Apartments, unlike house projects, do not have the benefit of a customized façade. Naturally the common outer shell of each building is shared by all its inhabitants, as a result it is quite usual for interior design to take on the challenge of injecting a unique persona for each unit. Architect Keiichi Kiriyama, head of Airhouse Design Office, proposed a daring makeover for a 40 year old apartment, to alter it with the same liberty as a house, with all the benefits this practice may bring.

Completely ignoring the original plan, with its standard square-like rooms and run-of-the-mill dynamics of a common apartment building; Kiriyama took the request of a ‘large-sized closet space’ and took it to another level. The dress room became a central section of the apartment, with every visitor having to through it to reach the main social area, much like a runway.

By doing so, fashion blends into life, and I believe that the space became a place to change the client’s mood whenever it was passed by. This minimal renovation project was done by constructing spaces through re-examination of the conventional ideas of clothing storage.

The rest of the apartment keeps the prerogative of dynamic functionality alive, with an intrepid bedroom located on a higher level as an example. Let’s not forget the visual impact of an entirely concrete filled residence, beautiful reduction to a lone but expressive color. Last but not least, the handpicked interior design is on point. Outstanding.