Houzz Tours
See the 7 Ways This Home Makes the Most of Its Light
Architects play with diagonals and color to make the most of a tight ‘eel bed’ lot in Japan
This house stands on an unusual lot. The eastern end is only about 16 feet (5 meters) wide, and the sides are elongated — a shape the Japanese call unagi no ne-doko (eel bed). Although the lots to the south and west are empty at the moment, it’s likely that three-story homes will be built on them in the near future.
With that in mind, Mukoyama Architectural Design Studio put the home’s main living area on the second and third floors, to allow for plenty of light. The architects refrained from dividing rooms with solid walls as much as they could, opting instead for design techniques that would maximize light and space. We tour the home, pausing to highlight seven clever design tricks.
With that in mind, Mukoyama Architectural Design Studio put the home’s main living area on the second and third floors, to allow for plenty of light. The architects refrained from dividing rooms with solid walls as much as they could, opting instead for design techniques that would maximize light and space. We tour the home, pausing to highlight seven clever design tricks.
1. Work the diagonal. The first light-maximizing trick was to cut off the southeastern corner of the house with a diagonal wall. As Hiroshi Mukoyama of Mukoyama Architectural Design Studio explains, “We normally put the balcony on the side that faces a public road [in this case, the eastern side], but then the interior would only be illuminated from the east. Therefore, we used a diagonal window in order to get light from the south as well. This design also allows one to look outside from any point in this room.”
A hammock hangs by this window. One of the owners likes to read or surf the web with a cup of tea on the balcony, and he jokes that having the hammock so close makes it tempting to take a nap. It’s the perfect spot for dozing off in the afternoon, bathed in sunshine.
The floors are made of cork, a great material to flop down and relax on. The family really likes the soft texture and patterns of the floors throughout the home, and underfloor heating here is a nice touch. Here on the second story, the cork is dark brown, while the flooring in the alcove and on the third story is brighter.
Cork Flooring 101: Warm Up to a Natural Wonder
A hammock hangs by this window. One of the owners likes to read or surf the web with a cup of tea on the balcony, and he jokes that having the hammock so close makes it tempting to take a nap. It’s the perfect spot for dozing off in the afternoon, bathed in sunshine.
The floors are made of cork, a great material to flop down and relax on. The family really likes the soft texture and patterns of the floors throughout the home, and underfloor heating here is a nice touch. Here on the second story, the cork is dark brown, while the flooring in the alcove and on the third story is brighter.
Cork Flooring 101: Warm Up to a Natural Wonder
2. Load up on the north. Another trick was to place the load-bearing wall on the north side, allowing more light to come in from the south.
An alcove on the north wall was one of the other owner’s wishes. She wanted a space to display picture books and other items. She and her daughter like to read here together.
The alcove is about 19 square feet (1.8 square meters) and has a small storage space underneath. This little nook provides a nice contrast to the spacious living area and makes the whole room cozier. To its right is another niche, dedicated to an Electone organ.
3. Zone with color. Color distinguishes separate zones in the living room: yellow-green for playing music, teal in the alcove and pale blue in the stairwell. This color blocking visually divides the interior without getting in the way of the light or cutting through the space.
An alcove on the north wall was one of the other owner’s wishes. She wanted a space to display picture books and other items. She and her daughter like to read here together.
The alcove is about 19 square feet (1.8 square meters) and has a small storage space underneath. This little nook provides a nice contrast to the spacious living area and makes the whole room cozier. To its right is another niche, dedicated to an Electone organ.
3. Zone with color. Color distinguishes separate zones in the living room: yellow-green for playing music, teal in the alcove and pale blue in the stairwell. This color blocking visually divides the interior without getting in the way of the light or cutting through the space.
4. Funnel the natural light. This photo shows the kitchen and dining space from the living room. A light well in the ceiling above the dining area brings in light from the large windows on the third floor. This means that the area will remain bright even after the neighboring houses are built.
A tiled half wall separates the L-shaped kitchen from the dining space. Cabinets and shelves are located at the back of the house.
The wall on the right separates the toilet (which has orange walls) and bathroom from the main space.
A tiled half wall separates the L-shaped kitchen from the dining space. Cabinets and shelves are located at the back of the house.
The wall on the right separates the toilet (which has orange walls) and bathroom from the main space.
5. Accentuate with artificial light. Louis Poulsen’s PH5 pendant light is one of the interior’s main pieces of eye candy. A diffused light running the entire length of the main room greatly emphasizes its length and depth.
This combined space is the center of family life. The kitchen, in particular, is their favorite part, especially since it’s much more comfortable than the previous one. The husband enjoys cooking, and their daughter has recently taken an interest in it as well.
This combined space is the center of family life. The kitchen, in particular, is their favorite part, especially since it’s much more comfortable than the previous one. The husband enjoys cooking, and their daughter has recently taken an interest in it as well.
6. Let stairs float. The stairs, crafted out of tamo ash, run along the northern wall. Open risers allow even more light to filter downstairs from the third floor.
The door behind the stairs leads to the washing machine.
The door behind the stairs leads to the washing machine.
The handrails also have built-in LED lighting. When it’s dark outside, it softly illuminates the space.
The Lowdown on High-Efficiency LED Lighting
The Lowdown on High-Efficiency LED Lighting
7. Keep railings airy. On the third floor, a bridge leads to the daughter’s room. The spindles supporting the handrail are spaced to avoid obstructing light (this is subject to local building regulations). Every now and then, the family uses a basket on a rope to hoist things between floors via the light well.
As the young lady wished, the walls of her room are painted in a lively contrast of pink and teal. A clear line of sight from the doorway to the kitchen makes it easy to hold a conversation with someone standing downstairs.
The master bedroom (not pictured) is opposite the daughter’s room.
As the young lady wished, the walls of her room are painted in a lively contrast of pink and teal. A clear line of sight from the doorway to the kitchen makes it easy to hold a conversation with someone standing downstairs.
The master bedroom (not pictured) is opposite the daughter’s room.
At the entrance, a tiny garden and flowers provide a warm welcome to guests and hint at the cozy atmosphere inside.
The home was constructed by Ando Corp. and completed in April 2015.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
The home was constructed by Ando Corp. and completed in April 2015.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A married couple in their 40s with one child
Location: Kawasaki, Japan
Size: 1,130 square feet (105 square meters) on a lot of 716 square feet (66.5 square meters)
Architect: Mukoyama Architectural Design Studio
The family had lived on this lot for 12 years and decided to rebuild when their daughter had grown up a bit and needed more space. The lot is small, but they like it and didn’t want to move. A great degree of creativity was necessary to design the new home to the owners’ specifications.
The mortar base of the exterior walls was painted with a navy-blue acrylic resin paint. There is also a concrete parking space. The ground floor houses a washroom and a storage area.