A Cube-Shaped Japanese Home Opens Wide to the Mountains and Sky

A ribbon of glass slices through this monolithic house, framing views of the surrounding landscape.

Text by

Cullen Ormond

Published by

Built at eye level with the clouds, Villa in Miyama is an elegant wood-wrapped retreat located in Karuizawa, a rural town in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The home’s lower level is flush with glazing that reflects the picturesque scenery: rolling mountains, the shifting sky, and clusters of trees.

Photo by Hiroshi Ueda

Get the Pro Newsletter

What’s new in the design world? Stay up to date with our essential dispatches for design professionals.

Photo by Hiroshi Ueda

Endo Architect and Associates sought to blend the interior and exterior realms in the cube-shaped home. The living room and dining room are completely exposed, except for two walls that shield the staircases. The upper level holds the private areas of the home—including a bathroom, bedrooms, and a library.

This villa by Endo Architect and Associates is located on a sloping lot overlooking Old Karuizawa. The cubic structure consists of an "open interior" for the living room and dining room, and a "closed interior" for more private spaces.

Photo by Hiroshi Ueda

The home’s interior is almost completely painted white, in stark contrast to the dark, rich wood paneling of the exterior. The layout draws the eye to the expansive windows and the landscape beyond.

Shop the Look

Design Within Reach Como Sectional Sofa

To create his Como Collection (2007), Italian designer Giorgio Soressi enlisted one of the most widely respected companies in Italy. Located near Lake Como, this family-run business is still producing best-in-class sofas and chairs for many prestigious retailers to this day, blending design, research, cutting-edge technologies and artisanal techniques. The elegant and extremely well-constructed Como Collection is built with solid steel frames and cast-aluminum legs. Contrasting that heft and stability are cushions that scream, “You’ve got to sit here!” with their goose feather filling and variable-density foam that’s firmer in front for support. Made in Italy.

Shop

FLOS Fucsia 12 Multipoint Pendant

The Fucsia 12 Multipoint Pendant by FLOS is a set of 12 blown glass lights that act as an efficient and effective light source in the modern home. Each glass shade – all conically shaped and lengthy in design – is 1.5” wide at the end with sandblasted edges and a translucent silicone ring. The illumination provided is wide and bright, effective for use in kitchens or dining rooms. This fixture is available with non-UL Listed Clear cords or UL Listed White cords. Photo courtesy of YLighting

Shop

Rich Brilliant Willing Brim Round Wall Sconce

The Brim Round Wall Sconce by Rich Brilliant Willing is contemporary in-home lighting piece that fits discretely onto the wall to provide warm, ambient lighting for a wide range of commercial or residential spaces like lobbies, hallways, and bedrooms. Built from die-cast Aluminum and Steel, the fixture has a longevity suitable for low-maintenance while its LED lamping is integrated and can be dimmed from 10 to 100 percent. LEDs sport a rated life of 50,000 hours, while its round shade allows the illumination to encompass the fixture, giving it a slight halo effect. Photo Courtesy of Rich Brilliant Willing

Shop

Photo by Hiroshi Ueda