A Home for the Joy of Cooking｜Custom Home Examples by Architectural Offices17Picks Author: Qurasuki Editorial Department

In a home celebrating cooking, kitchens are placed at the heart of the residence not merely as prep spaces, but as areas where family gathers to share conversation and time. Continuous layouts between kitchens and dining areas, or sightlines extending into living rooms, allow residents to sense surrounding presence while cooking. Integrated configurations of worktops, storage, and appliances can display cooking activities themselves as indoor scenery. Adding window light and garden connections gives rise to rich living environments encompassing time spent surrounding meals. We introduce custom-built examples by architectural firms to show how the theme of cooking homes is expressed architecturally in real residences.

IMAGINE KICHI ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

IMAGIN, born from a renovation, is a residence that adds a subtle sense of narrative to everyday life and stimulates the imagination. At the heart of the space is an open-plan kitchen approximately 5 meters in length where the family gathers. A playful shoe room inspired by a Cinderella staircase, a reading space where a geometric desk stands, and a hotel-like master bedroom connect seamlessly. This architecture, designed to introduce delight within functional systems, embodies an aesthetic of living.

The Weary House | Renovation of One Half of a Prewar Two-Unit Row House | House of Weariness Yoshihiro Yamamoto Architects Associates

This project renovated the eastern half of a pre‑war Shōwa‑era two‑unit terraced house in Yagi-chō, Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture. The eastern half was stripped to the structural skeleton and a reinforced concrete slab (mat) foundation was installed; columns and beams were replaced and spliced as required to provide seismic strengthening. The entrance was dismantled and reconstructed using salvaged, reusable components. The plan was reconfigured into a highly circulatory layout centered on a well‑ventilated living room opening onto gardens to the north and south. Thermal insulation was applied to floors, walls, and ceilings; all building services and exterior joinery were replaced, and timber joinery was repaired and reused wherever possible.

Boko & Deko Mitsuhiro Kojima Architects

This residence stands on a corner lot in a densely built residential area. By arranging storage bands to the east and west, the design secures distance from the surroundings and places a generous open-plan one-room space for the family at the center. While carefully controlling light, air flow, and sightlines, changes in floor level and the inclusion of stairs and ramps produce a variety of distinct places to inhabit. Meanwhile, the private rooms open onto terraces, promoting gentle interaction with the neighborhood. By inverting the typical residential relationship of “opening the family room and closing the private rooms,” the house simultaneously cultivates familial intimacy and connections with the local community.

hideaway: Building Renovation in Mito e do design architects

Under the theme of an 'adult hideaway', we renovated a space that had previously been used as commercial tenancies and offices into a residence for a married couple. The spacious open-plan living, dining and kitchen (LDK) has the atmosphere of a bar where colleagues and friends gather, while also serving as a place for the couple to enjoy cooking and conversation. A fully custom kitchen and built-in wall storage create a calm, refined ambiance. It is a home where work and living, hobbies and rest coexist comfortably, adding a touch of the extraordinary to everyday life.

Mitaka House Mochizuki Architectural Atelier

Nestled in a lush, quiet residential neighborhood, this home embraces a private courtyard. Upon entering, the courtyard and LDK unfold before you. The first floor features a kitchen overlooking the garden, a double-height dining area, a living room with a built-in sofa set one step below, and the wet areas. The second floor includes a piano and library space, along with private rooms. Inorganic ceramic siding panels are used for the exterior, while the interior is finished with cypress ceiling boards and shikkui plaster. It is a gentle and sophisticated home that supports a natural way of living.

KAN JYU ARCHITECT

This apartment renovation maximizes the views from the 10th floor. Situated on a site blessed with city views to the east and Mount Fuji to the southwest, the layout of private rooms and the kitchen was reorganized so that the landscape can be enjoyed in everyday life. The shared space opens widely toward the views, the previously underutilized east deck was regenerated as an outdoor room connected to the kitchen, and movable partitions were introduced to reconcile openness with flexible use, creating a living environment that balances spaciousness and adaptability.

Cherry Blossom Atelier Mana

This house stands in a historically rich setting where the atmosphere of an old downtown district, a former missionary residence, and a large cherry tree remain, while high-rise buildings can be seen in the distance. Designed as a simple courtyard house, it allows the dual-income couple to relax while enjoying wine, cooking, and their cars. A perforated-brick façade was placed along the front of the house so that the sky and large cherry tree can be viewed through the play of light and shadow from every room. A calm color palette harmonizes with the surroundings, creating a luxurious space with a restrained brightness.

LOLO — Grand Prize, Kitchen Space Idea Design Contest YIA Ishiue Yoshihiro Architectural Design Office

This residence is organized in a ring plan centered on a large central courtyard. The courtyard, enclosed by two-storey-high walls, screens views from the outside while channeling light and breeze deep into the interior. The living-dining area is nestled between a lush outer garden and a courtyard with a deck, creating a luxurious space where the changing seasons can be experienced up close. A corridor that circulates around the courtyard enriches everyday circulation with varied vistas and establishes a comfortable rhythm to daily life. The design also includes a bath court and a rooftop deck, achieving an open, nature-connected way of living throughout the home.

A Home Among the Cherry Trees Archiplace

This home for a family of four with young children stands in a quiet residential neighborhood in Tokyo. The principal living spaces are located on the second floor so that the family can remain connected to the parents and relatives living next door while enjoying the row of cherry trees along the street at close range. The open-plan LDK, centered around a kitchen designed according to the husband’s particular preferences, is seamlessly connected to the south-facing wood-deck terrace. It is a home where indoors and out flow naturally together, allowing the family to enjoy meals and barbecues with friends while taking in the changing seasonal scenery.

Uenoshiba Residence Abax Architects

This approximately 40-tsubo residence is situated on a hill in a quiet residential neighborhood. To maximize the westward views, the living and dining area is located on the second floor, admitting abundant light and the landscape into the interior. Wood is used extensively in the interior finishes, creating a warm, tranquil atmosphere. The furniture, including the kitchen, was custom-made and carefully designed to integrate with the space. It is a home where the views and the materiality are in harmony, and a pleasant sense of time flows.

Duet House Yosuke Tomiya Architectural Design Co., Ltd.

This home is located in an urban residential neighborhood. Designed to limit views from the surrounding area, it brings natural light into the second-floor living, dining, and kitchen area through high-side windows, creating a calm and open space. A custom-built kitchen is positioned at the heart of the home, making time spent cooking and gathering around the dining table the focus of family life. On the other hand, the first floor features a garage where the residents can enjoy their car and hobbies. It is a home where each person can value their own time while still sensing the presence of one another. Careful attention has also been paid to thermal insulation, achieving both comfort and energy efficiency.

Tsukuba Midorino House Yu Architectural Design Studio

This residence with an integrated coffee stand is planned within a land readjustment development area. The fenestration employs uPVC window frames, and a Type 1 mechanical ventilation system utilizing the underfloor void has been adopted. The building’s thermal performance corresponds to Insulation Grade 5, meeting ZEH (Net Zero Energy House) standards. The residential façade is clad in Galvalume steel panels, while the shop façade uses charred cedar (shou sugi ban); the overall design is intended to harmonize with the surrounding streetscape.

Ue house Yosuke Ichii Architects

A neighboring house that had remained unused for many years in a quiet residential neighborhood was renovated into a second home. It serves both as a place for entertaining guests and as a space where the clients can immerse themselves in their hobby of reading. The LDK, finished in calm tones, incorporates a wall-to-wall bookshelf and a fireplace, adding rich expression to the tranquil setting. The floating kitchen counter functions as a place to enjoy wine and as a hooded teppanyaki table, creating refined moments removed from everyday life.

House I in Utsukushigaoka Nishi Takayoshi Nakamura Architects & Associates

A home for Sachiyo Iha, an art director, designer, and artist, her family, and their two cats. A bright and refined house that reflects the personality of Ms. Iha, who has a deep love of architecture and had dreamed of commissioning an architect to design her own home. The open LDK, with views of the hill and sky, is designed as a space where she can spend time with her family and friends while cooking. The house can also adapt flexibly to changes in the family, with the children's rooms able to be converted into an atelier or SOHO space in the future. It is a home where life is enjoyed with the cats, and where friends and colleagues gather on weekends.

Nezu Flat kurachiffon Miki Takiuchi First-Class Architect’s Office

This gut renovation transformed a 35-year-old two-room apartment with a dining-kitchen into a home for a family of four. By making three-dimensional use of the limited floor area and incorporating a raised tatami platform and loft, the design creates a spacious sense of volume. Sightlines extending all the way to the windows, a predominantly white interior, and an exposed-ceiling approach further enhance the feeling of openness. Another defining feature is the functional storage plan, which accommodates the household appliances within the kitchen counter, creating a home that supports everyday family life and naturally invites everyone to take part in cooking.

Residence with a Central Courtyard Tatsumi Negishi Architectural Studio

A residence planned around a central courtyard, designed to be lived in harmony with nature. The layout ensures the presence of the signature tree can be perceived from any point within the house, and the greenery unfolding beyond the windows adds a tranquil accent to daily life. The garden views, which present different expressions depending on the vantage point, change with the passage of seasons and time, imparting a rich sense of depth to the dwelling. Within spaces where interior and exterior are gently connected, this is a quiet, comfortable home in which the nuances of the four seasons can be experienced close at hand.

House in Tateyama Tada Architectural Design Office

This secondary residence is built within a Quasi‑National Park in Tateyama City, Chiba Prefecture, for enjoying the sea and nature. Taking advantage of a fortunate setting with views to the horizon beyond a windbreak forest, the design adopts a disciplined composition with large openings oriented toward the sea and a restrained treatment on the side facing the neighboring house. A generous earthen‑floored space for fishing and a deep‑eaved engawa gently mediate between interior and exterior. Joinery allows flexible changes in the way spaces are used, and a distinctive roof structure gives the expansive interior its character. The pared‑down, minimal dwelling nurtures rich moments together with the sea breeze.