Houzz Tour: 'Paper House' is a Home Creatively Decked Out With Washi
Renovated to fit the lifestyle of newlyweds, this is a gorgeous home finished in the washi, wood, and stone
Once upon a time, Japanese homes were built out of the wood and paper so deeply rooted in the country’s climate and geography. Plant-derived materials let a building breathe and regulate temperature and humidity. Most of all, they create a visually soothing space. ‘Paper House’ – which uses only Japanese paper, or washi, for its ceiling, walls, and sliding doors – was designed by architectural designer Masatsugu Fujimura, who has made it his mission to use the paper, wood, earth, and stone materials of traditional Japanese architecture “to never build anything but homes that become more beautiful with time.”
Finishing the ceiling and walls entirely in washi was Fujimura’s idea. All walls and ceilings are covered in 900mm x 900mm pieces of TOLI’s Washi Wall—with the special exception of the west wall of the second floor living room, which is finished in 450mm x 450mm pieces of Rokuta paper handmade in Nepal. Besides a reputation for durability sufficient for 100 years of use, Rokuta paper uses a noncombustible process free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Originally, Fujimura wanted to use genuine Japanese-made washi, but had to give up on that idea because “Japanese washi hasn’t made much progress on noncombustible processing, which means you need secondary processing when using it for interiors.” Fujimura adds, “I think improvement in this area would lead to more genuine Japanese washi being used in interiors.”
Originally, Fujimura wanted to use genuine Japanese-made washi, but had to give up on that idea because “Japanese washi hasn’t made much progress on noncombustible processing, which means you need secondary processing when using it for interiors.” Fujimura adds, “I think improvement in this area would lead to more genuine Japanese washi being used in interiors.”
This is the ground floor Japanese-style room. The east face (left in the photo) is finished in uniformly-sized Rokuta handmade paper. The blue washi used in the traditional room harmonises with the color of the tatami to create a tranquil ambience. In contrast, the washi of the second floor living room introduced above projects a sunny vitality.
Naturally, the fact that washi shrinks is thoroughly taken into account when hanging it as wallpaper. The floors in every room are 30mm-thick pure natural cedar planks with a natural oil finish. Now, the reason that this room is the only one with tatami is that during the design consultation phase the couple learned they were pregnant and decided they needed a space for changing diapers and caring for the baby. “After the renovation started, they gave birth to a healthy baby, and it delights me more than anything that this is a home for three,” says Fujimura.
Naturally, the fact that washi shrinks is thoroughly taken into account when hanging it as wallpaper. The floors in every room are 30mm-thick pure natural cedar planks with a natural oil finish. Now, the reason that this room is the only one with tatami is that during the design consultation phase the couple learned they were pregnant and decided they needed a space for changing diapers and caring for the baby. “After the renovation started, they gave birth to a healthy baby, and it delights me more than anything that this is a home for three,” says Fujimura.
Looking at the second floor living room from a different angle shows how the indoor sliding doors with a taikobari (completely covered with stout washi on both sides) finish help preserve privacy. When Fujimura uses sliding doors, the door handles on the left and right are a must and a fine detail that he believes is especially important for Japanese-style architecture.
At first, the newlyweds wanted to put the living, dining, and kitchen (LDK) area on the ground floor. But when Fujimura saw the building he instantly came up with the idea of “making good use of the space between the structure’s reinforced concrete beams to create a comfortable space that puts the LDK area on the second floor and private rooms on the ground floor.” The idea was adopted immediately, resulting in an open-plan LDK that is spacious, bright, and comfortable.
This is a first floor window seen from the top of the stairs on the second floor. Though part of the original building, the window has been made more compact to hide the frame while sunlight comes inside from behind the ornamental shelf.
An entrance, wet area, and living room finished in granite is one of the home’s most distinguishing accents.
Fujimura also accompanied the couple to showrooms to select and order the furniture. Since washi is the central interior element, they selected furniture with a natural and inviting look. The table is custom-made from a solid wood panel.Well worth the effort, the newlyweds are delighted by its calming presence in the home.
Another feature is the ambient lighting that highlights the washi wall at the far end of the room. The lights are LED, but installing ambient lighting fixtures just as the manufacturer made them would be too bright for the home. So, Fujimura modified the LED bulbs with his own unique innovation to create a level of brightness that is both eco-friendly and comfortable.
Another feature is the ambient lighting that highlights the washi wall at the far end of the room. The lights are LED, but installing ambient lighting fixtures just as the manufacturer made them would be too bright for the home. So, Fujimura modified the LED bulbs with his own unique innovation to create a level of brightness that is both eco-friendly and comfortable.
In contrast to the interior, the exterior was not significantly renovated. Initially, the plan was to enclose the entire exterior in perforated aluminium as part of a double-skin design that would improve the thermal environment next to windows and save energy, but the cost turned out to be too prohibitive. Still, the narrow, long bedroom window was originally part of an opening that served as an entrance that has been converted into a wall with a long, horizontal window. The entrance area has an enlarged opening, and since the entrance fixtures are heavy, the top and bottom of the solid wood doors have been treated to prevent warping and open and close with floor hinges. The wall next to the entrance has been removed and replaced with semi-transparent tapestry glass that allows in faint light, one among many of the clever ideas around the home for bringing in natural light.
For the washi, needless to say, as well as for all other natural materials Fujimura makes the utmost effort to use materials that become more beautiful with the passage of time.
“Given that 70% of Japan is covered in forest, I think designers need to come up with more ideas that make use of timber and natural materials,” says Fujimura. “I often use washi and karakami, another traditional Japanese paper, as interior materials, and I am always impressed by how they soften a space and complement wood.”
“Given that 70% of Japan is covered in forest, I think designers need to come up with more ideas that make use of timber and natural materials,” says Fujimura. “I often use washi and karakami, another traditional Japanese paper, as interior materials, and I am always impressed by how they soften a space and complement wood.”
Fujimura carefully selected all the materials. The newlyweds placed the utmost confidence in his judgment, and the completed Paper House includes almost everything he proposed in the renovation plan.
Washi is an integral part of Japanese life, valued for both its utility and beauty, and now this same material soothes the spirits of these newlyweds as they make a life together in their new home.
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What do you like best about this home? Let us know in the Comments section.
Location: Iga City, Mie Prefecture
Who lives here: A married couple with a new-born baby
Size: 134.64 square metres (62.37 for the ground floor, 72.27 for the second floor)
Architect: Masatsugu Fujita of CN Japan/Creative Network
Builder: Asada Kenchiku
The building originally sat unoccupied behind the husband’s family home, so when the couple got married they came up with the idea of completely renovating it for them to live in. Since the building had been a residential home, what had been the Japanese-style room had a ceiling covered in wide-wood boards and walls finished in cloth. To make the home comfortable for the young newlyweds, windows, main entrance position, size, and materials were all replaced and the floor plan was also reworked. The building was therefore reduced to its skeleton and work started with spraying insulation and installing wall, ceiling, and floor substrate.