apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i think this house is great but i was surprised throughout the entire issue how little privacy children have in these small places. Give the 9 year old a door he can close will ya?

Is the kitchen island the whole kitchen? only a toaster and what appears to be a coffee maker or is the rest of the kitchen hidden away?

A family of 4 in the Japanese urbanized hinterlands lives in 550 square feet if they're "well-to-do." My partner grew up in such a place in Fukuoka. Our notions of size and personal space are very much culturally determined.

i dont like this... a lot

especially their kitchen, wow, that little cart is it huh?

It looks to be in a beautiful setting but the impression I get is that its kind of soulless.

Architecturally, I think it's great. Very beautiful and nice clean lines.

But on the interior design/construction/styling side of things, I feel like it was kind of just thrown together. It feels kind of jagged to me. I think the kitchen/dining/living area would be a lot better off with even a minor change- take out the dining table, put in a long table connected to the wall (bar style) and a couple of minimal stools facing the wall, and maybe even put the toaster, coffee maker, etc on said table.

I also think that a nice, large print to the right of the closet door in the kitchen area could go a long way.

I want to like this, I really do. I love small spaces, and I love old houses. But this one left me flat. Firstly, this is a 100 year old building that looks brand new. It has lost some (all?) of its character in the renovation (or at least in the photographs of the renovation). Secondly, the bathroom walls...those are the finished product? Love the look of the outside, but again, it looks brand new.

I hate the bathroom. Looks unfinished and kinda sketchy. Love the deep window casings that doubles as an outdoor bench. Seems to lack any privacy for the parents. I don't mind small spaces, especially if you have fabulous outdoor spaces, which is the case here, but I want a little bit of personal space to be a couple.

The window in the kids rooms is not code. That kid is gonna tumble out.

it certainly looks brand new, but i like that (in this case). i love it, it is airy and not overdone.

I like this. Small kitchen but I like the openness.

The kitchen was surprising for a couple with a child and a dog. Looks as though all they make is coffee.

I just have to clarify for all:

The kitchen is in the doors behind the coffee-cart. It is hidden, that is the beauty of it. And yet you open up the doors and it functions well. The cart can be moved out of the way, also a key function.

Anyhow, I think it is great to see - two young people on a budget making a dream home themselves. Thanks AT!

As Gertrude Stein said, "there's no there there." And what you see is mostly plywood. Little one is a doll though. Why do architects always have blond children? But hey, they did, however, save an old barn from becoming mulch, so, good job!