by Furnishly | Dec 17, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Jennifer PrinceContributor
Jennifer Prince’s work is featured on several national travel sites, such as Travel + Leisure, National Geographic, AFAR, Lonely Planet, and Conde Nast Traveler. She thrives on off-the-beaten-path itineraries and is passionate about finding microstories to bring destinations to life. Jennifer currently lives in Virginia with her husband, and other than travel and writing, she enjoys ’80s music, vintage things, fostering kittens, time with her family, and dreaming about her next Airbnb venture.
by Furnishly | Apr 22, 2022 | Design Inspiration
The distinguishing refined colour palette and laconic forms of traditional Japanese interiors meet extraordinary design solutions in these three inspirational home concepts. The most seductive of our three interior examples, our first Japanese home design is large and luxurious. Many traditional elements of Japanese design come to the forefront here but chiefly with a creative modern twist. Our second concept is layered with contemporary craftsmanship and reimagined classics to achieve a sleek combination of style, class, and sophistication. Our final tour takes place inside a compact modern home where unique and quirky pieces bring a fresh and fun vibe. Standout silhouettes build a sculptural thread between elegant Shōji screens and en vogue motifs.
The large and luxurious living space of our first Japanese home interior features end-to-end glass across opposite aspects. The facing openings create a pure flow of nature from the sunny garden in the South to the shaded narrow courtyard to the North. When the glass is retracted, there is blissful airflow for an outdoor experience whilst under cool cover.
A tea room design occupies the same space as the lounge. The tea table rises shallowly out of the wooden floor, in a Horigotatsu table fashion that allows legs to be stretched out in a recess underneath. The traditional concept is given a modern twist with sharp lines and sleek styling.
Authentic tatami mats border the tea room and lounge, which not only adds softness underfoot but serves to dampen the acoustics of the large and lofty room
The dining room doubles as a home library with built-in bookcases along one entire wall.
A teppanyaki setup makes a dynamic sociable setting.
An internal courtyard is surrounded by terraces on three sides, offering places of sunlight and shade.
There is another, smaller courtyard attached to the home workspace so that the homeowner can feel as though they are within the serenity of nature even when toiling.
Outdoor uplights throw a golden glow across the wood clad home exterior and onto wooden overhangs that surround the courtyards.
The master bedroom is a zen inspired design with a close and tangible connection to the courtyard. The bed design is a unique frame with attached bedside shelves and a consolidated home workspace behind the headboard. Large format, black stone tiles run the length of the bedroom toward an open plan ensuite.
Inside the ensuite bathroom, a beautiful wooden bathtub basks in the sunlight.
A matching wooden bench is aligned alongside the tub, creating a drop zone for clothes and toiletries.
A hot tub beds down between rocks to achieve a natural look.
In this modern Japanese interior design, an upholstered modular sofa crosses a floor of traditional tatami mats.
The most eye-catching part of the open plan living space are two boldly oversized dining room pendant lights. Despite their enormous size, their white paper shades give them a light aesthetic that complements Shoji screen doors.
An elephant figurine adds sculptural interest in the front entryway, next to an elegant indoor plant.
Linen table runners dress a simple wooden dining table.
A shallow fruit bowl makes an understated table centrepiece. See more ideas for modern fruit bowls.
Our final interior design and CGI images are of a small Tokyo apartment inspired by Japanese aesthetics.
A backdrop of Shoji screens is outshone by a quirky Etcetera Lounge Chair, by Jan Ekselius for Swedish brand Artilleriet.
An outrageous faux fur sofa makes a fabulous statement on the opposite side of the lounge area.
The striking lighting trio above the coffee table are Formakami pendants by Jaime Hayón for &Tradition.
Behind the extraordinary couch design, a cork wall makes a textural backdrop.
Black stucco and black window frames create dark contrast with the pale furniture pieces.
A trendy racetrack-shaped dining table pulls another dark element into the living room.
Two gloss black dining room pendant lights hang low over the black wood and concrete table.
A one wall kitchen follows a lighter palette with natural timber base units and fresh white uppers. A raw grey concrete backsplash and a matching countertop cut through the kitchen run, highlighted by a ribbon of LEDs.
The white minimalist bedroom gains character from a circular recess in the wall stucco above the bed.
Small, black bedroom pendant lights and two matching black metal bedside units flank the bed with stark black accents. A majestic, white coated Bonsai tree sculpture tops a tall stack of bedside reading material. Scatter cushions casually make up cosy reading nooks at each side of the room.
Shoji doors give the wardrobe a hint of ancient Japan.
The platform bed lays light wood tone upon the crisp white bedroom rug.
A grey bed runner coordinates with the polished concrete floor. Black track lights echo the stark black window frames.
In the bathroom, a round mirror ties in with the curves of a racetrack-shaped vanity unit. The vanity pendant light matches the style of the bedroom pendants to achieve one cohesive aesthetic throughout.
Inside the shower area, a unique backlit wall feature adds a mysterious, frosted glow to the dark and moody grey stucco. Perimeter LEDs add a wash of practical task lighting into the slatted enclosure.
Floor plan.
Recommended Reading: Two Apartments In Modern Minimalist Japanese Style (Includes Floor Plans)
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by Furnishly | Jul 23, 2021 | Design Inspiration
A modern brutalist exterior blankly encases this exquisitely detailed Japanese home, expertly designed by Apollo Architects & Associates. The 410 square metre property is located in a quiet suburban neighbourhood in the densely populated Kanto region. The homeowners acquired this tiered and irregularly shaped lot with meaningful family time in mind. The owners wished to incorporate courtyards as a part of their home life together, and so the design began to take shape within the challenging topography. The distinctive outdoor environment expands the living space in complete privacy. The home interior carries a contemporary ranch-style aesthetic which fashions a comfortable lounge and dining room combo, and a closed, glass wall kitchen.
The driveway leads into a covered four car parking garage, situated underneath the main mass of the board-formed concrete house. With the property elevated from the road, the main living space is accessed via an elevator or stairs from the secure parking area.
Inside the concrete living room, wood panelling warms up the coffered-ceiling, adding a contemporary ranch-style aesthetic to the space.
Leather bolster cushions take the brown accent onto a modern L-shaped sectional sofa design.
A small sitting area is situated separately from the main lounge, and a formal dining room is arranged in the back of the open plan.
A small courtyard sits between the lounge and dining room combo and the separate kitchen, creating blissful connection with the outdoors.
A large garden terrace is attached to the lounge on the south side.
The centrally situated courtyard brings a flood of sunlight into the rear of the large room, and gives the dining area a beautiful, green, natural view.
The rectangle dining table reflects the influx of natural sunlight, maximising its effect.
Modern cabinets run the full length of the room, starting as a media cabinet in the lounge area and ending as a buffet in the dining zone.
Elegant candlesticks and a modern fruit bowl make a chic dining table centrepiece.
After dark, the interior comes alive under a warm and atmospheric lighting scheme.
LED ribbons are set around the perimeter of the room, causing a glow at floor level that continues out into the walled garden in one seamless sweep.
Another strip of LEDs marks the top of the bespoke cabinets that connect the two living spaces.
The glow creates the cosiness of a fireplace without the flame.
Modern artwork and the impressive coffered ceiling are dramatically highlighted by the mood lighting arrangement.
Glass double doors connect the closed-off kitchen to the lounge and dining room combo. A second set of glass doors lead into a hallway.
The small courtyard affords the kitchen an outdoor view.
Inside the kitchen, a well-proportioned island includes a dining bar as an alternative to the more formal dining room.
Golden kitchen lighting continues the atmospheric vibes from the dining room and lounge space.
Grey gloss cabinets contrast darkly with clean white countertops.
A glass modern fruit bowl presents an opportunity to add a pop of colour into the monochrome kitchen decor scheme.
A glass table lamp complements the chic glass bowl and leaves the courtyard window unobstructed.
Out in the large, south-facing garden, high walls allow the residents to enjoy their distinctive outdoor environment in complete privacy from the neighbours.
The board-formed concrete walls create a textural consistency around each of the outdoor spaces, which is picked up gently in the ambient light.
Uplighters make outdoor plants into stunning focal points across the tiled terrace.
A modern metal staircase design climbs from the parking garage to the living space beneath a long skylight. Access to the elevator is located just beyond the treads.
The large garden terrace connects the living room with the master bedroom and bathroom.
A home workspace is built-in at the end of a long run of built-in units. Their glossy black finish mirrors the lighting, the furniture and the art.
A second home workspace features a bespoke L-shaped desk built into small quarters. An Eames bird oversees productivity from the window.
The bathroom is a luxurious space, with an edge-to-edge view of the very private terrace garden on the south side. Black gloss cabinets build a storage packed vanity area.
A waterproof TV provides entertainment whilst relaxing in the bathtub.
A sun-dappled hallway runs off the living room. Sunshine through the skylight creates dynamic shadows and radiance across a wall of glossy closet doors and interior doors that lead to the bedroom, bathroom and laundry room.
Stylish outdoor lounge chairs couple up on the terrace outside of the master bedroom, whilst a cheerful sky blue outdoor sofa and chair colour the terrace directly off the living room. An outdoor coffee table rounds out the comfortable arrangement.
A concrete overhang prevents direct sunlight from hitting the interior spaces, keeping the home more comfortably cool.
A pergola overlay creates light play across the small courtyard between the living room and kitchen.
Small trees bed into the roof terrace. Uplights highlight their fine branches in the dusk.
The seemingly impenetrable concrete exterior masks the exquisite detail that awaits inside.
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