If you're a home renovation enthusiast or you're in the process of picking inspiration for your new home, you've heard of the sunken hallways that are characteristic of Japanese homes. This kind of Japanese-style Zen design has long been the object of many domestic households. However, in the process of imitating it, many people find that it is not as easy to use as they imagined. What's the problem?
Let's explore why this seemingly simple design has repeatedly hit a wall in practice. First of all, let's unravel the mystery of the sunken entryway. Its charm lies not only in the ingenious division of staggered floors, but also in the control of a detail: the addition of the platform. Yes, you heard it right, it's the platform.
Most people tend to focus on the slight elevation of the floor, and the 5 to 10 cm elevation seems to give the hallway a separate from the rest of the space, but it ignores a crucial dimension – a height difference of at least 25 cm. In Japanese design, the excess of this part is actually the secret of the layering.
It ensures a harmonious transition between the hallway and other spaces, and at the same time, with the help of this high and low staggering, it brings a rich sense of hierarchy to home life. In many domestic apartment types, due to the limitation of the entrance area, many families are even difficult to meet the basic storage needs, not to mention the addition of additional floors, the height difference may bring inconvenience to indoor walking, resulting in the risk of bumps.
However, if you do it by Japanese standards, such concerns are completely unnecessary. In fact, the raised floor part not only visually reminds you that this is an area of behavior for changing shoes, but also cleverly replaces the stool. Imagine an adult putting on a child's shoes, or a family getting ready to go out, not having to wait in turns, but being able to sit on this small platform at the same time and change shoes in an orderly manner.
Not only that, the concave area, as a dust area, is not only convenient for changing shoes, but also can store some large items, such as bicycles, strollers, etc., if the area is sufficient. In this way, dust and debris will not easily penetrate the interior of the room, and the recess is usually paved with floor tiles, which are both non-slip and wear-resistant, greatly reducing the burden of daily cleaning work. Let's take a look at the clever design of the side storage.
Japan's "entrance cabinet" is not like the domestic design, which needs to deliberately reserve ventilation holes, but uses the advantages of staggered layers to naturally form a suspended design at the bottom, which not only ensures the ventilation of the items in the cabinet, but also cleverly uses the height difference to form a double-moving line design, making the flow from the door to the interior more smooth. Those entrances that can be used as storage rooms are almost always used by Japanese households.
Not only that, but the interior is designed to be flexible, with positioning card slots that allow you to adjust the height of the divider as needed, making it easy to store shoes of different heights or leave room for bulky items. Even if space is limited, it can be installed by yourself through an open design or online shopping materials, and even a cabinet door can be installed when customized, which is very cost-effective. Now, are you aware of the problem?
Like a delicate painting, every minute of the sunken hallway needs to be carefully designed, and the slightest carelessness can destroy the harmony and practicality of the whole. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a ruler and measure the hallway of your home to see if there's enough space to achieve such an aesthetic and practical design. Remember, it's not easy to have a sunken entryway that's both beautiful and functional.
But with these details and tips, you may be able to create an amazing prelude to your home in your own home.