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Even the gorilla is surprised! Renovating a house with Japanese harmony -- "和" (WA)

Yokosuka's Shonan Takatori suburb is a popular area for houses which are rented to customers from the nearby U.S. Navy Base. We decided to renovate a house which had been rented out to U.S. military-related customers for many years. The project has involved a great deal of planning and effort to achieve a satisfactory result, within a limited budget.

The land plot for the house measures approximately 340 square meters, and the house has two-floors, with four bedrooms and a living-dining-kitchen (LDK) room. There is a large yard on the south side where there is enough space to practice putting golf. On another side there is ample room for placing two large-sized home storage sheds. Also, the property has a slope with very nice scenery. Shonan Takatori is a very quiet residential area and is located in an area where nature's greenery has remained unchanged. Mount Takatori is located among the nearby hills, and it is famous for its old stone quarries that were once used to help build the walls of Edo Castle. The quarry area is now a popular spot for rock climbing and also has a well-used hiking course for children. Of note, the Takatori hills have hiking trails which lead to Jinmu-Ji Temple in Zushi City, as well as to the Higashi-Zushi area.

Prior to starting the house renovation project, a portion of the large south side yard was developed into a parking spot. So, together with the existing parking spot, the property can now accommodate two cars. When our renovation work is finished, the house will harmonize the positive points of brand-new furnishings, wallpaper, and flooring, with the good antique-like characteristics of a venerable house that has been lived-in for many years.

For example, the wall by the staircase has a veneer surface and cannot be covered with wallpaper -- so, it will be left as is. However, in the bedrooms, living room, and dining room, where residents will spend a relatively long time, the wallpaper is being replaced, and in this way shows the care taken to make their lives more comfortable. We have found that this sorting of what is to be replaced, and what is to remain, is a difficult task, and it requires consideration of design imbalances that might arise from the mixing of old and new.

Also noteworthy in the features of the renovation work for a house to be rented to U.S. military-related customers, is the line of access between the living room and the dining room. In fact, there originally was a three-way door frame between the living and dining rooms and it measured 180 centimeters, but the distance was increased to over 2 meters to make it easier for taller people to pass through without hitting their heads.

The renovation work on the bathroom is quite close to completion, and it can been seen more clearly when compared to the tiled bathroom before the remodeling. The new window in the bathing room is smaller than the older one, so the walls were remade to match its frame and design. Also, the bathtub was replaced with a wider model. The craftsmen's skills have transformed the bathing room in to a very modern and beautiful one.

There is a big park (locally known as "Gorilla Park") in the neighborhood, which not only has standard playground equipment, such as swings and slides, but also a unique and exciting "zip rider" playground system. The park is divided into an area for children with the abovementioned playground equipment, and a large field for ball games and other activities. It is a park that can be used for a variety of purposes. Also, there is a way to go to Mount Takatori from the park. Surrounded by green hills, the area is ideal for enjoying nature.

The goodness of brand-new construction mixed with the old characteristics preserved through our renovation project. There are good points on both sides, but we found it to be wonderful that the long history of the house will be continued while adding new features. We feel that the renovation has renewed and replaced some things without completely destroying the previous form of the old house. Our project is progressing, with work continuing on both the interior and exterior of the house. We will be updating this blog to show how the renovation will be completed, including the parts we were unable to show this time. So please look forward to it!