Layout Considerations

    We are now completely happy with the overall layout of our house.  We now only need to work on the roof to make sure that we get a usable loft.  To begin with, we were very pleased with the first layout drawn by our architect Yakushiji-san.  Over the weeks, we simply made minor modifications, as we changed our mind about the music room and the study.  The biggest concerns in terms of layout were the kitchen and the bathroom.

    Happily we were able to solve the kitchen issue, after a lengthy visit to Takara Standard.  What we realised after a few recognizance visits to Toto and Inax, was that our tastes did not fall within the most popular options on the market.  Shiny melamine cabinets might look great in a modern kitchen, but we were longing for a more traditional, colonial-style wooden finish...  I guess we had leafed through too many stylish Martha Stewart magazines to be impressed with ultra-modern lines.  According to our architect, Takara Standard specializes in affordable custom made kitchens so we trusted their advice and planed our kitchen with them.  We will get the detailed plans two weeks from now as well as the estimate.

     The bathroom was a huge dilemma.  The issues were: bath size, bath pump connection to washing machine, closet space, windows.  The constraints were limited space and an inclined ceiling.  After an exhaustive analysis of the bathroom layout options, using our grid and model baths ands, sinks and cabinets, we decided to go for a small bath (1200cm) rather than a standard-size bath.

     The advantages of choosing a compact bathtub are numerous for us: for one thing, we are saving space, and maximizing remaining space usage. Dead space is a big no-no for us.   Also, we've been favoring showers over the years because it seemed such a waste to fill a big bathtub and let all this water go to waste. With a smaller bathtub, we'll be more inclined to enjoy long leisurely hot baths without feeling guilty...  Here are the numbers: 260L of water is needed to fill a 1200 tub, whereas over 360L are needed for the larger 1600 tub...  Plus, a smaller tub will fit right behind the washing machine that will be hidden away in a closet that opens from the corridor.  This way we will be able to fit a bath pump to use the bath water for the wash cycle, a big eco move on our part!