Modest Home in the Sky

April Kennedy April Kennedy
熱海・伊豆山の家, 川口孝男建築設計事務所 川口孝男建築設計事務所 Modern Living Room Tiles
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This modest home in the Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan is a beautiful fusion of Japanese aesthetic ideals and contemporary design. The surrounding views of the Pacific Ocean were the motives for the interior design of the house as the architect, Takao Kawaguchithe, wants the residents to benefit as much as possible from the amazing scenery. 

Internally, stippled screen walls create geometric shadow patterns in the interior spaces as the sun crosses the sky, a simple cube window follows the line of the horizon and large windows allowing a flooding of sunlight into the rooms.

The interior layout is as simple as a child's drawing. Japanese paper screens are used to portion off areas of the rooms when needed. But, for all the minimalism and simplicity that this home personifies, this home still emits a feeling of warmth. Wood, stone and a mute colour palette have been used to create a simple, comforting ambience and natural finishes are prevalent throughout, showcasing that this is a home informed above all, by nature.

Come and explore this stunning home by the ocean.

A room with a view

At first glance the view of the ocean is simple and almost bare, but then the simple horizontal wooden panel becomes apparent as it follows the line of the horizon. This conforms to the traditional Japanese design concept of keeping interiors very simple so as to highlight minimal and natural decoration.

The view outside informs the interior. The natural material of wood frames the view. Inside and outside possess a delicate balance.

Simple living

The founder of Taoism, Laozi, believed that a room's true beauty is in the empty space within the roof and walls. This idea is often called the 'aesthetic ideal of emptiness' and informs much of this design. 

Here in the living room, the cream white walls and sandy-toned corner sofa hug the walls and mimic the shape of the room. In an understated way, the shape of the alcove creates a zone within the larger space of the home. The separate quality of this zone is further highlighted by the careful use of down-lights to create an intimate ambience.

Japanese shõji walls

Here we can see a traditional Japanese shõji wall made of paper attached to thin wooden frames. A shõji wall usually lies on wooden tracks and can be slid open or closed to turn two rooms into one or closed for privacy.

Traditionally this comes from the Japanese practice of having multifunctional rooms. Here, a shõji wall has been used to allow diffused light to pass through the space. Privacy is retained without losing the natural ambience of the abundant landscape outside.

A view from the balcony

One concept of Taoism that has informed some Japanese design, is the belief that the mood of a space should be captured in the imagination and not dictated by what is physically present. 

For the balcony view here, a feeling of suspension is achieved as the natural scenery is allowed dominate. This is a place you can go to daydream. We can see how just a few spare plants have been used to concentrate our attention on the natural surroundings rather than the building itself. 

Delicate light patterns

Finally, here we can see the famous shadow patterns so favoured by Japanese designers. The oval stippled shadows from the screens dotted all over the home have created a light pattern on the wall. These light patterns gently shift throughout the day, yet again emphasising the importance of natural design in a home that offers true detail and craftsmanship in its design.

For more Japanese inspiration, have a browse through some of the other Japanese architecture projects we have here at homify.

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