NEVER TOO SMALL: Tokyo Architect’s Tranquil Small Apartment 46sqm/495sqf
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
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Set in a small block of 7 apartments in Setagaya ward in Tokyo, Small Design Studio’s Kumiko Ouchi re-designed this small apartment into a combined home and work space for her partner and her cat Cochi. By removing most of the interior walls, Ouchi opened up the space and created areas that are connected but also function independently. Placing the bedroom at the back of the apartment for optimal quietness and privacy, and an office space in the hallway that leads to the open plan living and kitchen area. The living room, which is a step lower than the rest of the apartment, contains a custom built 2.2m long window bench seat and a bioethanol fireplace. The adjoining L-Shaped kitchen with accompanying dining table is made from wood finished with water resistant plastering, giving it a concrete-look finish. With this simple, warm and comfortable home Ouchi has designed a space that feels more spacious than its 46m2 footprint and is truly attuned to the lifestyle and needs of its inhabitants.
#smallapartment #architecture #interiordesign
Project Name: Home in Akatsutsumi
Designer: www.small-design-studio.com/
Produced by New Mac Video Agency
Creator: Colin Chee
Director/Camera Operator: Nam Tran
Producer: Lindsay Barnard
Editor: Jessica Ruasol
Music: Plant Your Fields - We Dream of Eden - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
![แข่งแลกของ 1 วัน!! ของใครแพงสุดชนะ!! [Ver.2024]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/joRT59ilPHg/mqdefault.jpg)
I love the fact, that the color of the kitchen is matching the cat 😄The entire apartment feels super cozy and well thought out. Plenty of storage is always a plus for me
I was going comment the same about the cat. 😄
@@neel6011 Same here. A true designer cat, wearing the latest color scheme.
I visited a really cool apartment in the Costa Brava area that was decorated in black and white with a red contrast color. They had 9 cats who were all black and white with a red collar.
Cozy?
No no. They bought the cat to match the kitchen.
Love how personalised the design choices are and also the storage. Often I watch these and think "yes it's very pleasing, but where's their stuff?". We all have "stuff" - books, sheets, cat litter tray etc that don't look appealing but need some place to go. This design has places for "stuff" that don't impact on the visual appeal of the main accommodation. Love it. Much more realistic.
Yes! It looks like an actual lived-in home, not an Air BnB rental.
Hello Snogm
Hello Snogm
Agreed! I feel the same about a lot of the designs featured here, this one looks like a real home!
Yes! I love the ones with the pets but am always wondering where the cat’s litter box goes.
i love how simple yet functional this apartment is! the amount of storage is incredible, and the office corridor looks like such a cozy place to work at
Yes! Yes! Yes! An office corridor is such a revolutionary idea. Corridors are generally under-utilised, and at work someone is walking behind you at any given time. Brilliant!
I always like this kind of office corridor - a suitable cozy space.
True, it is very well made...great project 😍
Not quite as good as it seems, considering he has to sit on a hard stool while working, instead of a proper task chair, due to space constraints. Maybe if he's only working for 30-60 minutes at a time...
@@jc3drums916 AND they are sitting on stools at the kitchen table - UGH - this is a designer’s apt but it isn’t really a home - not any kind I would want to live in - am a young senior who walks with a cane and sits with an Obus - at least there aren’t any lofts 🇨🇦🙏
I love how in all the Never Too Small showcases where there's a cat involved the cat is like ✨this is my moment to shine✨
I live in Tokyo, and the moment I saw this home a year ago in another online magazine, I was determined I would work with her for my home renovation (a 75m2 apartment home for a family of 3) in the near future. You should check out her other works, it’s functional and yet absolutely beautiful!!
a little side note…As for whether you’d call 46m2 small or not in Tokyo…well for 2 ppl a lot of us would call it ‘an adequate size’, so I personally don’t think it’s completely off to say it’s small… not tiny but yeah it’s on the smaller side
Thank you for the context! 🙂 I'd love to hear back if you collaborate with her for your renovations. Another episode of NTS?😁
I lived in a 32 sqm apartment and was more than I could use.. so for 2 people it is great!
Does she have a website?
What I'm more impressed with is that it is a 46sqm, I live in Colombia in a 45sqm apartment and the apartment on this video looks so much bigger!!
46 sqm is not that small. We lived in an 55 sqm appartment with 3 persons when I was a child and I never had the feeling of missing something. There was enough space for anything we needed. Today I have a huge house and often I wish to have less to care to.
What she said is TRUE. It doesn't matter how small or large is the space, it's about finding ways to adjust to it. And it's about using creativity. The more minimal the place, the most spacious, the more tranquility, the more beauty there is. It's looks so clean and a clean place equals to beauty.
"A house is like a container for your life." When she said that I felt both bubbly and as if I was gonna cry.
@blu,
06:01
And this's another moving moment for us.
The architect could do voice-over for life-changing meditation events.
.
We are impressed.
"It should be adaptive and generous to future changes"
Easily one of the best quotes I've heard from an architect here on this channel. I feel like many of the other places featured here are absolutely gorgeous, but don't quite have the flexibility for growth in the future. Great vid as always!
@Mic,
06:01
We believe in modularity, the ability to adapt to evolution.
.
Edited to add:
* "... in the future..."
what if they need child's bedroom? I can't see where they can fit that unless they move the kitchen again.
@@lilistoyanova3144 They don't have a child, and they didn't mention plans for a child, so it's possible they just didn't consider that. Not everyone has children as a part of their life plan
I love this mindset
@@lilistoyanova3144 I think japanese kids sleep usually with their parents until 6 or so. So they could have a lot of time to find another home or redistribute that one.
that's honestly a pretty large apartment
Yeah bruh wheres the small
whatever fits the narrative
While it's definitely not tiny, a 45sqm apartment for two persons is still quite small honestly.
@@stalpers - I guess it depends on what you're used to. Here in Copenhagen, there are plenty of couples living in smaller apartments. Having such a large toilet/shower, plus a room for laundry machine, storage room, pantry, walk in closet, are all uncommon here.
drama
You can tell that she loves her cat as she designed this house for them and their cat. Love it.
Who else would she design this for? Their kids?
@@itsgonnabeanaurfrommeweird comment
Surprised she didn't talk about using the big white wall in the living room for the projector at 3:50. It's so cool 😎.
Except for the lack of a comfortable place to sit and read or watch TV, this is is very nice small space. Switch out that thinly cushioned bench seat for a comfy couch and it would be perfect.
Now this is my kind of place: a real home, not a futurist museum for the minimalism obsessed.
Yes. Cool thing about Japan is people are generally not interested in flashy (statement) design.
really? looks like a ikea catalogue to me, and the size makes me sad...... if you have more than 1 pair shoes, you allready fucked :( rich people live in huge spaces they never need, and poor people in tiny cages? is this the future everybody cheers at?
wtf
@@DubElementMusic For better or worse this is the current reality in big cities, and in reality one or two people living together do not need much more space, a little more would be nice.
@@oscargustavoarcosruiz8793 do you dont need more space than this? idk man, looks like this sucks hard, the movie is like a ikea ad but in reality nobody lives like this, it looks cool in the video but as a example, the "couch" looks etremly uncomfortable, like everything. even the entry, could`nt even walk straight, i would need to walk sideways in.
@@DubElementMusic Well, I would put other furniture but the space is more than what I currently have in my small apartment of 25 square meters, an extra room would be nice.
Some of what I like the most about this space is the office and the dressing room, much more than the space I currently have :(
I like how Japanese homes have that sunken area at the entrance where outdoor footwear are changed into indoor footwear. Nice use of space in this home. I particularly like the separation of bathing area from toilet. The storage areas are well thought out too. A nice home!
Originally, all the floors were probably the same height. Many of the homes on this channel have raised floors to accommodate the plumbing when the kitchen or bathroom is moved.
the cat suspiciously eyeing the film crew throughout the whole video xD really nice and cozy apartment. love the layout, the functionality and the well thought out storage!
She's a very intelligent person. Very thoughtful design and outlook on sustainability
Finally a “never too small” apartment with lots of storage! People can actually live here. Great job! 👌
Call me biased but this has been my fave episode so far. The Japanese are just the best at tiny living (though I'll have to admit that this apartment is relatively large for Tokyo standards)
I thought it looked larger than some of the small homes that we’ve seen on this channel. It’s definitely larger than most apartments in New York lol.
46m2 non-rentals isn't large for Tokyo standards tho.
Do you think this remodel increased or decreased the value of the flat? They lost a bedroom but have a really fancy design.
exactly what I was thinking, this is a normal European apartment, but from what I've seen about Japan, this looks BIG.
@@samuel.gabura I think it should increase, but it would not cost as much as a new building apartment.
Private companies in Japan have being doing redesigns to old apartments to sell them for some years ago.
finally Japan, where small living rules!
@Yak,
My Nippon friend says:
* tiny island, tiny cars, tiny people.
Her family in Japan records videos of Japanese televisionprogramming for her in Oregon; as we watch, she often mentions:
* "The whole place is on LSD!"
We tend to agree...
This is easily the best one yet. Such a perfect example of mastering one’s constraints. My girlfriend and I love picking these apart, at length, so I’m pretty excited to watch this one with her, excited to have positive things to say about the brilliance of this design in handling constraints of both money and space in a way that looks incredibly comfortable, livable, well designed and expensive. So many corners and places in this apartment look like a good place to sit, live and breath,… for once. 🤜🤛
This might be my favorite NTS yet! The apartment feels way bigger than it actually is. Everything was so thoughtful and the light color scheme does wonders too. More like this!!
A lovely space and a lovely use of color. So much storage too. I love sunken living spaces, and the daybed, and fireplace look both pleasing to the eye and comfortable. I think I might be afraid of stubbing my toes on the step up from the living room though. I love the office/hallway (so cozy), the balconies (so open to the sky), and most of the kitchen, though I think I personally would rather have some of the appliances in places easier to access. The walk-in storage next to the front door is nice as well, especially if you make use of bicycles though the narrow entry hall might hamper that some. Very warm and cozy for an inner-city apartment.
@B,
Architect here, with the livability designer looking over my shoulder.
We enjoy varying interior floor levels.
For example, a sunken living room creates a sense of intimacy.
The raised 'step' leading to the patio allows natural light to mimic the overhead sun.
@@largemarge1603 Oh, I think it looks lovely, I just know how clumsy I am. 😊
She has the most soothing voice, I swear.
One of my favorites! I love that there is storage and a space for everything. Nothing feels compromised, just creative :)
I haven't watched the whole video, but I'm going to say it. I love this apartment already. So clean and simple. That study corridor is beautiful.
Totally agree!
@@nevertoosmall
Well, just wait until you watch the whole video!
We think you might be impressed!
This apartment gave me a peace of mind. There's this calm vibe through it. The open plan is not "too" open for my liking, everything just flows, comforts your eyes and, yes, soul. This is a sample of a home I wish for my future. Thank you for sharing it with us.
What an attention to detail! Hiding the electronic kitchen appliances, the drawer for the utensils underneath the dining table, the breathtaking seperate toilet and the book shelf with all the manga's at the higher shelf. Lots of storage, lots of personal 'stuff', but it all comes together in this breathtaking design
Very calm space. And the cat looks relaxed, too
She's amazing! I love how every inch of space was used for hidden storage or practicality. I've seen many tiny spaces, but this is one of my favorites. Having the bedroom so far from the main living space, where it will tend to get louder is such a smart move. She really utilized this entire space. Beautiful work.
I love it, the house has every place designated and I love how japanese people like to be organised.
The simplicity of design is reflective of the japanese culture of the architect.The sliding doors, the use of slight levels to create different spaces, the neutral colour palette, the feel of exposed concrete in the kitchen.Everything is very well placed and planned.
This is what I have yet to figure out, the difference between simple and clean vs sterile and stark. I like the clean and simple design but I wouldn't call myself a minimalist because I do like having some ornamentation and touches of whimsy. I have seen designs here that appeal to me and others that are just too barren. This falls under my preference for simple and clean but still homey and cozy. I think it's the warm colors and use of natural materials (like wood) that keep it from being too stark.
@hey,
This design uses texture and color plus shadows to create a sense of mystery and intrigue.
As we watched the tour for the third time, we slowed the video to half-speed with the audio muted.
.
Exquisite.
Such a calm “simple” space. I am sure the process of design is even more critical to create such a small yet highly functional space. It is minimal yet very homey.
I love it! It looks really functional - though I wonder about the lack of seatings back support - and I liked the plants as well.
What I love about Asian Culture is that their Homes are so clean, neat and organized. I visited a Friend's House and I was stunned. Not that My Family are slobs but it had such a sparkly vibe to it.
I'm 6'1"/186cm and quite fat, so these small apartment tours usually make me chuckle at how impossible it would be for me to live in one comfortably. But this would be quite easy to live in! Great job doing so much with a relatively small space.
@whatinthefrick Indeed. But aside from my height the big problem is not my beer belly, it is my shoulders. Most tiny apartments have tiny showers or other spaces which make it very annoying. It is the same reason I often dislike showering in Europe (and also did when I was 40 pounds thinner)!
tiny shower sucks for anyone higher than 150meters
Kochi is the same color as the kitchen cabinets! lol. I love how minimal and clean this looks!
That cat was determined to get as much camera time as possible.😸
first of all this apartment isn't tiny and this house is really beautiful and functional
I love this apartment. But then again I love Japan and Tokyo in particular so I am not surprised I fell in love with this space. It looks like someone could actually live in there (which they do). It's functional, practical and liveable. My favourite so far.
@Mel,
We think 'actually live' is better than regular live...
I can’t get over how much I like this one. Color, kitchen, Floor, and a workspace. It looks like that even the weather outside matches the interior. Great one!!!
Hands down - the cat is AWESOME! Best part of the video for me was watching that beautiful cat!
Favorite is living room with fireplace, and office room with beautiful wood shelves as workspace and storage
A beautiful apartment with well thought out features.... Colour palette and natural lighting make me want something very similar for myself.
Very ice space. I love your colour space. I too live in the same size place with a small balcony. I live in Montreal Canada. I love how you have managed to make this little cocoon a part of an extremely city. Congratulations.🙏🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦❤️👍
"A house is like a container for your life" 5:46 wonderfully put
It's so clean, yet so cozy and functional without moving, sliding things around. You enter and feel welcome. She really thought everything through for their purpose and lifestyle. The design, the lighting, it's really beautiful!
One of the best apartments I've seen so far on this channel.
I wish I could have 20% of her organization skill to fully change my life lol
this place is small yet feels so open and large to me, i love the feel and coziness of this house, my favorite part is the tiles and the fire place corner
赤堤１４年住んでました。物が少ないって気持がすっきりして良いなと感じました。心地良さそうなお家ですね🌿🐱✨
What a GORGEOUS and WELL THOUGHT place!
It is very thoughtful because it has everything you would ever need in a place you would call "home" like a full kitchen, pet-friendly space, home office, greenery in the outdoor area, spacious bathroom and cozy living space. Not to mention it seems very functional, roomy and easy to take care of, all these and still be very aesthetically pleasing too!
What a beautifully done th-cam.com/users/postUgkxYGamVaHfdHiPlAQaLa7zkwR02OKpGYDU ! The instructions and the photographs are brilliant. It is thorough and genuinely informative. Ryan got another winner! No one does it better!
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. One day I'll own one of these beautiful small apartments in Tokyo City.
The use of color in the apartment plays a fundamental role in creating a feeling of spaciousness and spatiality, the furniture contributes to making it cozy, while the presence of wood in the study makes it a comfortable and pleasant place. The entry of natural light into the apartment is managed effectively, which adds to its appeal. On the other hand, the integration of storage spaces on the walls seems to me to be an excellent option since it reduces the need for additional furniture, optimizing the available space and promoting larger and more functional environments. It is a sustainable option that could inspire the design of future homes.
Very nice flat, also plus points for the cute cat.
the combination of her voice, the music and the production are therapeutic. really enjoyed this.
Love love love this apartment! It reflects the owners - calm, peaceful, content with having enough, not wanting more. The space looks much larger than 46m2. Loved the extra storage they created and the use of timber finished to look like concrete. Also the architect's comment "a house is like a container for your life". You truly don't need too much. Inspirational
I love how the cat keeps staring directly into the camera 😂
They started with a pretty good apartment to begin with, with windows on 3 sides and 2 balconies, one of them a rooftop balcony.
But I really appreciate that the designer Ouchi and her partner decided to renovate their 70’s apartment. Most people don’t do that here because of fear of earthquakes in aging apartments.
Japanese apartments of this generation have a raised bathroom, because there needs to be space for plumbing under the bath. Typically, bathrooms are installed as a unit, and this one is too. It’s standard.
What is unusual is that designer, Kumiko Ouchi was able to raise the floor of the kitchen & move it’s location, presumably by running the plumbing around to the original kitchen location under the raised floor which extends from the kitchen to the study area.
Brilliant!
What designer Ouchi has done well is to integrate the raised floor of the bathroom and laundry with the raised floor of the study area and bedroom.
She’s come up with some other good ideas too. The storage area near the entry and the pantry are placed well. I like how she’s put the commonly unsightly rice cooker drawer around the corner with the fridge. And she’s made an improved solution to the bathroom and toilet areas which could not be moved.
The more I look at it, I think great job!
wow, I was wondering how they moved the entire kitchen, but this makes so much more sense!
@@Lumiiinine Yes, it’s an excellent renovation. It’s not easy to move the location of the kitchen and bathroom.
I worked in Real estate in Japan and bought my own property here.
This is my favourite design so far since I enjoy the idea of levitated floorings for a sense of segregation/division. I’m just in awe of the clean look and design while not compromising on the functionality of the apartment since it’s home to them.
And they knew exactly how and what they wanted.
Thanks NTS team for bringing this to us. It makes me wanna keep this apartment as a reference for the incredible design lessons to learn from.
Cheers
Really enjoyed the fact that this place is functional and being lived in. There have been quite a few episodes in the past where I had no idea where people were storing all their things?
This place seems like it would be so easy to live in, such a relaxing livable space. I love how the kitty made us aware of how much we are intruding by having cameras film his house 😂
I am an aspiring minimalist, so I absolutely love what you've done. This is how I want to live one day.
I always watch twice - first for a 'walk-through' with the designer/architect; second with no volume, just beauty. my fave is the Art Deco, but they're all beautiful pieces of work.
@kar,
During our third view of this tour, we set playback to half-speed with the audio muted.
.
This place has a lot going on!
I used to live there in setagaya the suburbs of Tokyo. Nice memories.
She is so intelligent. And her cat is so cute
I love her attitude that our home should be a container for our life, it’s a very Japanese idea!
i really thought it was concrete, but then she said it was made from wood... and i was like... "what...? woah" i like this apartment. love that floating sink in the toilet. it looks pretty and the use of ambient light makes the toilet space seems really serene. the only thing i don't like about this place is the office chair. it looks uncomfortable. i couldn't imagine working for hours sitting in there, but that's personal preferences😅
I really loved this lovely bright place with all the areas for storage, a spot for that gorgeous kitty's litter and balconies for plants. Great design. My favorite.
What a beautiful place. It's modern but has character and warmth with the use of materials like wood and nice lighting. So well designed. I love it.
Such a beautiful space. All of NTS videos exhibit tranquility, a oneness with the space! A house into a home, if you will.
But I must add, coming from Mumbai, India, the definition of "Small" is very different for various people.
For example, this beautiful 495 sq. ft. apartment for two is considered small. But where I come from, many would consider this home as big. In Mumbai, families of 4 accommodate smaller spaces than those shown in NTS videos. It highlighted important lessons for me: 1) understanding standard definitions and 2) separating objective definitions from subjective perspectives.
Thank you NTS!
Love the simple, thoughtful, and customized design that makes good use of natural light. The matching cat is a great tour assistant too.
We absolutely love the fact that this cat owner is friendly and thus helps in understanding rooms easily.....
the countertop finish is so nice, grey can often feel cold but that kitchen is cozy
That's actually a big apartment for Japanese standards! Mine is 13,66 sqm 😅 Also 4:27 I have the same soap pump but in green 😎
Oh! What's the brand/name?
@@justmesucker5935 Oka (オカ) PLYS Base (プリスベイス) 😉
@@pizzicatesque Thanks! 🥰
This is what I've been waiting for! Been living in Japan for 3 years and saw a lot of never too small worthy apartments. When it comes to designing small spaces, I knew Japan wont disappoint us. One of the best episodes indeed!
OUTSTANDING!!! The Japanese have long understood the value of small space living. Thank you for this outstanding video.
just love the way the narrator speaks and the vibe of the film...what a brilliant design
What a beautiful space, specially the living room corner…
i love the design, simply but still fully functional, the bedroom leading to the balcony is my favourite
Beautiful, ergonomic, serene and feels spacious. Enjoy peace and contentment always
This is probably one the prettiest flats I've seen on this channel.
Hey this is pretty great, i think it is the first project from Japan in this channel. The apartment just looks great, it is such a well combination between eastern and western styles, NICE JOB!
Just incredibly beautiful, colors, materials , light and shadow
I love how their cat matches the kitchen
Simple, practical and above all, feeling to have a cozy moment together inside the house. Well done.
This video is exactly what I needed. Truly inspirational to see how you guys managed to create something so beautiful and special. I've been following the channel stories you bring for us to experience, and this one is truly one of the calmest and most inspiring. Thank you for bringing us these stories and wishing you the best.
I've been eagerly awaiting an episode from Japan! Loved this and loved the use of the floorspace in this apartment. More please!
I love her logic for every design/functionality decision she made. Everything just makes sense!
I absolutely love this apartment, so clean and uncluttered, very well considered and the design perfectly reflects their lives......lovely.
She did an amazing job designing. One of the best on this channel^_^
So beautiful! All the chaos is so well hidden 😍
Minimalistic, functional yet cosy... a beautiful home.
I am in awe of this space. It is so beautiful.
this is one of my fav homes so far!! it is very very close to my dream home 😍 well done Ms Kumiko!!! great design!!!
This is truly my dream home. Love love love what was done with the place
I feel like waking up after meditation after watching this video. The apartment and her voice is so calming
Lovely calm space, away from the chaos outside. Well done.
Such a peaceful apartment…Thank you team NeverTooSmall for encouraging my love for small spaces….Much love to the team
We love you too !
@pedrito,
The interior of our ExpeditionVehicle is three paces across by seven paces long.
"But but but how can you live in such a tiny space!"
We do not live in our ExpeditionVehicle.
We live out of it.