A comfortable living focusing on the texture of materials

This is a renovation of housing condominium that we (married couple + 2 children) live in. The theme is “the texture of materials”. When we thought about living comfortably in a common 3 LDK (without changing the layout broadly), we decided to aim for a living that is surrounded by things that have texture and things that we feel good in touching. Also, we thought that it would be a great chance for our 2 little children to refine their sensitivity by touching many “textures” such as wood, tile, stainless steel, plasterer wall, fabric and such.

Also, to use fine ready-made goods was another theme for us. Houses made by architects tend to be order-made, but by spending enough time to search for high-quality industrial products, and thinking of creative ways to use them, we succeeded in realizing functionality and designability at the same time, and also made it possible to cut costs.

《2015 Asahi Woodtec・COOL JAPAN example picture of construction with power of words contest/ rewarded gold prize》

Design memos

• In this case we tried to “make good use of ready-made products”. This was especially done in the kitchen. For the cabinet, we used a ready-made product made by a major maker, that has a well-thought functionality and durability. For the top panel and the counter, we used order-made products, since we put weight on the design. In this way, we emphasized the design of places we want to show, raise the functionality, and in addition to this, cut down on the costs.
• LIn the living room, dining room and the kitchen, we didn’t put sofa, since we put weight in making the space feel open and broad. On the other hand, we decided to use a large dining table of 200 cm x 90 cm in measurement, so that the children can do their homework or work on the laptop. Also, since there are no sofas, we made the height of the dining table 60cm – lower than usual, and made one side in a bench seating style, so that it is comfortable like a living room with a sofa.
• As for the lighting, we put dynamics, so that it will not be too light and dull. Also, we arranged them so that it will show the material’s texture well. In addition to this, we made it possible to adjust the brightness depending on the scene, and aimed to make a place where it is warm and comfortable.