The Barker Kappelle team helped the homeowner pick out this vanity from INspiration. They added a glass tile backsplash for protection and functionality. A partial door to the right hides the homeowner's walk-in closet from view while echoing the style of the rice-paper shoji screen in the tatami room.

Open Concept, Closed Doors

Another location where concealment is key? The master suite. Though an open concept worked well for the main living area, a direct view of the walk-in closet and an open doorway to the master bath provided too much information, according to the homeowner. In keeping with the style of the rest of the home, Mr. Kageyama, of Kage Tatami Company—a local firm specializing in Japanese master carpentry and craftsmanship—installed two partial doors to section off these spaces. The door style echoes that of the shoji screen found in the tatami room. Because the doors do not span the entire area from floor to ceiling, a feeling of openness still comes through. Also in the bedroom, the Barker Kappelle team installed a vanity from INspiration and a dark-green, glass-tile backsplash to complement the wood tones throughout the home.

A Room for All Reasons

A custom-built shoe shelf helps keep entryway clutter at bay.

Upon entering, the first thing visitors notice is the large, light-filled living room and adjoining office. Then, just beyond them, an all-purpose tatami room comes into view. Large enough for six tatami mats (a sufficient standard size, according to the homeowner), the room provides a special backdrop for intimate dining, quiet meditation or even impromptu sleeping arrangements. Furniture, such as a dining table or cushions for sitting or kneeling, can be added or removed easily. A custom-designed closet adjoining the room holds a futon for overnight guests. The room also includes a Buddhist butsudan shrine used to honor the homeowner’s ancestors.

The space was designed and built according to traditional tatami-room specifications by Kageyama. The wall displays a permanent frame that will one day house a hand-painted scroll made by the homeowner’s brother. Another focal point? An eye-level rice-paper shoji screen.

“The rice paper screens are traditionally used in Japanese houses instead of Western-style curtains,” says the homeowner. “It brings in a much softer light and also prevents people from looking inside the home,” she says. “The ultimate purpose is to view a large percentage of the garden beyond and still maintain privacy,” adds Barker.

Kageyama also covered one area of the room’s floor space with bamboo instead of the mahogany used throughout the rest of the room. The reason? The bamboo area signifies a transition to the outdoors, where a traditional Japanese garden can be enjoyed. 

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