One is elemental and unadorned, while the other is characterized by opulence and colour. These are the finalists in the 2017 AZ Awards category of Residential Interiors.

Project: Returning Hut

Location: Fujian, China

Firm: FM.X Interior Design, China

Team: Xu Fu-Min

Set in a treacherous landscape in Fujian, China, this rural getaway is a return to first principles, and an elemental oasis that combines rugged materials into unadorned spaces. The floor plan was shaped by gargantuan boulders that litter the sloping site – one even makes a cameo indoors, rising from a luxurious concrete bathtub sunk into the master bathroom floor.

A soaring volume serves as the interior’s main living area, with one wall turned over to a double-height grid of windows that face the sea. Throughout, sleek geometric lines contrast with rough-hewn finishes that range from sawn-lumber millwork to the exposed bluestone masonry of the outer walls.

Project: Strata House

Location: Toronto, Canada

Firm: Audax with Pencil Design, Canada

Team: Bradley Denton, Johanna Peters and Gianpiero Pugliese with Donovan Bumanglag, Simon Chow, Laith El-Bahrani and Sacha Lee

The compact facade of this four-bedroom house in an upscale neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada, belies an expansive 2,800-square-metre interior of barely-contained effulgence. Configured in an L-shape hinged around a sculptural spiral staircase, its three floors back onto a terraced garden, offering generous views through expansive glass curtain walls.

Local architects Audax teamed up with Pencil Design to detail the light-filled interiors in an opulent, mid-mod revival style. The space is characterized by bold, contemporary lines and strictly curated spaces that overflow with such rich textures and materials as silk, marble, limestone, oak and brass. The ensuite master tub – carved from a single piece of meteor-like stone – is a real showstopper.