A room is a decision about how you want to be tired at the end of the day.

I live in forty-eight square metres in Tokyo with one good chair and far too many bowls, so I have had to mean that. I trained as an architect and left to write, which my teachers took badly. Uchi (内) means inside, and it means home: the room you come back to. The palette comes after the tiredness. So does the name on the lamp.

This is where I keep what the world's rooms are doing. Around seventy sources, read in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, French and English: an apartment in Seoul, a house outside Taipei, a Copenhagen showroom seen from here rather than from Denmark. East first, because east is where I am sitting.

Each story is a headline, an excerpt of a few lines, one photograph and a link to whoever did the work. We never reprint the piece, and the photograph belongs to the person who took it. When a room was written up in Korean or Italian it stays in Korean or Italian here; the link takes you to the writer's own words.

I am not trying to be complete. I am trying to notice.

— Mio Tachibana, Tokyo

← Uchi Archive

Homes to Love

From one euro homes to historic palazzos, meet the Australians restoring Italian villas

11.03

As Australia’s housing affordability continues to challenge, a growing number of Aussies are exploring buying property in Italy, trading climbing mortgages and cramped, one-bedroom apartments for…

Read at Homes to Love ↗

One letter a week, starting soon.

Latest

From one euro homes to historic palazzos, meet the Australians restoring Italian villas

More from Homes to Love on Uchi

14 adorable Country Style Christmas covers from the archives Homes to Love

These Christmas wreaths will make a beautiful first impression Homes to Love

Matt Leacy’s secrets to thriving potted plants Homes to Love

The best Christmas tree skirts and collars worth shopping this festive season Homes to Love

These Black Friday outdoor furniture sales will take your backyard from lacklustre to luxe Homes to Love

Thinking of upgrading your kitchen this Black Friday? These are the best induction cooktops to buy in 2026 Homes to Love