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After Lee Yong Chye, Gian Yi-Hsen, and Richard Tan (from Singapore) and Benjamin Lim (from Malaysia) brought together their resources to save the structure, Kyoto-based firm Asami Architects and Associates stepped in. They worked with builders Tsuji Workshop on the restoration and interiors.

The custom cedar tub, fabricated by Dovetail, elegantly fits into the master bathroom.

Zen BathWorks strengthened this large tub with an apron that doubles as a cup rest. The room’s walls are wood-clad to reduce visual clutter and the tub rim is indented to direct water towards a floor drain shared by a shower. Soaking tubs are often smaller than conventional tubs as the bather sits with knees to chest-great if you have a small bathroom but want a tub. Sides can be sloped or straight and wood with knots generally costs less than straight-grained planks. If you’re curious about cedar’s scent, the bars sold in hardware stores for use as a moth-repellent give a general idea. Photo courtesy of: Zen BathWorks

A soaking tub satisfies both “bath people” and “shower people” as bathers wash outside the tub, then soak in clean, deep hot water. The owner of this penthouse asked Roberts Hot Tubs for a teak tub next to his shower. Soaking tubs can have straight or sloping sides and can be any shape. They use more water than regular tubs, but since bathers soak when clean, it’s common to add a re-circulating heater and filter. Tub makers offer wooden lids to keep the water hot - in Japan the same water is typically used by the whole family. Photo courtesy of: Roberts Hot Tubs

Grace Boyd’s favorite room has a stunning view of Puget Sound reflected in the Hinoki tub she had custom-sized by Roberts Hot Tubs. The clean lines of soaking tubs “work well in conventional bathrooms,” says Roberts’ Andrew Harris, “no need to make the whole room Japanese-style.” Grace echoed the grey of the sea and sky in the sinks and the silvery pebbles around the tub. After 32 years in West Seattle, she asked architect Mark Travers to build her a new house in the same spot- she couldn’t bear to lose her view. Tubs are popping up in real estate listings as a selling point; new owners can have an existing tub sanded to reveal a fresh layer of pristine scented wood. Photo courtesy of: Roberts Hot Tubs

Tubs can be partly sunk for easier access, as in this tub from Zen BathWorks. The river rocks at the base hide a linear drain, but tubs can also have a regular overflow or drain onto a wet-proofed bathroom floor, says Bill Finlay, of Zen BathWorks. Jennifer Aniston bought a Port Orford Cedar tub from him when she turned the “his” part of the bathroom she shared with Brad Pitt into a spa after the couple split up. Bill says many customers site their tub, known as an ofuro in Japanese, to enjoy a view. Photo courtesy of: Zen BathWorks

Japanese showers are usually set low down so the bather can sit on a stool and scrub, then pour cedar buckets of hot water over their heads for a refreshing rinse. This homeowner in Venice, California mounted a handheld shower head on the wall for added flexibility. The drain is under the removable cedar floor slats, keeping the room design uncluttered. Wood tubs are cleaned with a simple rinse and last for decades, as the antiseptic properties of cedar guard against mold and rot. This ofuro was designed by Santiago Ortiz and fabricated by Bartok Design.

Deep in the Italian countryside a few hours from Rome, a fashion advertising couple left their frenetic life in Milan and remodeled a trio of 15-century buildings into a Japanese-style inn and center for Japanese culture. Their giant Hinoki tub from Bartok Design in Japan was carefully positioned to take advantage of seasonal views through the sliding windows. “The images and scents were extraordinary,” said one Italian visitor to the center who took a soak, “I revisit them in my mind every day.” Photo courtesy of: Bartok Design and WabiSabi Culture Japanese Center

Set in Kyoto’s historic district, this serene one-bedroom machiya has exposed beams, new wood floors, and an updated kitchen and bath.

At the client’s request the kitchen contains neither upper cabinets (Shino can’t reach them) nor an oven (they only used the old one once—to reheat a pizza). A modular Roche Bobois Mah Jong sofa adds a decorative flourish to the living area while maintaining as low a profile as the traditional Japanese furniture.

During construction, Mariscal’s team adjusted the design to accommodate the boughs of an old pine tree in the backyard. The unique detail imbues the home with a spirit of wabi-sabi—or beauty through imperfection.

With doors open, Shino and Ken pull an Eames LCW chair for Herman Miller outside to enjoy the space.

Protected by an overhang, and floating above ground level, this tertiary space is known in traditional homes as the "engawa." To sustain a unified look throughout, the floor and ceiling are clad in ipe wood.

The entrance to the living room includes a seating area where guests can remove their shoes.

A gently winding set of exposed aggregate concrete pads leads to the Wabi House’s front door. Mariscal sought to “hide the house behind a dense forest front yard.” As the crape myrtles grow in, they will further filter the home’s facade.

Rustic colored Spanish tiles line the roof of the one-level home, while wooden doors and window coverings allow for ample privacy.