A Home of Peace and Harmony

Sarah Tolle – Homify Canada Sarah Tolle – Homify Canada
長尾元町の家, 藤森大作建築設計事務所 藤森大作建築設計事務所 Moderne Häuser Metall
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These Japanese architects know a thing or two about minimalist design. This well-balanced apartment building is modern without being showy, dynamic without being busy, and edgy without going over the edge. Simple colour contrasts, the use of natural materials, the strategic placement of plant life throughout the home, and clean lines make this Japanese home a minimalist abode fit for anyone looking for some peace of mind. Add that together with the design's emphasis on letting the natural elements like the ample sunlight and and the sprawling garden shine through, and you've got a harmonious space that exudes inner peace.

The Surroundings

A beautiful, productive garden sets the stage nicely for this minimalist house, which presides over the garden with large windows. Perhaps the best thing about minimalism is that it doesn't attempt to out-do nature; this design is no different. The construction is simple and rather plain, letting your attention focus on what really matters – the abundant vegetable garden

Vantage Point

As pictured in this distinct angle, the apartment benefits from a higher vantage point than many of its surroundings. This is helpful for getting enough natural light by rising above any shade or shadows, and it's also a practical solution for people who'd like to keep an eye on their crops.

First Impressions

The exterior of the home gives the plant life center stage, and the interior is no different. Upon entering the home, the first impression is reminiscent of nature, purity, and cleanliness. With no overabundance of furniture or art hanging from the walls, the layout of this entryway allows a viewer to visually explore all of the interesting lines, angles, and shapes of the apartment's design. This entryway is dynamic (without being busy), featuring circular stairs, a cut-out square ceiling, the softness of leaves, and the strong rectangular angle of both the vertical beam and square planters.

The Dining Room

This is the kind of dining room where anyone could feel at ease – and it turns out that you don't really need much to create that calming effect. A solid but lightly toned wooden table sits in the middle of the room under a low lamp that creates coziness in the open space. A wall of shelves line the wall on the right, a parallel arrangement which, along with the alignment of the table, lengthens the room (not to mention, these parallel lines are easy on the eyes). Perhaps best of all, the floor-to-ceiling window is completely unobstructed, and the sunlight simply streams in. Just add a good book or a hot morning tea, and you're set.

Up, up, and away!

The house benefits from height on the exterior, and the architects carry the viewer up and away with the interior as well. Plants reach for the sky, stairs spiral upward into a well-lit space, and the angled skylight draws attention upwards, as does the vertical beam. With a lower dining room ceiling and raised ceiling beside it, this design strikes the perfect balance between lofty and cozy.

Bringing the Outside Inside

The floor-to-ceiling window creates the sensation that one can come and go as freely as they'd please, meshing the outdoors with the indoors. Consider the hammock (usually an outdoor accessory) anchored on the vertical wooden beam, and you've got an sensory blend of the natural and the man-made. 

Dynamic Spiraling Stairs – with a View

So often, stairs are hidden away in the tightest, darkest spaces of a home. Here, the circular stairs offer a chance to view the garden while descending on their lightly varied wooden planks. The opposite of imposing, this staircase is light and dynamic with its fine white railings.

The Loft

This long, lofted bedroom isn't as cramped as you'd expect an attic bedroom to be. The consistent white walls keep things light, the window lets in plenty of light, and the vertical beams work to visually push the ceiling upwards. 

A Well-Lit Home, Even at Night

This home is a light show, even at the dusky hour pictured here. Shadows from the skylight create visual interest, and a few well-placed sources of light keep the home bright enough for activity, but also dim enough to signal the ending of a day. Even as the sky darkens, this apartment lives in harmony with its surroundings, keeping time with the light cycle of nature. 

Looking for more minimalist inspiration? This home is just one of many beautiful spaces featured on homify - here's another Japanese home ideabook that blends tradition with modernity.

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