I've rescued a couple of houses over the years that were almost overtaken by nature, and it's an incredibly satisfying task. Nowhere near the scale and expense of this property, but finding these hidden gems and breathing new life into them gives you such a feeling of accomplishment. So much more so than constructing something brand new.
The old house still looked incredible despite its ran down state. It is a tough decision between respecting the past of the building, and adapting it to the future, but I think preserving more of the original interior would have given the building a more interesting character. Now it is not really that much different from other luxurious modernist houses.
Agreed, it feels really cold and clinical after being renovated. The before felt so organic and rich (in history) I think it would have looked incredible if they’d recreated the original style but added modern elements and touches that mixed well with the original colours and themes.
I don't think there was much left of the house to really preserve. Maybe you mean look and feel, but even so it's sort of just your own preference. The person who decided to renovate just has a preference of modernity and if you really wanted a house with that original 'untouched' feel, there are many places like that in Japan. I saw a lot of character in the house, especially the artistic appeal & the thought that went into every piece (especially the heart of the house). In my opinion I would rather it be more modernized/artistic rather than less, otherwise it would be too traditional to stand out.
@@MaxRollison I'm personally more in favor of preserving the original look, especially considering it's an almost 100 year old design, which is a lot harder to come by than the modern minimalistic look. I honestly think traditional would stand out more than modern, the same modern look is everywhere these days.
I like how one video he is showing Chris these mansions, and the next he is showing him these tiny little run down places with the toilet door on the outside of the building.
This place looks incredible and amazing. Plus Alex demonstrating not just impressive knowledge about the property but also the razor sharp reflexes when Chris is near any tap.
It makes me happy to see old homes restored. It reminds me of that Korean animated film called "House" (Jib) about house spirits that thrive on the love and life lived in a home. It's hard to find the film but so moving. When I see something like this, it's makes me think of the spirit of the home being restored to happiness and not lonely anymore.
@Carrie - I too feel that restoring the spirit of the home/property is essential in restoration projects of this nature...the respect for maintaining decades & sometimes hundreds of years of lives lived under its roof is interwoven in the timbers and gardens. There is a resonance gained through the lives & experiences of those who lived in the space despite being long gone to their ancestors.
i love how they respected the houses past but emphasize the modernity of it as well and at the same time its a luxurious display but a humble show of minimalism.
Saw the lamp and instantly thought of Noguchi!!!!!! The influential mid century designer… ahhh design school history lesson 101… as a design geek for classic light and chairs i recognised most of these
Just a gorgeous home; the before and after photos really dial in how the restoration preserved the old and fused in the new. Looks like a great spot to either read or write a book on a rainy day. Thanks for sharing can't wait to see more.
As someone who has some interest in design, watching Chris gawk at this house and being explained Noguchi and Sori Yanagi was great. I never thought I'd hear Chris ever mention Noguchi, especially as many times as he has. Would be fun to see someone knowledgeable take him on a museum tour and see how he reacts to things. This is probably my favorite house ever featured on this channel, love how they preserved the old beams, use of midcentury era furniture mixed with modern minimalism, and indirect lighting scheme that also included highlighting the preserved ceiling. Really show's Japan's strength at mixing old and new styles and strong design culture. His comment on the push to open cabinets is funny because you can get that from IKEA at a reasonable price or convert existing cabinets with a few parts from Amazon. Also, it's true that those specific Noguchi pieces are beautiful and probably expensive, but the standard ones you can get online officially or through eBay are reasonably priced (
I really didn’t like the dynamic those two fell into here. Chris was playing up, and I totally get it, he’s British so instead of just calling out the pretentious crap he was being fed ( because that would be aggressively rude- and let’s face it, reading something in a book does not confer instant superiority) he played the piss taking thug. Even though he’s far from a piss taking thug, but equally far from being a pretentious twat. So I totally get why he went for thé tongue-in-cheek at least I’ll get a giggle here option.
This is a gorgeous property and house, and I love how it has such a large guest suite that parents or friends/family could stay in comfortable for a long time, and it looks great for entertaining as well. And the interior style and furnishing of the home is simply incredible. Everything is so considered and carefully placed. This just became one of my favourite homes I've ever seen!
My wish has been granted!! Thank you for the amazing video thank you for showing us traditional Japanese architecture! I always wonder how you manage to convince people to show you around their houses XD To be honest if my house was like that I would want to brag about it.
This video reminded me on a Shogo video I recently watched about tea ceremony: you will always have one special item that the rest of the ceremony revolves around to not overwhelm your guests - I never felt that description this much like during this house tour. I would be in constant fear to be indebted for a lifetime after one visit. Nice stuff, but simply *too much.*
A tip for anyone who wants a little bit of Noguchi in their homes: He designed some lamps for Vitra, which are still made today (in Japan, of course) and will only set you back about 300 dollars/euros for the smaller table lamp models.
Every corner of this place seems to have been designed so you always have an art piece or scenery in view(or No Gucci), absolutely dripping with style. At some points it felt like they somehow fused the past with modern architecture!
The push and pull between these two gents is great The property, only in my dreams, but that's very nice Actually ate those sushi for breakfast in Nara, pretty tasty. Even when i ate the first one with leaf
These are amazing, and I love seeing them! One of my favorite things to do whenever I’m in Japan is to wander around the older districts and check out the houses and buildings! Keep up the great work, boys!
A piece of heaven on Earth. I would be a bit terrified of staying here though, for fear of accidentally harming a priceless Noguchi lamp or dining set or a $40,000 bookshelf. The serenity of the gardens is incredible.
So far, this is one of the most beautiful houses you've filmed. Each and every room is exquisite and dreamy. In one of your next videos, I'd like you to film a home entirely designed and decorated by Muji. Can you do it?
My in-laws lived in Ikoma, and the train station had a shop that sold the persimmon wrapped sushi. One of my all time favorites and annoyingly I've never seen it outside of Japan.
That's a really nice house. I like the idea of renovating traditional houses and adapting them to modern times. I too want to preserve my ancestral house if I have the money
I love the minimalist aesthetic of modern Japanese homes. My husband and I used that aesthetic for inspiration when building our own home in the Los Angeles area. We, too, have mid-century furniture, including a coffee table by Noguchi.
I was hopping for a video like this. I'm pulling together design ideas for the house I want to build and a couple of the features here will defiantly be represented in mine. It's a little sad that they destroyed the stream when they renovated the yard, since living water features go so well with the Japanese style. I was pausing to look at different things and I LOVE the beaten metal hand rails.
Beautiful, kudos to the owner bringing back the spirit of the property. That said - giant paper lantern/light (~ 13mins) is resemblance of huge larvae or grub...kind of disconcerting :)
Don’t miss the greatest impersonation of Alex you’ve ever heard at 18:40
Hi, Kurisu!!!
I want a Connor review of your voice acting as Alex.
That was good. Really good.
Ending clip was gold
So… How much is the house?
I've rescued a couple of houses over the years that were almost overtaken by nature, and it's an incredibly satisfying task. Nowhere near the scale and expense of this property, but finding these hidden gems and breathing new life into them gives you such a feeling of accomplishment. So much more so than constructing something brand new.
Is it worth it for market value, or do you always end up spending more than you hoped for when rescuing houses?
Yeah I am interested in this process
Just trying to win the lottery in the US, then immediately reach out to Alex to get it all settled.
The old house still looked incredible despite its ran down state. It is a tough decision between respecting the past of the building, and adapting it to the future, but I think preserving more of the original interior would have given the building a more interesting character. Now it is not really that much different from other luxurious modernist houses.
Agreed, it feels really cold and clinical after being renovated. The before felt so organic and rich (in history) I think it would have looked incredible if they’d recreated the original style but added modern elements and touches that mixed well with the original colours and themes.
@@pixiemagic36 100%
I don't think there was much left of the house to really preserve. Maybe you mean look and feel, but even so it's sort of just your own preference. The person who decided to renovate just has a preference of modernity and if you really wanted a house with that original 'untouched' feel, there are many places like that in Japan. I saw a lot of character in the house, especially the artistic appeal & the thought that went into every piece (especially the heart of the house). In my opinion I would rather it be more modernized/artistic rather than less, otherwise it would be too traditional to stand out.
@@MaxRollison I'm personally more in favor of preserving the original look, especially considering it's an almost 100 year old design, which is a lot harder to come by than the modern minimalistic look. I honestly think traditional would stand out more than modern, the same modern look is everywhere these days.
@@None38389 yep, they built a museum with furniture you rather won´t touch. Imagine leaving a water ring on that one of a kind table😀
Ah yes, more properties I will never be able to afford🤌
Lol
The video are nice but I agree. He should also show some cheaper houses that people would commonly buy
You can't afford them now. You never know about later
@@AdityaSharma-ug3ip very positive! Good attitude!
Not yet
I like how one video he is showing Chris these mansions, and the next he is showing him these tiny little run down places with the toilet door on the outside of the building.
I like hearing from the property owners, its always interesting seeing their investment and pride in speaking on it. Great video as always!
Thank you, Alex for showing us such an incredible place and bringing your vast knowledge! Can't wait for the next segment of "Impress Abroad"
This place looks incredible and amazing. Plus Alex demonstrating not just impressive knowledge about the property but also the razor sharp reflexes when Chris is near any tap.
To one day be able to design and work in a renovation of this quality would be a dream. This house is gorgeous!
Chris, do you have a brother in France living with family and friends doing videos?
appreciate you showing us how big the bathtub is despite the danger of chris turning the water on while you're in there! 😂
Honestly as much as I love Chris and Connor's dynamic, I really *really* love Chris and Alex's dynamic!
@tokyo portfolio Alex speaks English, at least TRY to scam me correctly lmaoo
It makes me happy to see old homes restored. It reminds me of that Korean animated film called "House" (Jib) about house spirits that thrive on the love and life lived in a home. It's hard to find the film but so moving. When I see something like this, it's makes me think of the spirit of the home being restored to happiness and not lonely anymore.
@Carrie - I too feel that restoring the spirit of the home/property is essential in restoration projects of this nature...the respect for maintaining decades & sometimes hundreds of years of lives lived under its roof is interwoven in the timbers and gardens. There is a resonance gained through the lives & experiences of those who lived in the space despite being long gone to their ancestors.
i love how they respected the houses past but emphasize the modernity of it as well and at the same time its a luxurious display but a humble show of minimalism.
Saw the lamp and instantly thought of Noguchi!!!!!! The influential mid century designer… ahhh design school history lesson 101… as a design geek for classic light and chairs i recognised most of these
This guy is definitely in the right field. It's no bs to say he has a passion for his work. Kudos to you.
Just a gorgeous home; the before and after photos really dial in how the restoration preserved the old and fused in the new. Looks like a great spot to either read or write a book on a rainy day. Thanks for sharing can't wait to see more.
As someone who has some interest in design, watching Chris gawk at this house and being explained Noguchi and Sori Yanagi was great. I never thought I'd hear Chris ever mention Noguchi, especially as many times as he has. Would be fun to see someone knowledgeable take him on a museum tour and see how he reacts to things. This is probably my favorite house ever featured on this channel, love how they preserved the old beams, use of midcentury era furniture mixed with modern minimalism, and indirect lighting scheme that also included highlighting the preserved ceiling. Really show's Japan's strength at mixing old and new styles and strong design culture.
His comment on the push to open cabinets is funny because you can get that from IKEA at a reasonable price or convert existing cabinets with a few parts from Amazon. Also, it's true that those specific Noguchi pieces are beautiful and probably expensive, but the standard ones you can get online officially or through eBay are reasonably priced (
I really didn’t like the dynamic those two fell into here. Chris was playing up, and I totally get it, he’s British so instead of just calling out the pretentious crap he was being fed ( because that would be aggressively rude- and let’s face it, reading something in a book does not confer instant superiority) he played the piss taking thug. Even though he’s far from a piss taking thug, but equally far from being a pretentious twat. So I totally get why he went for thé tongue-in-cheek at least I’ll get a giggle here option.
I like this dynamics that you guys have! Always a pleasure watch!
This is a gorgeous property and house, and I love how it has such a large guest suite that parents or friends/family could stay in comfortable for a long time, and it looks great for entertaining as well.
And the interior style and furnishing of the home is simply incredible. Everything is so considered and carefully placed. This just became one of my favourite homes I've ever seen!
I love that garden viewing area.
I loved how that place was restored. The food was a great bonus as well.
Beautiful house. Love Noguchi's work happy to see the pieces presented here so well preserved!
I'd love to see more places with gardens on this channel :) This looks amazing!
I'm loving this series
You and Chris have great chemistry. Always a treat to see him on the show.
Awesome House. You can really feel the spirit of Japan.
8:35 Alex looks so professional even in casual clothes, while Chris is being a good contrast to the scene(?)
Chris: This garden is absolutely stunning!
Alex: Yes, but chair…
AMAZING place!! Love it! Absolutely in love with these renovated traditional japanese houses!
You two have such a fun dynamic! Alex, hopefully you've learned your lesson about Chris and tubs!
Another great video guys!! we want moree!
Good to see mr affable here
Gorgeous house and a fun time with Mr Affable😊
Alex, this is one of the best places you've shown us! Thank you!
What an amazing house, great job to both of you for showing us an old/new Japanese house.
Finally. A building I would actually buy but will never be affordable.
I just love how chris describes things. It's so calming and peacefully
I actually have seen a shop in Kyoto that sold different varieties of moss loved it.
The animation at the start was so cute and funny!
I plan on going to Nara in April of next year so I might pass by here! Thank you for sharing another dreamy place 😍
Love the Gate, the front door, bathroom and the garden.
This place is Gorgeous ❤
i had no idea about the moss tuffs, thats amazing!
wouldn't it be super slippery to walk on?
My wish has been granted!! Thank you for the amazing video thank you for showing us traditional Japanese architecture! I always wonder how you manage to convince people to show you around their houses XD To be honest if my house was like that I would want to brag about it.
The interior is quite beautiful!
This video reminded me on a Shogo video I recently watched about tea ceremony: you will always have one special item that the rest of the ceremony revolves around to not overwhelm your guests - I never felt that description this much like during this house tour. I would be in constant fear to be indebted for a lifetime after one visit. Nice stuff, but simply *too much.*
A tip for anyone who wants a little bit of Noguchi in their homes: He designed some lamps for Vitra, which are still made today (in Japan, of course) and will only set you back about 300 dollars/euros for the smaller table lamp models.
I’m a huge fan of traditional East Asian buildings, the blend of modern and traditional is amazing
Every corner of this place seems to have been designed so you always have an art piece or scenery in view(or No Gucci), absolutely dripping with style. At some points it felt like they somehow fused the past with modern architecture!
The push and pull between these two gents is great
The property, only in my dreams, but that's very nice
Actually ate those sushi for breakfast in Nara, pretty tasty. Even when i ate the first one with leaf
These are amazing, and I love seeing them!
One of my favorite things to do whenever I’m in Japan is to wander around the older districts and check out the houses and buildings!
Keep up the great work, boys!
I shit you not, as soon as Chris started playing with the lights and they went off, an ad for lightbulbs came up for me 😅😅
A piece of heaven on Earth. I would be a bit terrified of staying here though, for fear of accidentally harming a priceless Noguchi lamp or dining set or a $40,000 bookshelf. The serenity of the gardens is incredible.
The exposed roof looks great, I wish we could do that around where I live. We need lots of insulation in the roof and walls.
Loving every video you put out. Thank you !
Great episode! Chris is awesome as well! I love his channel too.
I have no idea what Zen actually is. But in my head, this is a Zen place
Wow, just... wow!
So far, this is one of the most beautiful houses you've filmed. Each and every room is exquisite and dreamy.
In one of your next videos, I'd like you to film a home entirely designed and decorated by Muji. Can you do it?
u gave me amazing design ideas with a project of mine in the house, i sincerely thank u.
Great house.
Thanks for the great video.
Amazing video, I hope you do more like this
The best one yet.
I was just in Nara for the first time 2 weeks ago! Loved it, but those deer are fiesty!
Is the painting upside down at 7:48?
More Chris! He provides such a stark difference to Alex but it works beautifully.
This was really nice, love the attention to detail.
My in-laws lived in Ikoma, and the train station had a shop that sold the persimmon wrapped sushi.
One of my all time favorites and annoyingly I've never seen it outside of Japan.
Chris sent me. Liked, sub’d etc. But regardless of how I got here, like your content. The renovation is stunning.
I DO want to see more furnished Japanese homes and traditional homes. :) Wasn't just me?
I wish I could have a moss lawn, but it's way too hot and dry where I live.
awesome! and don't worry, Alex, I'm probably not the only viewer who does know about Isamu Noguchi 😁
Keep it up with this series man! It's really interesting
i love the intro!!!!
brilliant video!
Wow amazing!
Love your videos!🎉
That's a really nice house. I like the idea of renovating traditional houses and adapting them to modern times. I too want to preserve my ancestral house if I have the money
I love the minimalist aesthetic of modern Japanese homes. My husband and I used that aesthetic for inspiration when building our own home in the Los Angeles area. We, too, have mid-century furniture, including a coffee table by Noguchi.
Moss gardens are my dream
Another great video 🥰
First to arrive hehe
Gorgeous. Love these videos!
Simply brilliant ☺️
Okay I am in love with this house 😍
This is so pretty
I was hopping for a video like this. I'm pulling together design ideas for the house I want to build and a couple of the features here will defiantly be represented in mine.
It's a little sad that they destroyed the stream when they renovated the yard, since living water features go so well with the Japanese style.
I was pausing to look at different things and I LOVE the beaten metal hand rails.
This was an impressive house.
Incredible house!
Thank you Alex, for the tour. I would pay a premium to tour that house and garden with an extremely detailed guide.
I love the minimalist design. Looks awesome!
Just in time for some dinner time viewing..
Minus the bedroom, it could pass as a really nice and comfy cafe.
Piece of art. So beautiful.
The bathtub joking between Alex and Chris > maybe they need to let off some steam with a Supersoaker water gun fight?
Mr. affable is sparring hard 😆😆😆 I can see him knock out opponent in December 😎
Beautiful, kudos to the owner bringing back the spirit of the property. That said - giant paper lantern/light (~ 13mins) is resemblance of huge larvae or grub...kind of disconcerting :)
Brilliant video mate
This is so exciting.