Still tons of details to go over, but at this point we have 3 challenges which we are trying to educate ourselves on.
Lighting
I know next to nothing about lighting brands, so if Sakomoto-san says ODELIC is good quality and value, then I trust him. But I still need to verify. Thankfully the showroom is only 15 minutes away but we should book ahead for a consultation with them. We had a great experience at INAX and it’s an opportunity to get good free advice. At the moment we favor a lot of down lights, and lots of tracks for flexibility in the future.
Colors
I can’t stand the new modern Japanese white look. You can read about my feelings on this topic here. We plan on adding lots of accent colors on the wall wherever it makes sense. But there are so many combinations to choose from, and one needs to take into consideration the color of furnishings as well….Maybe the reason people choose white is because it’s one less thing to worry about in the overall design. I must say, I’d love to pass over this one and get some semblance of Balance back in my life again. Thankfully, I manage to grab a few recent American and British Home Decor magazines, and they use paint very tastefully to provide accents and warmth without being overpowering.
Garden
My partner is running point on this one, since anything green tends wilt around me. Luckily, we have a nice maple on the property which we can salvage. Another good find are the big rock slabs for the walk way. Thank you we’ll take those too. Grass is hard to grow in Tokyo. I've seen many attempts but it all seems like a lot of upkeep. We’ve read that a mix of grass and clover helps provide a nice green cover that is easier to maintain. Sakamoto-san will introduce us to one of his friends with whom he worked with on the Good Design Award project. We have some flexibility on this, as we move in in January, but would still want something presentable as it’s not really a home without a garden and some trees.
Hi
ReplyDeleteFirst time visiting your site- but noticed the link at www.gaijinwife.blogspot.co and came on over because we are just about to start the process of buying property/house in Japan (now that we have downpayment sorted) and am so jealous you will be living in Kichijoji.
I did my exchange year there (Seikei Univesity) and my husband is a graduate of there also. When we first lived together it was in a tiny 1k a 3 minute walk from Kichijoji station and we paid an arm and a leg in rent but you can not beat the Kichijoji lifestyle. I love that area and it is such a shame we can`t build or buy out that way but we will be buying in Chiba instead as that is where my husband`s family is (Ichikawa area) and my family is all in Australia so we want to at least be close to some family.
I have looked at a couple of your older posts and will be back to check the archives for more hints and tips when my baby is napping or asleep for the night.
Cheers,
Lulu
Hi lulu!! Kichijoji dude's wife here! If you and your family ever come to play in Kichijoji, drop us a line!! Seikei seems like a nice university- I love the geenery around the keyaki michi area. Good luck with setting up your home in Chiba, which also seems like a great place to raise a family.
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