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If you live in a warm climate then it's crucial that your home is open and airy, and that you make the most of your outdoor space, and the house we're looking at today is going to show you a masterful way to do exactly that. This large and spacious house takes its cue from traditional Japanese architecture, but make no mistake, this is a thoroughly modern home. Featuring a spacious living room with large glass sliding doors inspired by shoji screens, this home can be completely opened to the garden, blurring the distinction between interior and exterior, and creating a fantastic airy space when temperatures rise.
The home has a natural vibe, with a simple colour palette designed to help the hardwood floors to really stand out and define the decor. While the tatami mats in the living room may transport you back in time, the house is super modern where it counts in the bathroom and kitchen. We can't wait to take a look inside!
The impressive facade of the house is the first clue that it's something special inside. Featuring a unique shape, still very much thematically tied to the traditional bungalow, and a lush backyard, this home has a lot to say.
Whether by choice or by-law the house matches perfectly with those around it, right down to the ceramic roof tiles, and yet it still manages to stand out as a very unique addition to the neighbourhood.
The porch is a perfect example of the fabulous blend of the traditional and the modern that this home does so well. The Japanese zen garden in the corner and the wooden lattice door speak to hundreds of years of history, while the unorthodox angles of the ceiling look entirely fresh and new.
This home has a number of small touches that together create a huge impact. For example, as we enter the house a small window frames a beautiful garden outside—a genius touch on the part of the architect.
As we look in from the garden we see this house's defining feature, and it truly is special. The living room almost completely opens up due to the sliding doors, completely blurring our perception of indoor and outdoor spaces.
The benefits of this are endless; it allows fresh air to circulate throughout the house keeping the home fresh and hygienic, it allows sunlight to pour in, it enlarges our perception of the size of the interior to the full size of the property, and it gives unhindered views of the garden from inside. This is a really unique approach, and we just love it.
The zen theme of the decor finds no better expression than in this gorgeous corner of the home. The house opens up to the garden on both sides, this time featuring tatami mats for a communal living area.
The elegant paper light shade again transports us to another era, however the modern influences are obvious, with wooden panels on the ceiling and substantially more robust sliding doors than the traditional paper providing protection from the elements.
Japanese architecture had a huge influence on the minimalist movement, and that influence is no clearer than when we look at this kitchen. An island unit of burnished metal features the stove and sink, but where is the rest of the kitchen? Why, hidden behind traditional shoji screens, of course!
We often speak of the value of keeping kitchen appliances and clutter out of site with custom cabinets, but keeping the entire preparation area hidden takes it to the next level. We also love the hardwood stairs leading to the upper floor, a great way to ensure thematic consistency with the decor.
The bathroom has a cool industrial edge due to the exposed plumbing and mirrored cabinet, with a look that moves more firmly into modern minimalism. We highly recommend that even when you take a traditional style as inspiration for the decor you consider a more contemporary approach in the bathroom as it tends to make them far easier to clean, and more hygeinic. A glass door opens into the bath, which has a beautiful view overlooking the garden, for a truly magical bathing experience.
What an amazingly tranquil and peaceful home, right in the middle of suburbia. We hope that this masterpiece of Japanese architecture has got you ready to design your own house, but if you're looking for a little more inspiration then try this stunning modernist home!
