“Houses with Earthen floors” are slowly becoming more popular! Doma features are now often seen in magazines and on social media.
It has been 20 years since we have proposed earthen floor salons for building homes in Shinshu, and the number one comment from customers who have seen earthen floors for the first time is , ``It's nice, but how do I use it?''
A Earthen floor salon with no restrictions on how it can be used. There are so many possibilities that it may be difficult to imagine it at first.
That's why we've compiled 36 examples of how to use a Earthen floor salon by owners who are interested. We will introduce four types!
1. connection of space
connect with the outside
Even if you have an open area, you may feel a little reluctant to open the curtains fully if the living room is right outside. By making the earthen floor salon into a single cushion, it is difficult to see into the room from the outside even when it is open, allowing you to live in an open style. A cute girl reading manga in a comfortable space! (Residence of Mr. H, Ueda City)
Connected to the garden/field
If you live in a detached house in Shinshu, you'll want to enjoy gardening and growing your own vegetable garden. You can easily go see what's going on outside from the earthen floor salon, and it's also convenient for taking a tea break in your shoes while working. (Mr. M's residence in Suwa City)
A wide view of the mountain range
The location offers a panoramic view of the Northern Alps. The earthen floor salon with large windows on two sides offers a panoramic view of the scenery, making it the most comfortable space in the house. My son, who is an entrance exam student, has stopped going to the library because he says he will be able to study better here! (Mr. K's residence in Azumino City)
Spectacular earthen floor connected to the wooden deck
Rather than building the building too far to the north, we placed the earthen floor salon on a slope with a good view. The earthen floor with a spectacular view that gives you the feeling of floating is connected to a series of flat wooden decks, allowing your feet to naturally head outside. (Mr. K's residence in Takamori Town)
A gallery-like dirt floor with a spectacular view
A dirt floor has been set up in the special seats where you can see the most beautiful night view of the city from a hill. The design is modeled after your favorite gallery, and downlights illuminate the wall-mounted road bikes, creating a earthen floor salon for adults with a great atmosphere. (Mr. M's residence in Nagano City)
Connect rooms with a dirt floor
In addition to creating a connection with the outside, the earthen floor between the rooms creates a nice connection between the rooms. At the same time, the earthen floor maintains a sense of distance between two households (photo above / Mr. S's residence in Ueda City) and between the living room and the guest room (photo below / Mr. Y's residence in Ueda City). It can also be a gathering place!
Expand your life in the city
There are also earthen floor salons in subdivisions in the city. According to the owner, ``Even if you don't do anything on the dirt floor, having a dirt floor gives you a sense of spaciousness and calmness.You don't need it, but you can't live without it.'' These are deep words. (Mr. H's residence in Nagano City)
2. connection with people
at the center of the gathering
For a home that regularly hosts weekend home parties, we've designed an open earthen floor salon with no partitions. Even if you have a lot of guests, you won't feel cramped, so you can invite a lot of people, and it's also useful for BBQ parties. ``Having a 'blank' space like a dirt floor salon will expand your lifestyle,'' says the owner. This is another famous quote! (Mr. H's residence in Ina City)
Talk on the earthen floor next to the entrance
A well-ventilated dirt floor salon with access from the entrance to the south garden. We sat on the bench and had a lively conversation. At night it looks like a bar. There's also a TV, so it's a space where you can stay forever. (Fujimi-cho Mr. A's residence)
Expand your relationships with your neighbors
Mr. H, an I-turner, seems to be enjoying getting to know his neighbors while living in the countryside. Neighbors who come to share freshly harvested vegetables with others are invited to the earthen floor salon and chatted over tea. The earthen floor salon is perfect for casual relationships in the countryside. (Iizuna-cho Mr. H's residence)
Home glamping
The earthen floor salon has a large storage space, making it easy to take in and out your outdoor gear. You can enjoy glamping at home on a daily basis. "I no longer go camping with my children who have passed junior high school, but thanks to the earthen floor, we can enjoy the outdoors without worrying about it while staying at home." (Y. Haramura's residence)
For a weekend base with fellow hobbyists
Mr. K's hobbies are skiing and mountain climbing. I wanted to gather my friends and have a drink while looking at my proud outdoor gear, so I decided to go to a spacious 8 tatami-mat salon with a earthen floor. Of course, it is also extremely easy to use in terms of functionality, such as waxing skis. (Mr. K's residence in Obuse Town)
spend time with pets
The earthen floor salon is also the perfect place for pets and people to interact. Dogs, cats, and even goldfish! (From the top of the photo: Mr. A's residence in Shiojiri City, Mr. O's residence in Komagane City, and Mr. K's residence in Nagano City)
See more photos Shiojiri City Mr. A's residence Komagane City Mr. O's residence Nagano City Mr. K's residence
3. Turn some room into a earthen floor
A place to put a wood stove
This is a popular idea that has been adopted by many people as it allows you to use a earthen floor without worrying about stains from wood edges or ash! Transporting firewood is easy, and all you have to do to clean it is sweep it out of the window with a broom!
Doma kitchen
A great example of intentionally making the kitchen a dirt floor. It's functional, allowing you to cook without worrying about getting dirty, and it's easy to get to and from the field and take out the garbage from the back door! The wood-burning stove in the same earthen floor salon is also very useful as a cooking utensil. (Mr. W's residence in Chino City)
Doma dining
A dining room with an earthen floor designed to allow people to hold cooking classes at home in the future. Convenient access directly from the entrance. This is planning that is unique to custom-built homes, tailored to the customer's lifestyle. (Residence of Mr. M, Iijima Town)
Doma living room
Mr. K was able to fulfill his wish from the beginning of having a spacious earthen floor as the center of the house. ``Sitting on a chair and relaxing is bliss'' in the open earthen floor salon with an atrium and fully open sash windows. My cat also loves the earthen floor, and his fur that had fallen out due to stress when he lived in an apartment has recovered in this house, and he has become plump and healthy! (Mr. K Tatsunocho's residence)
Half earthen floor living room
``It would be fun to have a half-outdoor living room,'' said Mr. F, who installed a half-dirt-style living room in his residence. You can work in your shoes or lie down on the hardwood floor; you can spend your time in a variety of ways, even though it's all in one space. (Mr. F. Nakagawamura's residence)
family study
A large bookshelf has been set up next to the dirt floor salon to create a reading corner for the whole family. The husband's daily routine is to read the newspaper on the earthen floor while soaking up the morning sun. (Takamori-cho Mr. F's residence)
master's study
The dirt floor salon, which is located at the back and is not connected to the living room, serves as a study where the owner can devote his time. Use it as a private space to relax in your work clothes after working in the mountains, sort the wild vegetables you've picked, listen to music, have an evening drink, or smoke a cigarette without hesitation. (Mr. O's residence in Shiojiri City)
guest room
Mr. K, who is self-employed and has many visitors, has turned the dirt floor salon into a guest room. You can enter and exit directly from the entrance, and the flow line is excellent. There is a large shoji screen between the living room and it can be used flexibly by leaving it open during normal use and closing it off when guests come over. (Mr. K's residence in Okaya City)
Turn the entrance itself into a dirt floor salon
A spacious 6 tatami dirt floor salon that also serves as the entrance space. The L-shaped rising frame can be used as a bench and a place for communication. By hanging and storing jackets, hats, firewood chopping tools, and cleaning tools on the wooden walls, you can create a convenient space that brings together a variety of functions. (Mr. M. Nakagawamura's residence)
Turn your family's entrance into a dirt floor salon
Mr. K, who runs a farm, planned a dirt floor salon with a back entrance separate from the front entrance for the family to use. There is a storage space behind the blindfolded roll screen, so you can put away your dirty work clothes and feet on the dirt floor and go straight to the bath. There's also a wood burning stove, so it's perfect for drying wet clothes. (Mr. K's residence in Matsumoto City)
4. Anyway, use it ``freely''!
It can be used as a living room, dining table, or bedroom!
The spacious dirt floor salon with a four-and-a-half tatami corner is always the center of living. "Depending on my mood, I eat on the dirt floor, read on the dirt floor, and hang out on the dirt floor.Especially in the summer, the dirt floor is the most comfortable, so we all sleep on the dirt floor." (Mr. M's residence in Matsumoto City)
live with nature
When it snows, get ready on the dirt floor and ski in the garden! During the green season, you can jump out of the dirt floor on your bicycle, spread out freshly picked vegetables from your home garden for breakfast, or have a small BBQ on a seven-wheeled stove. “Even though I moved to Shinshu because I love mountains, I don't go out as often anymore because I can enjoy the dirt floor salon.” (Mr. A's residence in Omachi City)
Get acquainted with plants
A dirt floor salon with a water area for enjoying flower arranging. You can incorporate greenery from your garden into your home without worrying. (Mr. K's residence in Nagano City)
grow potted plants
Mr. K, whose hobby is succulents, has over 50 potted plants in his dirt floor salon! A dirt floor is convenient for watering, repotting, and occasionally taking them outside to sunbathe. (Mr. K's residence in Chino City)
You can use the dirt floor rather than the verandah.
``I had wanted a verandah as a symbol of a place to relax, but I made the right decision to create a more practical dirt-floored salon,'' says Mr. K. The space at Mr. K's residence is now used exclusively as a play area for his children. I'm thankful that I can keep an eye on them even if I eat or spill sweets. (Mr. K's residence in Ueda City)
A doma that absorbs the power of the three brothers
The dirt floor salon is the perfect place to let the three energetic brothers relax. It's okay to leave the nuts and flowers you picked up, and the stag beetles you picked. If you have a dirt floor, you won't have to worry about spreading out snacks, and you can even practice jumping rope! (Mr. T's residence in Chikuma City)
Children of Doma fans
At Mr. D's house, where the children love the dirt floor salon, they are often asked to eat snacks and do crafts by saying, "Doma! Doma!" Since it's okay to get it dirty, parents are less likely to say no, and everyone is having a better time. In the summer, it is also good to spread out a mat and sit on the ground. (Mr. D's residence in Matsumoto City)
Bringing what you love closer to you
In the home of a couple whose hobby is touring, they used a dirt floor salon near the living room as a place to store their bikes. A favorite space with a focus on display. (Mr. K's residence in Minamiminowa Village)
Production place 1
A dirt floor salon for owners who want to seriously enjoy pottery on an electric potter's wheel. The wife's gaze from the living room is so kind. (Mr. Y's residence in Suwa City)
Production place 2
A place where the husband, who is also an art teacher, creates his works. Rather than having a private room where you can't see what's going on, a dirt floor salon with a connection to the family space is likely to create a relationship with the family through the production. (Mr. K's residence in Nagano City)
Production place 3
This is a handmade space created by a wife with many hobbies. This winter, she worked hard at knitting while staying warm by the cylindrical stove. (Residence of Mr. M, Ueda City)
Authentic BBQ!
Mr. K, who says BBQ at the hearth table is a staple, looks like it would be a lot of fun! If you plan your ventilation fan in advance, you can use it without hesitation. (Mr. K's residence in Komagane City)
Your computer work will also go faster.
When you step back and put your feet on, your perspective changes and your mood changes. When you want to switch up your work from the comfort of your living room, a change in space can help. Doma salons may come in handy even in the coming era of working from home! (Mr. K's residence in Fujimi Town)
When you write it down like this, you can clearly see the vast possibilities of a doma salon! Did you find any ideas that you would like to incorporate into your own life?
If you are interested, please come to Karuizawa Exhibition Hall. You can experience a wonderful dirt floor salon!
Inquiries Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns regarding new construction, villas, or relocation.