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Originally an outdated apartment with an impractical layout, Kumiko Ouchi of Small Design Studio completely redesigned the aptly named The House for Two, significantly changing the layout so that mother and son could live comfortably together without sacrificing their privacy. Key to the overall design was relocating the kitchen to the brightest area of the home overlooking the garden, allowing the creation of a practical, open plan kitchen, living and dining area. The mother’s bedroom is neatly tucked away behind the utility and laundry space, whilst a sofa bench with built-in storage in the living room converts to the son’s bedroom at night. The majority of the home's remaining storage is contained to the hallway in cleverly concealed wardrobes on either side of the passage. The increasing prevalence of multi-generational living, not only in Japan, makes designs such this one a valuable model for creating private and shared communal spaces within a small footprint home.

#smallapartment #architecture #interiordesign

Eps no. 121
Project Name: the house for two
Architect: https://www.small-design-studio.com/

Produced by New Mac Video Agency
Creator: Colin Chee
Director/Camera Operator: Nam Tran
Producer: Lindsay Barnard
Editor: Sebastian Tibbs
Music: Unwind by Simon Wester & Pilgrim by Some Were at Sea
Transcript
00:02The apartment is located in Setagaya, one of the most populated residential areas in Tokyo.
00:11It was very important that two adult mother and son could live their lives together while keeping their distance from
00:19each other when needed, even in such a small space.
00:23The client is a creative professional and lives with his mother.
00:29The mother has originally lived alone in this apartment, but after she was injured, her son decided to move in
00:38with her
00:39and decided to renovate the apartment to make their lives as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
00:47My name is Kumiko Ouchi. I am an architect and a founder of Small Design Studio in Tokyo.
01:03The apartment is 46 square meters with the balcony space of 6.8.
01:12When we first visited the apartment, the interior is almost 40 years old and the facilities were old and difficult
01:21to use.
01:22There were two bedrooms, which one could be used as a living room.
01:27There was a kitchen and dining area and a bathroom.
01:32We consulted with the client several times and came up with the floor plan with the private rooms and the
01:40sense of spaciousness in the living and dining areas where they spend most of their time.
01:46The kitchen now shares the space with the dining and living areas.
01:57As you walk into the entrance, there is a shoe storage on the left side and the wardrobe area along
02:04the hallway.
02:06This space is the main storage space in the house and was planned to be able to hide and store
02:12everything from golf bags to wifi routers and clothes.
02:16To brighten up the storage, I added sensor lighting to the wardrobe.
02:22The bathroom is located on the right side and leads to the mother's room at the far end.
02:30The living room is a step lower than the rest of the apartment.
02:35The floor in this space is carpeted to create a comfortable space for sitting on the floor and to help
02:41create a separate zone.
02:44A bioethanol fireplace is located directly in front of the entrance, separating the hallway from the living room.
02:52It is positioned in such a way that the living room is not visible from the entrance.
03:00Three large niches were designed for the sun's recode correction.
03:06The sofa is a wooden bench by the window.
03:10It has a custom-made cushion and converts into the sun's bed in the evening.
03:15We also created a storage space under the bed so that the futon can be quickly put away when they
03:22have guests over.
03:24We took special care in planning the room to serve as a living room during the day and a bed
03:30at night.
03:34The client loves cooking and it is a very important element for his life.
03:39So I designed a kitchen to be bright and open space where they would want to spend their time.
03:46The guest stove and oven is built in with a dining table in an island in the middle of the
03:52room.
03:53This creates a lively kitchen environment where you can serve what you cook right away.
03:59The sink side is facing the window with the most open and green space and has a dishwasher and plenty
04:06of storage.
04:07The kitchen cabinet is made of wood and finished in water-resistant plaster.
04:14A utility space is located next to the kitchen.
04:18It is a narrow hallway which cannot be seen from the living area.
04:23It has a fridge and a washing machine.
04:26The mother's bedroom can also be accessed from here.
04:32There is a clothes rack that hangs from the ceiling for the mother's clothes.
04:37And the shelves are recessed into the wall to hold books, clocks and other small items.
04:43To keep the path between the bedroom and the bathroom, I installed a door to the bathroom at the back
04:50of the room.
04:52Between the bath and wash space, there is storage for linen and other household items.
04:59We planned the washroom to be as comfortable as possible and to provide the necessary storage.
05:08As for the toilet, it is quite compact.
05:11We used indirect lighting to create a comfortable space that does not feel so small.
05:17We planned storage to hide toilet paper and power board.
05:29As Japan's population ages, the number of environment in which parent and children's generation live together has been increasing very
05:39rapidly.
05:41It is important to consider a space where each can maintain an appropriate distance from each other while keeping a
05:49place for a family to share.
05:50Forty is here.
05:51Forty is here.
05:52Forty is here.
05:59Forty is here.
06:00Forty is in this room under but I think it is off in between.
06:04Forty is in the room under but I know it differently.
06:05Forty is here in the space where I use my mouth to it as an upright.
06:06Forty is here as if the toilet can mimic it and then fill the light.
06:06It will just dot O light.SA.
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