Completed July 2021 Minamigaoka T Residence
Weekend in Karuizawa
Feel the comfort of nature in your living room
Stand in the kitchen with fresh ingredients
Around the wood stove at dusk
Enjoying wine in the doma salon
A colorful life
Enjoy the four seasons in comfort
Because of this house in Karuizawa
The exterior is finished in a chic style with pale gray Jolipat exterior walls and cedar boards and tiles. Warm light spills into the entire garden from the many openings on the south side. Surrounded by trees, the lit-up evening lights make this place seem like another world.
My favorite weekend is lighting the wood stove in the dirt floor.
■ A high-quality home that speaks to your senses, realized only in Karuizawa
The T residence is conveniently located along Route 18, but stands in a quiet corner surrounded by trees. After living abroad, Mr. and Mrs. T, who were based in an apartment in Tokyo, built this second home because they wanted to spend the summer with their beloved dog in a cool place. They were originally familiar with Karuizawa, and the COVID-19 pandemic was a major turning point for them when Mr. T started working remotely.
The couple learned about Kobo Shinshu House on the web. "We made our first inquiry during the Obon holiday, but they were very accommodating. The Karuizawa showroom really appealed to us, so we made an immediate decision," said the couple. They particularly liked the spacious open kitchen, the earthen-floored salon with its wood-burning stove, and the functional walk-in wardrobe. Using the Karuizawa showroom as a base, they left the blueprints up to the designers, and the plan got underway.
The open island kitchen overlooks the garden beyond the wooden deck. "When I stand here, the things I want to make just come to mind," says the wife, as she begins cooking with ease. Having discovered the convenience and deliciousness of oven cooking while living in America, the couple installed a Gaggenau built-in oven.
■ Achieve well-being by living in harmony with nature
We visited for an interview in February, and every corner of the house was warm, like a warm spring day. Thanks to the company's unique "Airpass Solar Construction Method," the house is softly warm in winter, letting in the warmth of the sun, and cool in summer, like being in the shade of a tree. "It also has a high humidity control effect, so it's perfect for humid Karuizawa. Even at the villa, where we're often away, the air doesn't feel stagnant." The couple feels the effects of this on a weekly basis.
The T residence has a dignified appearance, with high-quality natural materials such as solid wood and diatomaceous earth used abundantly throughout. Not only the finishes, but also the structural materials are 100% made in Nagano Prefecture. "The owner himself can choose the wood in the forest, and he can be moved by the vibration of the tree falling when he is present at the felling, which is the joy of building a house that can only be experienced at Kobo Shinshu House," he recalled.
"The fun part here is cooking in the oven while drinking wine," said the wife, who was smiling in the kitchen, and the husband, who is looking forward to "using this as a base to go skiing all over the prefecture." The well-being Karuizawa style that everyone aspires to was here.
The doma salon is a perfect place to relax, equipped with a wine cellar and custom-made sofas. The wood-burning stove is a German-made Scantherm, which allows you to watch the flames from both sides. "I enjoy my favorite Napa wine while watching the flames and the garden view," says Mr. T.
An exquisite design for flow lines that distinguishes between "inside" and "outside"
The garage with an overslider is a built-in type that is integrated with the residence. There is no need to remove snow, and it is easy to load and unload luggage and move around on rainy days. The built-in garage is connected to the shoe closet and entrance through a circular route, and the entrance hall is the center of a gentle connection between the outside and inside. The dirt floor storage, where you can easily store outdoor gadgets, is convenient for life in Karuizawa, close to nature. In winter, "The first thing I do when I come back from Tokyo is shovel snow (laughs)."
The entrance hall has a holy atmosphere. The floor of the porch is laid with square iron slabs, a specialty of the Suwa region, and some of the walls are tiled, giving it a stylish finish.
The wife's favorite is the WIC, which she saw at the Karuizawa showroom of Kobo Shinshu House and said, "I requested to use it as is." The storage capacity is ample on both sides of the wall and in the central chest. The drawers are made of paulownia wood, which has high insect and moisture resistance.
The hallway leads straight from the entrance hall to the bedroom. The sunlight filtering in through the windows on either side of the room creates an extraordinary feeling, like visiting a gallery.
The bathroom has a classical atmosphere, with a chic color scheme and mini tiles. The double bowl makes it spacious.
Mr. and Mrs. T enjoy spending time with their dear friends in a living room filled with natural light. The solid wood flooring is made of Yamazakura, which is recommended for underfloor heating.
The sunlight filtering in through the large windows paints the entire living room in a warm color. The island kitchen, which the owner says "makes you feel like a chef," was made by Toyo Kitchen. It is beautifully balanced with the storage space behind it and the small window.
"Enjoying life" 3 tips for Tanosim
POINT 01 Living with your favorite wine
"I stocked up on wines I bought while touring wineries during my time stationed in Napa in the US. Some of the wines were just ripe for drinking, so I enjoy wine on a regular basis. The doma salon has a different atmosphere to the living room, which is great. I built the doma because I wanted to be able to drink wine while watching the flames of the wood stove and the garden."
The earthen floor salon, one step lower from the living room, is a special space with a secluded feel. The light from the bracket lights falls on the wooden walls and iron flat stone floor, creating beautiful shadows.
POINT 02 Spend time mindfully
"At first, we moved a room that was meant to be my husband's study to the first floor, so we discussed how to use this space and decided to make it a mirrored studio. This room is perfect for yoga or strength training, as it allows you to concentrate. In the next room there is a sauna, where we can get in shape depending on how we feel that day. On the second floor there is a Japanese-style room and sanitary room for guests, a training room with a wall mirror, and a sauna, creating a space that values privacy."
POINT 03 Remote meeting with a view of the trees
"The study is located next to the bedroom on the first floor, overlooking the wooden deck. It was built based on my requests, such as 'I want ample storage space for shelves up to the ceiling, and a U-shaped desk.' When I work remotely, it's easy to spread out documents here and put them away. It's my favorite place, where I can stay all day and concentrate."
1. The private areas, including the stairs behind the TV and the bedroom on the left, are gently separated by a raised marble floor. Everything you see is beautiful, including the combination of a pure white accent wall and latticework, enriching your life.
2.3． The Japanese-style room on the second floor is used as a guest room. The tiled alcove is chic and innovative. Traditional natural materials such as the reed vine ceiling and persimmon tannin sliding doors are used, so you can enjoy the changes that occur over time.
4. A bedroom where you can enjoy chill time with natural light and indirect lighting. The minimalist interior with no unnecessary items and the layout set back from the living/dining/kitchen area create an atmosphere like a detached house.
5. The high sidelights facing south and west create a refreshingly open feeling in the second floor corridor. It makes you want to just sit back and watch the time go by.
6. The wall of the staircase hall is accented with latticed slits, creating a warm, high-quality, hideaway-like atmosphere.
7. The stone cladding and wooden front door create a stately and elegant design, welcoming you to the Karuizawa mansion.
- Housing Data -
Family Composition: Husband and Wife Client: 56 years old, company executive
Completion: July 2021 Structure/construction method: Wooden frame construction Construction period: 10 months
[Exterior Finish]
Roof: Galvalume copper sheet Exterior: Jolipat, some boards and tiles
[Internal Finishing]
1F Floor: Solid wood (Yamazakura), some marble
Walls: Diatomaceous earth, partially panelled
Ceiling: Diatomaceous earth, partially panelled
2F Floor: Solid wood (Yamazakura), some marble
Walls: Diatomaceous earth, partially panelled
Ceiling: Diatomaceous earth, partially panelled
- Builder's Eye -
Shinshu Studio / Forest Corporation
Karuizawa Branch Manager Tadasuke Karasawa
We proposed the "Shinshu Kobo House" to Mr. and Mrs. T, who wanted to build a house using natural materials, with the concept of living in harmony with the natural environment of Shinshu. The earthen floor salon, which connects the inside and outside, is an ambiguous space in a good way and can be used freely. It was the perfect place for the couple, who wanted to spend an active holiday connected with nature and place a wine cellar.
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