A little home with a whole lot of big surprises

Leigh Leigh
片瀬海岸の家, 暮らしの醸造所 暮らしの醸造所 Salle à manger originale
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Today, we are going to visit Japan and draw some inspiration today from a very simple and stylish home. 

These design professionals, Yujiro Hayata Architect Associates, have created a container home that looks very plain from the outside, but holds all sorts of beautiful and stylish surprises inside.

As we explore it from the outside in, we will see how simple can sometimes be the most effective. In South Africa, we often think that over-detailed designs make for the most beautiful and attention-grabbing homes, but as we will see now, this isn't always the case.

This kind of architecture and design also encourages us to move towards a more simple way of life in general, appreciating minimalism and functionality.

Let's take a look!

A simple double-storey home

From the outside, we can see that this is a simple, double-storey home with a corrugated iron facade. The flat roof neatly packages the home underneath it, making for a very tidy exterior look and feel.

The colour scheme is predominantly white, which is offset by the stone driveway that leads up the house. The front garden introduces some natural, green tones to the exterior design while creating a space for the kids to play.

Remember that a garden can play a big role in the overall design of your home. If it looks overgrown or shoddy, it can give the impression that your home itself is shoddy. Be sure to invest some time in the garden each week, keeping it neatly manicured and pruned. 

Have a look at these: 7 tips to a beautiful front garden.

A neighbourhood contendor

If we take a step back, we can see that this home competes with the other homes on the block thanks to its size and striking box-like shape. 

The designers have also worked with the surrounds available to them, ensuring that both the bottom floor and top floor open up onto the gorgeous garden. Large glass windows and doors allow the home to achieve this, creating a seamless transition between the interior and exterior spaces.

Here we also really get a sense of an impact the beautiful garden makes on the overall design.

Surprising interiors

If we head inside the home, we can see how just how homely and cosy this space is.

For starters, the designers have gone for a predominantly wooden look and feel, which immediately makes for a warm interior. Natural and raw materials are always a good option for an interior of a home, creating that link to the outdoors.

Have a look at these: tips for making your home roar with raw materials.

This image shows us the library area and living space, where the walls are lined with bookshelves. This makes the most of vertical space, allowing books, decor items and pictures frames to be on display without taking up too much floor space. 

The piano is a great addition to this area, showing us what the family's interests are. This doubles up as a functional item as well as a decor item, bringing personality and charm to the space.

Natural light

On the other side of the room, we can see how those large glass windows and doors that we saw from the outside of the home play a role throughout the interior. They allow natural light to flood the space, which is further enhanced by the wooden finishes. Don't you think this room looks so warm and cosy?

The furniture in the home is very simple, however. The most functional of pieces have been chosen, which bring a very traditional, classic and quaint edge to the design.

The old-school desk is one of our favourite pieces, however. This makes the room look like it could come out of the 1920's! Antique furniture pieces like this are hard to come by and should be treasured and looked after.

The upstairs living area

The dining area of the home is on the upstairs level, again featuring wooden floors, ceilings and furniture, creating a cocoon-like effect in the home. 

The dining space looks out onto the surrounding landscape through large glass windows, giving the family beautiful views as they enjoy meals no matter what time of the day. A simple light drops down from the ceiling over the dining room table, giving them more than enough light to see what they are eating in the evening, without compromising on the ambiance or mood in this room.

Here we can also see how little decorative pieces including artwork on the walls ensure that this home is anything but plain or boring!

The traditional bedroom

The bedroom in this home is a very traditional Japanese design, enhanced beautifully by the lighting.

The natural light is the first big factor, flooding this room during the day, which makes for a very inviting space. The designers have also added soft dimming lamps to the walls, which can be used in the evening for functional purposes. However, they also add a little bit of trend to the room while illuminating the wooden walls.

Lastly, the designers have also added lamps to this space, which sets the mood. 

Can you see how lighting contributes to a peaceful, tranquil and homely space?

The wooden stairs

We end off our tour looking at the gorgeous floating wooden stairs, which are proof to us that functional features in a house can double up as decor pieces.

A staircase can change the entire look and feel of a home, adding a cutting-edge design to the space, as we can see in this image. Wooden staircases in particular bring a beautiful dynamic to a home.

Have a look at these other: Wooden staircases that wow.

This home is proof that a simple, practical and minimalist home can sometimes be the most glamorous!

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