In an open layout the kitchen area is usually designed as an island counter, yet this can be a somewhat conventional way of designing an open-plan living room. Japanese designer Hiroaki Matsuyama, founder of Minorpoet, took inspiration from the traditional building technique of a Japanese home to design the spaces in this apartment. 

‘Byobu’ or the traditional folding doors in a Japanese home used to be the way for homeowners to partition parts of the home, and here the designer used folding panels to keep the kitchen area stowed away when not in use. 

When closed up, the room takes on a meditative atmosphere. There is a sense of pure minimalism in the room, with nothing but a 60 chair (designed by Alvar Aalto) and a Ulm stool (by Max Bill) providing the bare furnishing essentials in the space. 

When unfolded, the apartment offers all the functionality of a modern home. Notice how the cabinetry also adopt a lightwood look, with lightly finished wooden panelling as well. 

The cream-coloured walls complement the pinewood flooring perfectly. 

On the other side of the room, cement screed floors and exposed brickwalls create an industrial look to match the bareness of the living room.

Photos courtesy of Satoshi Shigeta.