The Japanese influence is immediately apparent when you step inside this renovated bungalow in Glenageary, south Dublin. A small hall, or genkan, encourages you to remove your shoes, before stepping up into the main hallway. But it’s no sacrifice to leave your shoes at the door when you pad around the warm and tranquil home of Yuuki and John Blakeney. The choice of materials and colours provides a calm and serene ambience, while subtle Japanese touches, such as round windows and shelves on a kitchen window, help to put the family’s stamp on the house.
The couple met when Yuuki came from Nagoya in Japan to attend Trinity College Dublin. They moved into the house in 2012 but later spent some years in Japan. When they arrived back with their two young children in 2020, they could see how the house had deteriorated. It was damp and mouldy in places, the kitchen was small and cut off from the rest of the house and they needed more space.
After a few false starts, they met David Shannon from TheArchitects.ie practice, following a recommendation from their neighbour. They knew they had found the right person when he mentioned that he had spent six weeks in Japan. “He really liked the architecture and he got inspiration from there,” Yuuki says. “That was very important to me. I wanted a Japanese feel to the house. I didn’t have a specific image of what exactly I wanted, but I wanted to feel at home.”
The genkan, or small area at the front door, was key to that. “In Japan, every single house has this, even if you live in a tiny apartment you have a genkan. So that was very important,” she says.
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“In old, traditional Japanese houses everything is made from wood and you have the continuity from inside to outside. You have a deck where you can sit down in the summertime and in the evening you can look at the moon. So I wanted to create that too.”
As well as extending the kitchen and living area into the garden, they decided to convert the attic into a multipurpose space that could be used as a guest bedroom, a play room for the children and a living space when needed. Multi-purpose spaces are very important in Japan because space is at a premium, John says.
“In Japan you often have these tatami rooms with reed mats that are not filled with furniture. So you have a table you can pull out, or cushions to sit on. The space is very flexible.”
They began renovating their 1960s three-bedroom bungalow last March and moved back in just over six months later.
“It’s life changing,” John says of the results.
They attribute much of that success to the team that architect David Shannon helped them to assemble. From builder Lee McDougall of LMD Build to Lisa Hayes of Fabric Design, to Brendan Kavanagh Kitchens, they say everyone brought different skills and insights to the process. “It was a very precious experience,” Yuuki says.
When it came to the interior design, Lisa Hayes says the choice of materials and colour palette was central to achieving the Japanese-inspired aesthetic. The rich tone of the Farrow & Ball Calke Green paint in the sittingroom was chosen to create a cosy, library feel.
“Warm wood tones and greenery were complemented by earthy hues and textured layers that created a cosy and inviting atmosphere,” she says.
But the home also had to meet the needs of a busy family. The bespoke kitchen and the shelving in the living area provide ample storage to accommodate the family’s needs, and the continuation of warm wood tones from the kitchen into the living area helps to create a seamless flow throughout the open-plan space.
The large round window inside the front door is a nod to Japanese temples where a round window is known as the window of enlightenment. John says the wooden shelves in front of the kitchen window reflect the Japanese desire to make the most of every inch of space, “but it’s quite pretty too” as the light filters through to highlight the glassware and bowls.
His garden office is linked to the house by a wooden deck, echoing the paths seen around Japanese temples. Now that the house is finished, Yuuki is turning her attention to the garden redesign. The outdoors is a subject close to her heart, as she is a co founder of the Sense of Wonder Forest School at Killiney Hill. The after-school activity encourages children to explore nature and wildlife. She hopes to create a miniature forest in the generously sized garden with a pond and flower and vegetable patches.
The home redesign was well tested over Christmas when they hosted many get-togethers, and John says it was gratifying to see how there was room for all generations to have their own space.
For anyone taking on a home renovation, he advises taking time to think about what you want before meeting an architect or designer. “If you just give an architect a vague feeling of what you want, you can end up needing a lot of iterations to get where you want from the first draft of the plan.”
And he also cautions against hasty decision making when you are under pressure. “In the middle of the project there’s so much stress and there’s the whole decision fatigue thing going on, so you have to remind yourself that this is something you are going to have to live with. Give yourself time to make the right decision.”
Fortunately they don’t regret any of their big decisions. “I can’t think of one,” John says. “This feels like a very comfortable base where we will be happy for the rest of our lives.”
Biggest win:
“As we had hoped, this feels like a space made to welcome people into,” John says. Yuuki still struggles with the Irish weather, but the newly insulated house and underfloor heating helps. “I feel the damp in this Irish weather all the time, but in the house I feel warm and cosy.”
Biggest mistake:
“It’s such a little thing, but the office door opens in and I should have it opening out, but if that’s the worst thing I can say then it’s not so bad,” says John. Yuuki struggles to think of any mistake made. “I spent a huge amount of time looking at sample tiles and floors and we finished the project feeling we had left no stone unturned. If we’d had a bigger budget we would have done solar panels straight away,” she says. “But we hope to do this later.”
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