A House Full of Cool Ideas

Not many home buyers would purchase a bland 1959 ranch house and reconceive it into a rustic farmhouse, woodsy sleepaway camp, and salty surf shack. But Raili and Ryan Clasen saw past the cramped interiors and low ceilings of the Newport Beach, CA, house they bought in 2013 and envisioned something ultracool. Teaming with architect Eric Olsen and landscape designer Bridget Skinner, they embarked upon a gut reno, preserving the footprint but changing everything else—from the pitch of the roof to the location of the walls.

When they moved in eight months later (along with their son Rees, 12, and mixed-breed rescues Abby, left, and Minnie), the place was unrecognizable: The great room had a vaulted ceiling that soared up to 20 feet, there was a bocce court, and every room was filled with Raili’s laid-back decor. Now there’s a constant stream of friends popping in for dinner, the couple’s daredevil son skateboards through the open-plan rooms, and no one’s afraid to prop their feet up on the furniture. "It’s like living at a high-end camp," says Raili. "But instead of a dirt floor, we have white oak laid on the diagonal."

Extra-Large Lighting: Epoxy and fiberglass lights by Bertjan Pot are a hip alternative to a classic chandelier. "I love to mix styles," says Raili. "The rooms are modern, industrial, and rustic—all at the same time."

A floor-to-ceiling, 18-inch-wide niche filled with firewood gives new meaning to "log cabin." A cutaway in the white oak cabinets displays Raili’s 15-plus array of vintage metal thermoses. Redone in burlap, a World War II army cot pulls triple duty as a coffee table, a bench, and a footstool. An elegant oak frame and Belgian linen make a butterfly chair from One Kings Lane living room–worthy.