NEVER TOO SMALL: Family of 5’s Simple Home, Japan 45sqm/483sqft
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
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Located in a small peaceful town one hour south of Kyoto, the single story House in Heguri is a simple, minimalist home for a family of 5. Designed by Yousaka Tsusumi from Arbol Design, the striking exterior features 4 towering wooden sliding doors that extend to both ends of the site, and individually open or close depending on how the family wants to use the space. When opened the doors reveal a house clad in galvanised steel with plenty of access to the outdoors, including a covered porch area at the entrance used by the family as a year-round outdoor living space. The central living and dining area are raised on a wooden platform and connect to the kitchen via a large, cleverly designed kitchen island/ dining table with different seating heights on either side. A series of internal sliding doors branch off the central living space to the home’s two bedrooms and utility zone, which includes a separate toilet, bathroom and large laundry.
#smallapartment #architecture #interiordesign
Eps 134.
Project Name: House in Heguri
Architect: www-arbol--design-com
Produced by New Mac Video Agency
Creator: Colin Chee
Director & cinematographer: Nam Tran
Producer: Lindsay Barnard
Editor: Nam Tran
Music: Sunset Views & Like the Old Days by warmkeys - artlist.io
I love this, i love that you actually see the family living and showing how they use the space. But i also like that it's been recorded in their native language with captions ❤️❤️
Fully agree. I love this episode too, for the exact reasons. It feels less like a museum tour. At the same time I understand other people privacy and they choice not to participate in.
@@HallaDita that's true. It's important to maintain privacy too
It's nice to see the low budget options this home shows. I like that they didn't change the sheet cover in the laundry room and they left the outdoor box just a box. The second bedroom closet was well organized without slide outs, drawers, baskets or containers. Just simply folded stacks of fabric. This is the basics. Raw, simple, pleasing. I love it!
Love this one. One of my absolute favorites. Minimal but not bleak. It just emanates peace. Lovely family too.
I agree. This is a minimalism with modesty that says "we have enough. We don't need to buy sleek new minimalist crap. We will build the house for our favorite chairs." It seems to be the love of essentials that demonstrates the wabi sabi aesthetic.
The space is great!!! The modern sliding doors show old world charm of shoji screens. Incredibly functional! The small outdoor area is the best part.
Kuddos to NTS for listening to the comments and putting captions on for non-native English speakers! Made the video flow a lot more naturally, it really is in the small details. Also loving the warm cozy vibes of this home
Aesthetically pleasing. Love the sliding, slatted large wooden doors at the entrance. The swing is pure delight. While I like the idea of the three children sharing a bedroom in the future - that second bedroom looks small to accommodate a triple bunk.
I am going to guess you have never served on a navy or coast guard vessel! 😉✌️😎
@@gus473 With 3 children? Yoicks!
@@gus473 I visited a aircraft carrier once. You wouldn't want to have claustrophobia in those bunk beds!
yep, it might be better if the parents will swap bedrooms with kids
@gus473 You couldn't expect civilians to sleep in those coffin beds, because they were not made for ordinary people. 😉
Although it looks too small for a family of 5, I very much like the vibe of this place and the beautiful area.
Finally, a video in which the architect fluently explains the design philosophy in their native tongue rather than having to conform to the English-speaking format. NTS should encourage designers/architects to articulate their ideas/design language in their native tongue more! Not only this will allow a better flow of the video but also more nuances can be discovered in their design relating to the culture/location.
The sideways 🧢 😂
We always love to but we don’t have editor and director who can speak all the language. Hopefully in the future when we can have more editors from different background
Makes it hard to follow for people like me, who have trouble with captions, though.
Not everybody are fluent in Japanese.
I really loved the video, the sense of peace and at the same time energy that the house had, and the final note about how we need to reconsider the things we own. Thank you 🙏
Something wonderful about the Japanese sense of priorities, aesthetics, and keeping things simple.
Great design and use of limited space.
Also I love the way he speaks Japanese. He uses simple, yet powerful and direct ways of explaining things. As a person who speaks Japanese as a second language I really appreciate this!!
The kitchen island / dining table height is absolutely BRILLIANT!
i love how this house is showing its tiny untidiness of having so many goods (so typical of Japanese household) yet still beautiful. The selection of plates, buckets, is also very down to earth. The house is living together with the family as a home, so many potential growing space for children to grow with, and japanese wood work is always the best. I love this so much. Thank you for inspiring me, i hope i can have a house like this in the future.
The difference in being able to tell a space that is fully utilized for daily functionality vs aesthetic. The love and attention to your home and use of every nook and cranny is appreciated, thanks for sharing!
Particularly love the indoor/outdoor flow. And happy to see additional languages with subtitles included!
I think this space is simple and functional for a family with young kids, but as soon as they hit the pre-teen stage they'll need more privacy. Hopefully the family can expand upwards and add a second floor with more bedrooms.
Actually many japanese do not have a room for each kid, they will most likely keep the setting this way!
@@lovepilie This is not true. Most Japanese in detached houses and condos have separate rooms. I reckon even most apartment dwellers are the same. However, co-sleeping or infants sleeping with their parents until 4-5 is very common.
I have never met a Japanese elementary or junior high student that slept in the same room as their parents. I’ve taught English to well over 1,000 kids in Japan… Though it may happen, in daily routine lessons, nobody mentioned they sleep with mom and dad. It was always “my room” or they share a room with a sibling.
@@DerekBlais I agree with you, I was completely mistaken because I did not put the captions on XD
I thought the parents used the separate bedroom, I was thinking about the "one room for all kids" I observed in Japan, and of course that was separated from the parent's
is mainly related to Japanese culture. they are used to small houses and apartments. due to conformation of the city and prices I think
@@mariosn3s787 It's not just a space thing. Japan's had a culture of co-sleeping for a long time, and actually it's mainly the US where it's become uncommon fairly recently. In India, the majority of children sleep with their parents until they're 10 years old. Although it's quite old now, a study in 2000 showed between 70 and 80% of children in Japan were still sharing a sleeping area with parents until elementary and middle school, although another study in 2006 showed only about 30% of children were still co-sleeping with parents into middle school.
Fascinating to see how a family lives in a completely different style to my own. We do all have too much “stuff” and I like the simplicity of the place.
It makes for such a clean look that all the doors and windows are floor to ceiling. Very nice
This is one of my favorites simply for its simplicity. While many other small spaces looks great but they almost crossing the line of being a little bit excess with the fancy design, cool materials and all. This space is cool on its own with the humble design approach.
Props to the owner 👍🏼
Ah, I used to live quite near to Heguri, maybe 30mins in my car. It's such a nice place to have a family! This is a beautiful home, I love that it's focused on shared family spaces. A yard like that for kids in particular is such a luxury in Japan and it's fasinating to me how much space they devoted to the outdoors/outdoor living.
Very simple, cosy and beautiful. I'm sure they're all very happy there.
This is a cozy well loved space. Thank you for showing families! We are a family of 5 and this is aspirational.
I think many of the homes on NTS are beautiful and functional. This home, though, I want this designer to design everything. He let nature come into his house, the cantilever doors to enclose the front, the materials he used. I just love everything. Thank you
I love how they only have enough space for what they need right now and yet it is still warm, inviting and functional 😊
Such a beautiful home! Really love the transformation the sliding walls make, and the simple garden. And I completely agree with Yousaku about our relationship with 'things'. I can't recall where/who I heard it from, but someone said "Design in too much storage and the clients will buy things to fill it."
Great video as always NTS!
Love to hear the people talking about their project in their native language
From the moment the wooden panels were being slid open, I was hit with the home and garden's beauty but thank you NTS and lovely family for steeping this feature in love and realness. The under bench/table reveal is one of the realest and most familiar scenes I have ever seen. All set to the background of little voices coming from little japanese children was blissful. Ironically, as the talented designer started to say, things are really only that.... but it's people using or interacting with them in between walls, floors and ceilings that make them living breathing homes. I almost imagined b-roll in fact of the family sleeping together, with one or two small bodies sleeping at an impossible angles with their feet in the faces of the parents..... ✌💗🙏
This type of thinking and design ideas gives hope for human and nature connection, rather than everything occupied by machines. Great Work 👏👏
One of the best entries in the whole NTS series, hands down. Brilliant.
The big opening to the patio really expands the livable space.
And the inside is quite well organized considering they have 3 kids. Not easy to do!
Japanese concepts is always the best, down to earth, natural yet organic, minimalist yet practical, environment friendly and no luxury look at all that make our life in high cost.
This video is truly amazing! I really admire how this family of 5 has turned a small 45sqm home into a simple, elegant, and perfect living space for everyone.
Every little corner in this house is cleverly utilized to make the most of the space. The interior design is simple yet high-quality, creating a comfortable and cozy atmosphere. The furniture arrangement and space organization are done in a sensible way, providing convenience and comfort for the family. ❤️
We don't know that it's "perfect living space for everyone" (in the family), though it may be perfect for you. Nobody on the video or viewing it here has asked each family member whether it's "perfect."
I really love the space, the neutral colour palette and the material choice. I was very surprised and happy by the "equipal" chair it comes from the region where I am from in Mexico.
Yeah, saw that too.
We appreciate your effort and hard work. God bless you all.
I LOOOOOOOVE this so freaking much! It's not "magazine" type kind of home wherein it's all dressed up to look pretty and set unrealistic expectations of how homes are supposed to look like. This is a house that's lived in and is absolutely beautiful, but more importantly, everything is carefully thought through to make sure it's functional for daily living. I am obsessed. This is what I dream of and it's perfect 😍😍😍😍😍😍
The step to make the kitchen island also function as a dining table is so clever.
このチャンネルでは、英語を流暢に話せる日本人しか出演できないのかと思ってました。日本語が聞けて親近感が湧きました。これからも小さくて効率のいい空間を提供するデザイナーや建築家の人たちを紹介してください。シンプルでとても見やすいです。
love the inspiration behind his work. This house is perfect for growing child making close bounds and also when they grow up they see this house as a beautiful memory
What a delight. I could put myself directly into that space, it seemed so much bigger, accommodates their needs so completely. In LOVE
It's a beautiful and simple home perfectly tailored to meet their needs. The natural materials really help the structure blend in with the surrounding landscape. Thanks for sharing.
I loved this house!!! It felt so spacious and the kids seems to have so much fun😊❤
The way the different pieces just slide into place reminds me of a jigsaw puzzle to a real-life rubiks cube so expandable and manageable extremely maintainable and gives just the right amount of outdoor space for the babies I love this
I love the idea of hiding the house behind the doors. Very minimal without concessions to the items they love. My kids rather not be found sleeping with mom after a certain age. And I appreciated my own bed without little kicking mules sleeping next to me. I hope these kids get more space to study and sleep, when older.
家族が一体となって暮らせる昔の日本家屋のような側面もあり、素晴らしいですね
Nice, simple home
Spiritual Master SRI CHINMOY: "Simplicity Japan has. Beauty Japan gives. Sincerity Japan knows. Purity Japan reveals....... Humility Japan is." - Your home is all of these things. Congratulations. Beautiful.
I love the front sliding doors and inner area. I wouldn't want to ' see' the kitchen equipment that's stored underneath the unit but then lounge dining area is great. I too feel I have too much ' stuff ' and can appreciate the simplicity of design. I would happily live in the house.
This is the type of home I want to live in the future, being more attached with nature and the natural light is just so relaxing. Based on this video this family I think is quite well-off despite of that small space.
What a beautiful work of art this is. I love how efficient and organized Japanese living is.
i love the practicality of the space. im sure the family can adapt when the kids get older.
Japanese folks are so disciplined. This home is neat as a pin with so many kids.wow.
An absolutely fabulous little look into a small space. I believe tiny homes are going to be the future and I really enjoy seeing how a small space is exploited and still able to leave "space to breathe". We are still exploring the concept of tiny homes, but it will be default living space moving into the future IMHO. Wonderful documentary. Thank you.
I love this. When you have life paired down to the essentials, you are very aware of what you bring in and more. A recent trip to Japan, has solidified my approach and paid off in many ways. Thank you for making this video.
This home is another example of Japanese architecture that makes full use of designated space. The interior flows from one room to another like older traditional Japanese homes but without the sliding shoji. People suggesting that children need more bedrooms obviously don’t know that in many countries around the world it is quite common for parents and children to share the one bedroom for a number of years.
@@amandak.4246 Each has its own culture. Each has its own opinions. It's important to understand and respect the "normal" of other countries.
In india, most people used to sleep together in one long line when i was a child. Many houses are small and people just use the biggest room with mattresses on the floor. Its quite comforting to sleep like that. Growing older with my own bed space, i struggle with insomnia.
@@Walklikeaduck111the mattress thing is so true, we still sleep like that when all the cousins are together, have lots of fun memories & late night fun
BEAUTIFUL. it looked authentic and real
The last statement from the architect makes you really think "..we are often overflowing with "things". There is an emphasis on making more room to store them. We need to reconsider the things we own. Go back to just the basics and live more minimally."
Sliding doors and extending indoor space with outdoor living space makes the house bigger than its actual size. The 4 huge sliding panels at the front provide the necessary privacy and security needed. The design works well in the
quiet neighbourhood in mild weather Japan. Nice modern adaptation of traditional Japanese building design elements.
this the best minimalist and fully functional house inspiration for people today
A masterclass in compact living yet offering a lot! Much to learn. Thanks for sharing.
Very practical living space. The large sliding glass doors and the art deco like external walls are beautiful but the outer facade is not welcoming. Doors on the island and the sink unit would enhance their beauty and also reduce visual clutter. The kids are growing and in time would need more space.
Finally a family and for that a big one! I would love to see more videos of families with at least 2 kids, with the concept being that despite living in a small space, there is enough *separate* space for the kids, that at some point will be teenagers and will want/ need there own space, even if it is about 6 sm2 with a bed, a desk to study and a wardrobe to keep their staff. Thank you for this video!
A great use of wooden and corrugated metal building materials and I like the double-duty furniture that also acts as extra storage. The whole space has an open airy feeling that brings the outside indoors.
The sliding doors offer many possibilities to customize the space and I like the Zen-like garden in front with various grades of gravel and rocks as well as a minimalist use of plants and trees that add a sculptural element in addition to curb appeal.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see at least three pieces of African art in the living space. As an African art collector myself, at the 0:26 mark, I noticed the geometric cloth on the left side of the screen hung on the wall which is made by the Kuba tribe of the Congo (I have one myself) and at the 2:44 mark, two African stools; one with four legs that is possibly by the Senufo tribe of Ivory Coast and a round stool with angled leg supports also possibly made by the Senufo of Ivory Coast (I have a similar one too).
Yes, indeed an excellent space that addressed the challenges of providing enough room, comfort, and practicality for a whole family and not just for one resident as in other videos. Bravo! :)
I loved the stainless steel kitchen, the bar hanging over the wash.machine, and most of all the sliding gates & doors!!💞
This is an example of how eliminataning corridors from your floorplan makes 45m2 house feels like 60m2.
*eliminating
Corridors have a purpose too... Sometimes, having more space is less comfortable than having dividers. Though I like this house, I would not live in it with kids because, since there is no corridor and all doors lead to the living-room, you're gonna hear everything from the two bedrooms. If anyone is watching TV, everyone is gonna have to hear it too. I would not like that at all. Another thing to consider is pets. If you have pets, having a corridor means a place to keep your pet. I own rats for example, and since we have a pretty big corridors, our rats live free in the corridor. My grandma use to have her phone in the corridor and bookshelves: a corridor is also a good place for storage, and a secluded if you want to have a phone call outside of the living-room. It can also be useful for safety and privacy: maybe you don't want delivery people seeing your living-room when you open the door to get your package. If you are a woman living alone, maybe you don't want them to see your living-room. A corridor can also be a way to create flow between rooms that have a completely different vibes, like if you work from home, you don't necessarily want to get out of your bed and be immediately thrown into your office. There are very good reasons why some would want a corridor in their house
what i love in japanese homes, they mix beautiful and practiful
Beautiful home and lovely children.
Finally native languages, yay! I'm so glad! Please do it always :з
love the concrete and wood combination, esp the entrance door and how it can all be moved to one side
Such a great space and thanks to the architects it provides a healthy environment for the whole family. The facade looks impressive with a minimalistic approach. Great design.
This was beautiful, that’s how living should be simple, clean & clutter free & multiple utility environment. I loved those no paint walls & descent size TV screen which nowadays people don’t even know 🤨
To the couple, beautiful house my best wishes to you & your warm place
As a family of 5 I am so glad and excited to see this one ❤❤❤
This is the biggest 483sqft home I've ever seen. The somewhat "open" design and access to the outdoors I think is what does it. Would love to live here.
This is so calming. Also great for beginners learning Japanese.
i love tiny homes but i believe people need their onw space time to time to keep their head cool. Sometimes being alone can give u a peace of mind. (just my opinion from living with my family)
i love how the house blended in with the outside (the sliding doors and the big windows) so it’s easy to access the garden. i’m from a culture who value privacy a lot where i slept in a separate bedroom than my parents since i was three years old (got my own bedroom at maybe 8 ish) so for me it feels strange to have the whole family sleeping together but i know that it’s mostly cultural differences. beautiful home!
I love the driveway. It's beautiful.
Glad this was done in the native language
Very nice space to live in. I want one.
It's a beautiful house and the important thing is that it suits their needs, and they've considered some changes they may need to make as their family changes. I love that we're shown the functional aspects of their home, with the kitchen storage showing that clearly they have a lot of kitchenware, and similarly with the closets and the laundry room storage, quite a lot of clothing etc, which is realistic, especially with three young children.
I love this house. I would love to live here. I think it is practically perfect.
Wow so stylish. The parents regardless of having three little children maintained their vision.
Great use of economical materials for the most prominent features of this home, especially with traditional Japanese sliding screen elements. I live in a rainy climate, so love the laundry with drying area. The kitchen-bench-table is set on the level of the living room -- one step up from the kitchen floor. It looks higher than I would choose for mixing comfort, and there's no kneehole or overhang to pull up a chair from the kitchen side. But the cooks in this household may prioritize dish storage. I do like the Japanese narration with subtitles. Language diversity is a good thing.
I love the whole property ! Amazing ! The house and the landscaping looks great.
Very nice. The home was small, but they didn’t look crowded. Well done!
I personally love it. I would take the exact same layout and double the square footage, with the extra square footage make a third room. Everything else is just perfect. The sliding doors in the front, the terrace, the kitchen/living area. I love it.
I grew up in a house with just one bedroom. Both me and my brother would share the sofa-cum-bed in the living room. He moved out when I was 17, after which I got to enjoy the night alone (still in the living room though), until I also moved out at 21 - which I when I experience true freedom and blossomed.
Novel, brilliant, genius design. Functional and intelligent. A big wow👏
So nice! everything placed in harmony
Thankyou for sharing your history with us. My own family can be traced back to the first fleet convicts sent to Australia. my grandmother once shared her excitement when she was sent a photo of a convict shoe that survives to this day a tangible connection with my families past.
Beautiful! Light, airy and functional! I didn't quite understand the purpose of the sliding exterior doors but appreciate the aesthetic quality in brings to the home.
Yes, I didn't understand those either and they seemed heavy and hard to open.
Privacy (from the street)
Excellent. I love how "lived in" this house feels like.
I love everything about this house. Although not for a family of 5 but for a single person. And the utility space seems to be bigger than the small bedroom.
❤❤ wow. I love the simplicity and functionality of this place. It works beautifully.
I love this! They made good use of the space.
This is an amazing space.
Great design, simplistic and relevant to their lifestyle and culture. 😊
This is the dream house of a young couple that hasn’t turned dysfunctional
Very beautiful and functional. Love the bathroom.
Beautiful house and beautiful family!
I love the concept here especially that you can open up different zones in the house to outdoor space. However the utility if the current living space is limited for a doesn't a growing family and/or growing kids.
The depth of the kitchen workspace is clever: the deep surface allows for items behind the hob and the raised metal shelf in the chopping area means items kept on it are out of the way; underneath, the storage area is recessed back creating an illusion of space. I live in a dusty area so the open shelves wouldn't work. Cabinet doors for me are a necessity.