This is an old country house that has gone through a few renovations. As far as I know it was built in the early sixties, the end of the post-war period, a time when traditional materials and design were giving way to new wealth, foreign influence and modern process. The transitional nature of the building is evident combination of traditional blue glazed tiles on the roof and the use of corrugated iron for the exterior sidings where traditionally wood was used
The upward climb continues all the way to the door. The grass you see is mostly bamboo and bamboo is definitely not tame or compliant. It is rugged and grows back quickly and vigourously.
This is a shot of the living/dining/kitchen main room. The previous owner ripped out a number of small Japanese tatami rooms and created this open space - a good move. Unfortunately, his fascination with America and his lack of understanding of same, allied with the cheapskate tendencies of the floundering entrepreneur, meant for the house renovation that rather than wood he used wood wallpaper. Oh yes! You can see a leather sofa bought in IKEA, a rug bought in Lhasa, a flame haired buddha bought in Vietnam, some leather poofs bought in Marrakesh...
Kitchen counter is your standard wood finish Ikea number, complemented by a breakfast counter that utilises the same IKEA countertop. There is a gas stove with 3 rings and ample supplies of pots, pans and utensils...rice cooker, bread maker, espresso pump coffee machine, coffee bean grinder, a couple of food blenders suitable for vegetables and smoothies, cuisinart gridler for toasted sandwiches or grilling fish...und so weiter
The bedroom was done by a Japanese friend who offered to create for me a man cave. Wood wall paneling, wood floor and a raised wood bed platform create a cosy, intimate space. Sumi's day job is designing and installing the interior for hip rahmen and coffee shops in Tokyo. His work, it seems to me, is a compelling and funky combo of Japanesewarmth and Scandinavian cool, of attention to detail and conceptual clean lines.
Like the house that surrounds it, the toilet has moved metaphorically with the times, yet keeps its original form beneath the surface. The Japanese figured out how to upgrade the traditional squat toilet to a seated toilet. Which is what I had when I bought the place...until one day when a Japanese friend came to visit and expounded on the virtues of a clean bum and the Japanese all singing, sprinkling and dancing washlet toilet seat. And that's what the house has now...a heated toilet seat - a must have in Winter when the lack of central heating is a bugger - a bidet for the ladies and a bum cleaner for all.
This is a 'sit your ass down' shower. The water is heated via a tankless gas heater. The shower pressure is adequate as long as no other water is running, and that includes the washing machine and toilet. The gas has a bad habit of cutting out. See the explanation under 'utilities'.
Japanese summers are notoriously humid in Summer, and humidity begets mould. We installed dehumidifiers that kick-in automatically when the humidity passes the threshold. The house doesn't have central heating - we use fans - but I can't say that has every been an issue. There is usually a breeze or two atop the hill to keep you sane.
This is an old country house that has gone through a few renovations. As far as I know it was built in the early sixties, the end of the post-war period, a time when traditional materials and design were giving way to new wealth, foreign influence and modern process. The transitional nature of the building is evident combination of traditional blue glazed tiles on the roof and the use of corrugated iron for the exterior sidings where traditionally wood was used
The upward climb continues all the way to the door. The grass you see is mostly bamboo and bamboo is definitely not tame or compliant. Itis rugged and grows back quickly and vigourously.
This is a shot of the living/dining/kitchen main room. The previous owner ripped out a number of small Japanese tatami rooms and created this open space - a good move. Unfortunately, his fascination with America and his lack of understanding of same, allied with the cheapskate tendencies of the floundering entrepreneur, meant for the house renovation that rather than wood he used wood wallpaper. Oh yes! You can see a leather sofa bought in IKEA, a rug bought in Lhasa, a flame haired buddha bought in Vietnam, some leather poofs bought in Marrakesh...
Kitchen counter is your standard wood finish Ikea number, complemented by a breakfast counter that utilises the same IKEA countertop. There is a gas stove with 3 rings and ample supplies of pots, pans and utensils...rice cooker, bread maker, espresso pump coffee machine, coffee bean grinder, a couple of food blenders suitable for vegetables and smoothies, cuisinart gridler for toasted sandwiches or grilling fish...und so weiter
The bedroom was done by a Japanese friend who offered to create for me a man cave. Wood wall paneling, wood floor and a raised wood bed platform create a cosy, intimate space. Sumi's day job is designing and installing the interior for hip rahmen and coffee shops in Tokyo. His work, it seems to me, is a compelling and funky combo of Japanese warmth and Scandinavian cool, of attention to detail and conceptual clean lines.
Like the house that surrounds it, the toilet has moved with the times, yet keeps its original form beneath the surface. The Japanese figured out how to upgrade the traditional squat toilet to a seated toilet. Which is what I had when I bought the place...until one day when a Japanese friend came to visit and expounded on the virtues of a clean bum and the Japanese all singing, sprinkling and dancing washlet toilet seat. And that's what the house has now...a heated toilet seat - a must have in Winter when the lack of central heating is a bugger - a bidet for the ladies and a bum cleaner for all.
This is a 'sit your ass down' shower. The water is heated via a tankless gas heater. The shower pressure is adequate as long as no other water is running, and that includes the washing machine and toilet. The gas has a bad habit of cutting out. See the explanation under 'utilities'.
Japanese summers are notoriously humid in Summer, and humidity begets mould. We installed dehumidifiers that kick-in automatically when the humidity passes the threshold. The house doesn't have central heating - we use fans - but I can't say that has every been an issue. There is usually a breeze or two atop the hill to keep you sane.
This is an old country house that has gone through a few renovations. As far as I know it was built in the early sixties, the end of the post-war period, a time when traditional materials and design were giving way to new wealth, foreign influence and modern process. The transitional nature of the building is evident combination of traditional blue glazed tiles on the roof and the use of corrugated iron for the exterior sidings where traditionally wood was used
The upward climb continues all the way to the door. The grass you see is mostly bamboo and bamboo is definitely not tame or compliant. It's rugged and grows back quickly and vigourously.
This is a shot of the living/dining/kitchen main room. The previous owner ripped out a number of small Japanese tatami rooms and created this open space - a good move. Unfortunately, his fascination with America and his lack of understanding of same, allied with the cheapskate tendencies of the floundering entrepreneur, meant for the house renovation that rather than wood he used wood wallpaper. Oh yes! You can see a leather sofa bought in IKEA, a rug bought in Lhasa, a flame haired buddha bought in Vietnam, some leather poofs bought in Marrakesh....
Kitchen counter is your standard wood finish Ikea number, complemented by a breakfast counter that utilises the same IKEA countertop. There is a gas stove with 3 rings and ample supplies of pots, pans and utensils...rice cooker, bread maker, espresso pump coffee machine, coffee bean grinder, a couple of food blenders suitable for vegetables and smoothies, cuisinart gridler for toasted sandwiches or grilling fish...und so weiter
The bedroom was done by a Japanese friend who offered to create for me a man cave. Wood wall paneling, wood floor and a raised wood bed platform create a cosy, intimate space. Sumi's day job is designing and installing the interior for hip rahmen and coffee shops in Tokyo. His work, it seems to me, is a compelling and funky combo of Japanese warmth and Scandinavian cool, of attention to detail and conceptual clean lines.
Like the house that surrounds it, the toilet has moved with the times, yet keeps its original form beneath the surface. The Japanese figured out how to upgrade the traditional squat toilet to a seated toilet. Which is what I had when I bought the place...until one day when a Japanese friend came to visit and expounded on the virtues of a clean bum and the Japanese all singing, sprinkling and dancing washlet toilet seat. And that's what the house has now...a heated toilet seat - a must have in Winter when the lack of central heating is a bugger - a bidet for the ladies and a bum cleaner for all.
This is a 'sit your ass down' shower. The water is heated via a tankless gas heater. The shower pressure is adequate as long as no other water is running, and that includes the washing machine and toilet. The gas has a bad habit of cutting out. See the explanation under 'utilities'.
Japanese summers are notoriously humid in Summer, and humidity begets mould. We installed dehumidifiers that kick-in automatically when the humidity passes the threshold. The house doesn't have central heating - we use fans - but I can't say that has every been an issue. There is usually a breeze or two atop the hill to keep you sane.