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Closet doors
This week, I got the quotations for building the closet in the bedroom, which is also the main wall in the doma. The total was a bit over a million yen (about $7,500) and half of that was for the set of doors we’d need. It was a big quote for those doors. I didn’t…
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Wood: raw or finished?
I am not sure why, but everyone on the project is telling me not to finish the raw wood. Not the floors, not the windowsills, and not the exterior. I didn’t listen to them about the exterior and it turned out quite gloriously with the kakishibu. I am definitely not touching the massive 2F ceiling.…
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I see white plastic…
…and I want to paint it black. The exterior house light that I liked the best (or disliked the least, I suppose) only came in white. But with primer and paint, I fixed it. Now it looks better and I won’t cringe when I walk under it every day. I take on projects when visual…
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Kitchen Installation Day
It’s finally here! The kitchen, which transformed in concept multiple times over the last two years has finally been installed. From the beginning of the process, the kitchen has been a challenge. First figuring out a layout – and even where in the house it would be. Ironically, it ended up in the place I…
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Doma floor
Sooner than I thought, we’ll see a big change in the doma. Later this week, the finishing concrete will go in to cover the rough edges of raw concrete from the foundation. On top of that, I will do the tiling. In past conversations, I was told that the floor would be a bit higher…
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Yogic art and movement
Every morning as part of the Satoyama Yoga warm-up sequence, we twist our spine in a movement I call Washing Machine. It’s a direct descendent of a Kundalini kriya. Last weekend, we practiced art meditation and I unexpectedly drew the pose and I like it. I thought I’d share Washing Machine and also how to…
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Ricotta cheesecake cupcakes
I love cheesecake but a whole cheesecake at home for two people is daunting. Smaller servings are easier to share, so cupcake tins are the way to go. This recipe makes 12 single-serving baked cheesecakes that are creamy and delicious with a generous crust. I adapted this recipe to work with the ingredients I had…
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Staircase
Sixteen months ago, I agonised over stairs. I once had a painful tumble down a steep Japanese staircase and I didn’t want that type of traditional stairs in my house. So I learned learned all about rise and run. Did the math. Built models in cardboard. Figured out how staircases fit into the volume of…
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Busy Friday at 555
Two carpenters, two electricians and I spent a productive day on site yesterday. Mr. Sasaki framed out walls and ceilings and hung plasterboard in the hall. Team Araoka pulled the 200 V cables; set the wiring for the vanity lamps, and worked on the track rails. Sasaki-san hand carved channels for the stairs. I mostly…
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Q is for…
Q has long been my favorite letter. When I was learning to write, I loved Q for its circle and line and how you could dress it up by making the line wavy. The cursive uppercase Q with its double looped numeric shape was fun to write, even though it made no sense and seemed…
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