House with a Custom Vanity｜Custom Home Examples by Architectural Offices11Picks Author: Qurasuki Editorial Department

A washbasin is a place used daily, yet in recent years it has drawn attention as an element expressing spatial individuality beyond mere utility. In a home with a custom washbasin, planning according to the overall residential design rather than using off-the-shelf products creates a sense of unity with the space. Impressions vary widely depending on countertop materials, washbowl shapes, and combinations with mirrors and lighting, revealing different expressions for each residence even with the same washbasin facility. Additionally, relationships with spatial configurations—such as positioning wash spaces near corridors, bedrooms, or gardens—form one of the characteristics. While being a wet area, it is frequently planned as an important location speaking to the overall design of the residence. From real examples of custom homes by architectural firms, we introduce how custom washbasins integrate into spaces.

House of Wind - A Residence Where Landscape Is Part of Everyday Life Tokuhiro Norimatsu Architect

This dwelling was realized after careful deliberation beginning with the search for the site. To the north lies the greenery of a park, beyond which the landscape of the Seto Inland Sea unfolds, and the gently changing views have been incorporated into everyday life. By opening generously to the north and limiting fenestration on the south elevation, natural light and breezes are modulated for comfort. A deep terrace gently links interior and exterior, creating a sense of shelter and spatial depth. It is a home where one can spend ordinary daily moments together with a rich landscape.

Clip Box KICHI ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

Located in an urban residential neighborhood, “Clip Box” is a dwelling that creates a rich spatial experience within a compact footprint. The exterior, where three white planes interlock with a mortar-finished wall, attains a pronounced sense of depth through the shadows cast by the layered walls. Internally, a skip-floor (split-level) living area connects to the dining space via a staircase. Smooth, efficient circulation that consolidates the necessary functions provides a comfortable living environment.

Residence at Myokoji-dai Naoko Matsumoto Architects & Associates

A split-level residence built on a hill in Yokohama that enjoys abundant views. By taking advantage of the site's level differences in the spatial arrangement, the design reconciles expansive vistas from each level with privacy. Tapestries and small objects that reflect time spent living abroad add color to the spaces, and a well-appointed library is located on the upper floor. It is a distinctive home where the occupant's memories and interests are cherished, and views and daily life are harmonized.

House OTF Far East Design Lab.

A residence planned for a couple raising three daughters. Drawing on memories of their annual summer holidays in Okinawa, the design seeks to enable the family to enjoy extended summers together. The site incorporates a swimming pool and outdoor living areas, bringing the ambience of a southern‑island villa into everyday life. Through the deliberate arrangement of deep eaves and fenestration, the spaces remain comfortable in summer by providing shade and promoting natural breezes. The house is conceived as a place to accumulate time with the children and seasonal memories.

A Courtyard House That Embraces Light AtelierMA

This courtyard house achieves both tranquility and a sense of openness despite being located in a residential neighborhood. Mortar-finished walls enclosing the site gently screen views from outside while guiding natural light into the interior. The walls continue seamlessly from the courtyard into the house, creating rich patterns of light and shadow as they receive the changing light throughout the day. The living-dining-kitchen area opens broadly onto the courtyard, creating a configuration in which the interior and exterior are softly connected. Even in a densely built-up residential area, the house provides a tranquil place where the view extends upward toward the sky.

House in Shirokane Takayoshi Nakamura Architects & Associates

Located in a quiet residential neighborhood in Shirokane, this home incorporates views of Tokyo into everyday life. Making use of the site's varying elevations, a viewing deck on the third floor overlooks Tokyo Tower, Roppongi Hills, and the surrounding greenery. The second-floor LDK features an L-shaped bay window and a tatami corner, while the atrium and open-riser staircase connect the upper and lower floors with light and sightlines. Within the constraints of the limited site, the home skillfully incorporates the distinctive views and sense of openness of central Tokyo.

A House Where Children and Adults Can Roam kurachiffon Miki Takiuchi First-Class Architect’s Office

This detached-house renovation transforms a 30-year-old traditional Japanese-style home into a residence designed for a young family. While preserving the character of its earthen-walled Japanese-style rooms, traditional fittings, and transoms, the project introduces circulation that supports the daily routines of a working couple, along with ample storage. An enlarged entrance and a spatial composition connected three-dimensionally create an environment where the children can freely roam throughout the house and play to their hearts’ content. It is a home where tradition and playfulness harmonize to embrace the family’s growth.

YMK Takeshi Hirobe Architects

This home for a designer couple stands on a site surrounded by Karuizawa’s rich natural environment. By preserving the existing large Japanese maple trees and incorporating views opening toward the valley, the design brings the distinctive landscape of the site into everyday life. In response to the conditions particular to a cold region, a comfortable thermal environment is achieved through high-capacity thermal storage units and 24-hour air conditioning. A delicate timber truss and a three-dimensional spatial composition extending across five interconnected levels gently link the family’s diverse places of activity. It is a highland home where nature and everyday life quietly overlap.

Renovation of a Vintage Condominium Hirotaka Sato Architects

This is a gut renovation that carries Japan’s first high-rise condominium, located in Minato-ku, into the present. While making use of the existing architectural value, glass blocks and mirrors create an expansive space in which light and sightlines flow continuously. The textures of materials such as Italian stucco, shell-lime plaster, and walnut are carefully layered, while the existing wood veneer and marble have also been reused. Vacuum glass and a unique ground-source heat pump further reconcile the memory of the architecture with comfort and environmental performance.

House in Miyakojima Abax Architects

This is a plan with the first floor occupied by a tenant and the residence located on the second floor. The spacious living room flows onto a large terrace, producing a seamless indoor–outdoor space used as outdoor living. At the suggestion of the design-loving client, distinctive materials were introduced throughout to compose a dynamic, expansive volume. It is an open, enjoyable home where friends naturally gather.

House in Takarazuka Coo Planning

This residence is located in a quiet residential neighborhood in Takarazuka City, Hyōgo Prefecture. The project, which began with site selection, was formed by carefully addressing the complex conditions of a narrow, irregular corner and sloping lot. The gentle grade change of the street was integrated into the plan and section, reflecting the site’s character in the spatial composition. A skip-floor configuration with one basement level (B1) and three above-ground levels (3F) achieves a rich sense of spatial breadth and a variety of living places within the constrained site. It is a three-dimensional, highly engaging residence that interprets the site conditions as character rather than constraint.