apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i see you're planning on a screen to hide the clothes rack.  good call--that will declutter immensely!

forget the headboard. the closet needs to closed off, yes, but you need that bed to double as a sofa.

keep the tv on that shortwall btw entrance and bath halls. reconfigure those bookshelves a bit. maybe move the large white one into the kitchen, under the window. you need the surface area.

put the desk/dining against the sliding glass. that balcony doesn't look like it's worth accessing much anyway.

definitely us a bamboo panel/runner or fabric to hide the washing machine. and get a nice tatami mat or something for the central floor.

it looks like your ceilings are decently high. maybe you could build a loft for your bed.

it looks like you inherited a bunch on miss matched little book shelves and drawers, perhaps you can paint them all the same color (I'd do white but there's endless possibilities). Also you can get a bunch of small white storage boxes (Muji would probably have them) to use as storage on the small bookshelves so it wouldn't look as cluttered.
I like your idea of using a bamboo shade to hide your clothes and I would use the same shades in the kitchen area.
It doesn't seem like curtains are really necessary behind the bed since the glass block doesn't really look transparent. I would do without if you can to keep the place feeling more open.
Overall it's a nice little space.

Get some shelf organizers (like, hanging from a shelf basket or a little platform...you know, these: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=104069&RN=205) for your kitchen cupboard. That way you can fit your dishes without having to worry about them clanking into each other or falling during an earthquake. You usually can find stuff like this at a ¥100 store. Daiso is probably your best bet.

Do you use the sink on the back of your toilet? If you do, hang a hand towel and ring between that little shelf and the "sink."

Not a fan of the Japanese style of washing, eh? You can get suction cup hooks to put on the plastic walls for extra storage, like for loofahs and back scrubbers and whatnot. I don't think there's much decorating you can do in there, so don't worry too much about it.

Is the balcony something you want to go out into, or something to look nice while looking out through the window?

You can get a little folding chair if you want to sit out there. Otherwise get some plants. Again, the ¥100 store is handy for this. If they die, oh well. They were only a buck.

You have a nice apartment, so consider yourself lucky! I've seen my share of Japanese apartments and yours is quite spacious and clean.

And good job on the changes so far. Seems like you're making some good decisions.

Fantastic start. looks like you are starting on a good layout and making little "regions" in your space. The bed will need to double as a couch. is there room for a coffee table in there? if you could find one that somehow is high enough to serve as a dining table, that would work best. There should be some kind of screen in front of the laundry area.

since this is a temporary living situation, I wold use artwork and rugs and pillows to brighten the space. Right now it is back-to-school season here so use the dorm room solutions for color. Painting the walls, while a great idea, is a little impractical for being there for only a year, I feel.

I like the apartment! I have to say that I don't really like the idea of blocking off the light with your garment rack though. Also, you don't want the first thing you see when you enter the apartment to be a garment rack with a bamboo curtain rigged up over it. Since you don't seem to have that much clothing, you could put the folded stuff in nice looking underbed boxes and hang your other clothing on the bar over the washer (which looks like it's just got a towel on it now) and put your shoes under the bed. Then I would put up a curtain to block off the washer so it looks less cluttered.

I would scoot the bed out towards the door and put the "desk" and two bookshelves w/books and chair in the area where your garment rack is. I would paint all the wooden shelves/desk black.

I would put the TV on the black dresser and have it across from the bed, and then get some colorful throw pillows for the bed so you can use it as a couch during the day.

A small dining table in the kitchen would be good.

One thought for the kitchen - the fridge and at least a couple of the shelves look to be almost the same height. I'm wondering if you could put them coming out perpendicular to the windows in the kitchen area and create an island of sorts by putting a horizontal surface on top. On the side facing the sink could be the fridge and one shelf for storage (and maybe the microwave would fit in it?), the far end could be another shelf facing out at the room, and the other side closest to the patio could be open underneath and become an eating area if you got a couple stools. You could probably use a piece of wood or even a small door as the "countertop", though in order to have foot room on the eating side, you'd probably want to screw it into the shelves in a couple places - or attached to the wall with some L-brackets. Might need to add a piece of wood (or old book) on top of the shelves to really make them level with the fridge too. I once saw a door wrapped in bright orange vinyl (staple gunned taught on the underside) to make it waterproof and add color. Looked pretty cool and it would be pretty cheap if you buy from those large rolls they have at hardware stores. Just a thought on using what you already have...

I kinda dig it the way it is....Clothes out are fine. I would just keep the rest of the clutter around to a minimum, like the bookshelves, etc.

I live in Japan, too, so I know the challenges you face. One of the problems is that a lot of the solutions you can use back home won't work in Japan. This is both because your shopping options are different and you are likely not allowed to structurally alter the place in any way.

One problem is that all of your storage is too low and open. Going for tall, narrow, and covered shelving works better for a cleaner look. It also maximizes storage space without taking up more space on the floor. Personally, I hate the bed and the clothes rack and, if I were investing, I'd buy a sofa bed and a wardrobe. I have a sofa bed with tons of storage under it. If you can get one of these (I got mine at Odakyu department store in Shinjuku, Tokyo a long time ago), you can make the whole area look neater because it'll appear to be just a sofa by day with the bedding kept hidden away. I'd also consider getting a proper desk with some better shelving which I could also eat at rather than using a table.

In my former blog, I outlined some tips for living in small spaces in Japan which you may find useful. The pictures are outdated (my place has since changed quite a bit as I've gotten rid of a lot of furniture and moved things around). If you're interested, you can check them out here:

http://myso-calledjapaneselife.blogspot.com/2007/02/20-tips-for-living-in-small-spaces.html

http://myso-calledjapaneselife.blogspot.com/2007/02/10-more-tips-for-livng-in-small-spaces.html

I love the Compact Space. It has Lots of possibilities.

I have never lived in Japan.. so i am not sure if these are possible. But do give it a Thought.

1) Move your Clothes Rack to where your Desk Space is.
If you can, Reconfigure your rack so that the smaller space is above and the longer space is below. Get a piece of wood to create a shelf there and place your TV and the related Equipment there. Hang your clothes in the lower space. Cover up the lower Space with Canvas or Any thick fabric.

2) In The Place of the Clothes Rack, Place the 2 storage/bookshelves (Currently on either side of the Printer).Stack them one over the other. Secure it with some hardware and paint it white.

3) Move the Drawers as the Headboard and a divider between the foyer and the living space. The Drawers face the foyer. Can you remove the Handle like extensions? Paint it White or Red. Place books or some curios. A beautiful lamp would add to the aesthetics and also act as bedside lamps

4) Some under bed storage is always a good idea.

5) Love Homebody's idea of the kitchen island.

6) Stack up another of the narrow storage boxes near the Kitchen.(Grey)

7) If you move your clothes as in Point 1, you can cover up using curtains etc from that point to the beginning of the kitchen. This would create a cozy dressing area.

8) As for a working Desk placement, Place it where the drawers are currently placed. As for the desk it self, It may be a good idea to get a desk with place with printer and storage at the top and a shelf that slides in to place your laptop. Remodel the current printer shelf to turn it into a table. With a folding door that also acts as a table Use folding chairs for seating.

9) In the Shower, Can you add shelves to store towels etc? Add some narrow storage in the Bathroom as well.

10) Some plants and some seating would be a good idea in the patio.

If you can get rid of the bed and get a sofa bed with storage it would open the space and add to seating.

All the best.

Mirrors, mirrors, mirrors - they'll brighten up your space with more light and give the illusion of size! Do let us know how your place turns out..!

candy
www.carrieanddanielle.com

Thanks so much for all the suggestions! Not only am I new to the studio apartment scene, but also to the Japanese home improvement scene. Trying to make the place a bit more streamlined while not breaking the bank is a true challenge over here. It will take me some time to try some of these suggestions. I will hopefully send an update soon with my new and improved space!