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Since the kitchen is a space full of pipes and appliances, such as gas, water and electricity, renovations cost more than expected despite the space being limited. Starting with the investigation of the existing conditions, it is best to have detailed drawings or service drawings to confirm the position of the current pipes. If there are no drawings, it is necessary to measure the exact current position of the pipes, but it is risky, because if you want to change your plans, something unexpected might turn up after tearing down the space. When the plan is decided, the next steps are the estimate and contract. A detailed plan is needed to create the estimate. The construction starts from demolition→repair→plumbing / gas / electrical construction→facilitation→furnishing→floor / wall / ceiling construction→finishing. The construction takes a week to 10 days normally, but only1-2 days, if it is only changing the appliances.
There are 3 ways to create an ideal kitchen within a limited budget: the first way is to utilize the existing kitchen. A totally new image of the kitchen can be created ; changing the worktop or covering existing doors with sheets, or reusing the existing built-in appliances / range hood in their current position are all good options. But in some cases, additional costs may be incurred to match the existing and new kitchen finishing. The second way to create an ideal kitchen is to use an IKEA kitchen. IKEA has a construction service, which costs about 100,000 yen (depending on the location and existing condition). The third way is to use a stainless frame kitchen. In contrast to IKEA’s furniture-like kitchen, this style keeps the minimal function within the simple frame and leaves the joy to build the shelves and storages according to usage. A ready-made 1.8m wide stainless kitchen costs about 330,000 yen. Creating an attractive kitchen that suits one’s lifestyle will enhance the joy of everyday life.

M Residence
The M residence stands on a 6m X 17m 107.28m2 piece of slender land of a highly populated area in Tokyo. This reinforced structural building is 4 stories, with 2 floors below ground and 2 floors above ground. There is a music studio on basement 2, a Tatami guest room on basement 1, an entrance on the 1st floor, a living and dining kitchen on the mezzanine, and bedrooms on the 2nd floor. The floors are skip-leveled from basement 2 to the mezzanine. The center of the house, living and dining kitchen are one open space, gently separated by 4 steps. The living room facing the two-story window is a relaxing multi-purpose space; the dining kitchen with its 3m large table is where families and friends gather.
The 4m wide ceiling-height shelf situated between the kitchen and dining area hides the structural column. Because the kitchen of the owner’s previous house was closed, and an open kitchen was requested, there was a plan to reveal the column and connect the kitchen and the dining room. However, with the advice of architect Taro Ashihara, who suggested that the kitchen should have some hidden areas, the owner decided to have the shelf between the rooms. The doors of the shelf open to the kitchen side, and the back facing the dining area is covered with colored glass and is used as a giant white or black board. The L-shaped counter was designed originally on the kitchen wall for the wife who holds cooking classes. The desk that extends from this counter is used flexibly as the PC desk for the wife or the study area for the children. The house is left with many possibilities for the couple, and reflects the lifestyle of the family at each stage.





O residence
The O residence is located in a quiet residential area of Tokyo. The couple asked architect Andrea Hikone to design their house on a rectangular-shaped area of land measuring 200m2. The architect created a two-story wood structured split-level house, naturally connecting the spaces on this land with vertical intervals. The first floor centers around the dining kitchen with a 5m void, with the living room on the south side half a level above, and the husband's artier half a level below. There is a storage room and a bathroom on the north side behind the stairs. The main bedroom is positioned on the second floor. The greenish blue window frame has become an accent in the white space and camellia and sasanqua replanted from their grandparents? house are blossoming in the garden. The dining kitchen has a top light which allows bright light to shine into the space. The kitchen uses a flat steel stone for the floor to create a DOMA like feeling. The raw concrete island counter has a great presence in the space. It is possible to go around the ceiling height storage on the north side, which stores the refrigerator and oven, to the bathroom behind the staircase. Many storages have been planned in this house, like the storage below the counter and the shelves using the whole eastern wall. The glass used for owner's wife's grandparents house was used for the door, which became the accent of the space. As a result, a functional, well-designed dining kitchen was created while keeping the memories of the grandparents alive.

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