this space home.

If you could give one piece of advice for someone designing their home, what would it be?

When I was making design choices for this house, I remember being on the fence about choosing a more ‘risky’ and colorful palette, versus a neutral one that might be more timeless and appeal to potential future buyers if we ever wanted to sell it. It felt like a huge leap of faith at the time to design the house based on my personal taste, however whacky, but now I’m incredibly glad I did. Personal vision is what I think makes design special and fun – it’s the antidote to the lowest common denominator/IG effect – it’s what excites me about design.

What’s inspiring you right now—either in art, life, or nature?

I’m continuing my long arc into my maximalist era from minimalist roots. Inspired by beaded phone charms, lumpy glazes, Korean street style.