Houzz Tour: This Kyoto Home Will Evolve With Its Owner
She was ready to buy, but wants a family in the future. With lots of blank spaces, this home can change with her
This three-storey house sits in a quiet residential corner of the Sakyo Ward of Kyoto, Japan, a landscape conservation area known for its temples, nature and beautiful views.
Both the gabled roof and the simple grey paint bring charm to the facade. “The conservation status of this scenic area imposes many legal restrictions on the house’s external appearance,” Mizumoto says. “I wanted to make it look sophisticated while blending it in with the surroundings, keeping the restrictions in mind.”
The owner is in her twenties, and does not know what shape her family may take in the future. This is why she went for ‘blank’ spaces that can be changed with future needs, rather than building particular spaces into the home from the beginning.
“After numerous changes to the initial draft, dictated by the owner’s wishes and budget constraints, we ended up with the current design, which can be modified over time,” Mizumoto says.
The owner is in her twenties, and does not know what shape her family may take in the future. This is why she went for ‘blank’ spaces that can be changed with future needs, rather than building particular spaces into the home from the beginning.
“After numerous changes to the initial draft, dictated by the owner’s wishes and budget constraints, we ended up with the current design, which can be modified over time,” Mizumoto says.
The front gates open to reveal a spacious area with a stucco-coated, earthen floor and a stairwell leading to the upper storeys. This area is perfect for pets, as the finish makes it easy to clean up messes left behind by muddy paws. Leaving the gates open creates the feel of a public space with little to separate it from the outside.
Although it’s more of an entrance hall – especially thanks to its earthen floor, a finish that’s traditionally used in transitional spaces between inside and out – the owner says she wanted this space to have a living-room feel. She is considering putting a garden table and chairs here in the future.
This space also includes a small counter that serves as a standing desk. The owner appreciates the opportunity to change her posture and surroundings while working.
Although it’s more of an entrance hall – especially thanks to its earthen floor, a finish that’s traditionally used in transitional spaces between inside and out – the owner says she wanted this space to have a living-room feel. She is considering putting a garden table and chairs here in the future.
This space also includes a small counter that serves as a standing desk. The owner appreciates the opportunity to change her posture and surroundings while working.
A jabuticaba tree planted inside blurs the boundary between indoors and out. It is positioned so that it can be seen from the bathroom in the back and the windows in the dressing room.
The stairs look light and unobtrusive in their calm grey finish. They lead to the toilet room and master bedroom on the first floor. The rest of the storey is designed to be modified easily in future as the owner’s lifestyle changes.
Find a design professional for your next home renovation project
The stairs look light and unobtrusive in their calm grey finish. They lead to the toilet room and master bedroom on the first floor. The rest of the storey is designed to be modified easily in future as the owner’s lifestyle changes.
Find a design professional for your next home renovation project
The atrium currently takes up more than half of the first floor, and the house only has two separate rooms: the living-dining-kitchen (LDK) area, and the bedroom. The owner tells us that she wanted to leave blank spaces that could be repurposed in future, depending on how her family evolves. To this end, she chose to have the fewest partitions and highest ceilings possible, so that there would not be any wasted rooms.
The LDK area on the second floor is spacious and open, and has many windows. As the home is in a landscape conservation area, there is little to obstruct the view from up here. The owner told Mizumoto right from the start that she wanted to make the most of the view. She was very happy with this cafe-like design.
A large window in one corner frames the view of the traditional urban Kyoto landscape. Its wooden window sill doubles as a storage bench with several compartments, to make the most of the floor space.
In the opposite corner stands a compact kitchen. The owner enjoys cooking and often invites friends over for meals. The breakfast counter is slightly raised, so that the owner can eat without seeing the mess in the sink. This kitchen provides more than enough storage space for the owner - she finds it very convenient.
The wall separating the stairwell is coated in Mortex finish with a visible texture.
The owner works in IT, so she often works from home. She wasn’t thinking about a global pandemic when she embarked on this project, but being able to work from many different spots in her home depending on her mood has served her well in recent challenges. The same can be said about having a home that can easily adapt to changes in lifestyle.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: Inspired By Japan, Created With Precision
Tell us:
What did you think about this home?
The owner works in IT, so she often works from home. She wasn’t thinking about a global pandemic when she embarked on this project, but being able to work from many different spots in her home depending on her mood has served her well in recent challenges. The same can be said about having a home that can easily adapt to changes in lifestyle.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: Inspired By Japan, Created With Precision
Tell us:
What did you think about this home?
Sponsored
Who lives here? A woman in her twenties
Location: Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, Japan
Site area: 126.17 square metres
Building area: 45.54 square metres
Total floor area: 113.04 square metres
Date completed: March 2021
Design: Sumiou Mizumoto of Alts Design Office
The owner, a Kyoto native, grew tired of paying rent, and realised that real estate prices were unlikely to drop any time soon. So, she took the plunge and bought her own home in a quiet landscape conservation area just a five-minute walk from her parents. There was already a three-storey building on the plot, but she opted to build a new house instead of renovating the existing structure.
She found architect Sumiou Mizumoto of Alts Design Office while browsing through various project photos on Houzz. This firm stood out to her when she was collecting design ideas for her future home.
The owner says that while she knew she was fond of simple decor, looking through the photos she collected in her ideabook made her realise that she also liked quaint, charming spaces. She looked at the profiles of a number of professionals in the Kansai area, and Mizumoto’s designs struck just the right note between simplicity and quaintness.