Starting a Redwood Ofuro

To make something beautiful, first you have to start with beautiful materials. I’ve been asked to build one of my Ofuro bathtubs for the last Ray Kappe designed house, now being built in Berlin, and to start, I had some of the most exquisite, sustainably sourced old growth redwood I could find up here in Northern California. Ray Kappe worked in Los Angeles, and defined a whole generation of California homes- modern, minimal, full of locally sourced wood, marked by post and beam construction. But they have a casualness and informality that opens one up to the air, the forest, and allows someone to commune with nature, eachother, and spirit inside. He led the Southern California Institute of Architecture until his passing last year, breaking new ground and redefining the status quo until his death last year, and being a part of his last statement as an artist is truly an honor and a privilege. Ray Kappe loved using locally sourced wood and laying it bare in the homes he designed, and I intend to honor that. This redwood is like working with gold- so precious, so beautiful, so full of life affirming energy. I’ll be writing more about Ray Kappe, this house in Germany, and my process and thoughts on Ofuro’s and ritual bathing over on my website through this process, so stay tuned. I think there’s something really special going on.