"Nothing worked. The room felt cluttered no matter what we did, and we were both exhausted from hauling that massive sectional around. "Maybe I need a smaller couch," she sighed, collapsing onto it dramatically. But as I looked around her place, something clicked. The problem wasn't just the size of her furniture-it was how high everything sat. Her couch, bed frame, coffee table, even her bookshelf, all towered at standard Western heights, making the space feel boxed in."
"Here's what most of us in the West completely miss: Japanese apartment dwellers have been perfecting small-space living for generations, and their secret weapon is surprisingly simple. They keep their furniture low to the ground. Keiji Ashizawa, an architect and product designer, explains that low-profile furniture mirrors traditional Japanese living rooms, where people would typically sit on the floor. This approach isn't just about tradition, though."
Standard Western furniture heights can make compact apartments feel boxed in by creating constant visual obstacles at eye level. Keeping couches, beds, tables, and storage low to the ground mirrors traditional Japanese floor-based living and reclaims sightlines. Lower-profile pieces make walls appear taller, allow natural light to travel across rooms unobstructed, and produce an uninterrupted gaze that creates an illusion of expansiveness beyond what decluttering alone achieves. Adopting shorter furniture and floor-level seating transforms small studios into breathable, multiuse zones while preserving function through simplicity and proportion. This strategy suits small footprints and maximizes perceived space.
Read at Silicon Canals
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