Japanese interiors focus primarily on one simple philosophy, Zen. All the rooms in a traditionally furnished Japanese home strive to achieve a balance of peace and simplicity; their interiors are steeped in centuries of cultural influence, and a sense of calm is key to the whole aesthetic. This handbook shows how to create a tailor-made Japanese home. Working through the house one room at a time, it highlights classic items of furniture and signature accessories, from tatami mats and paper lanterns to shoji (dividing screens). In-depth case studies demonstrate the essential elements and provide inspiration, while colour combinations are explored to help personalize this iconic style for the home. Anyone who hankers after the Japanese look and is eager to bring it to their own home will find this book a valuable resource.

Nowhere in the world have architects built homes as small as in Japan, and nowhere have they done so with such ingenuity and success. "How to Make a Japanese House" presents 21 lessons in how to design a single-family home from three decades of architectural practice. From the Western perspective, in which more space is better space, small interiors may once have seemed undesirable, but Japanese architects have long excelled at overcoming the limitations of building in densely populated areas and creating brilliant effects of spaciousness with minimal square footage. As urban areas across the world grow only more dense in population, a knack for the economic handling and design of domestic space has clearly established itself as a key virtue of contemporary architectural practice. Through a rich array of research, interviews, drawings and photographs, "How to Make a Japanese House" demonstrates that Japanese homes present a radically different way of thinking about architecture, and provide inspiration for dwelling on a smaller scale.