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

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

11.03

When it comes time to upgrade the kitchen range, deciding whether to go for a gas, electric or induction cooktop is the first and biggest decision on your to-do list.

Kitchens & bathrooms

Read at Homes to Love ↗

One letter a week, starting soon.

Latest

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

Related

45 Small Bathroom Ideas With Grand Style Veranda

Next-Gen Mineral Surfaces for Your Kitchen, Bath, and More Elle Decor

Considering a Counter Update? These Mineral-Inspired Surfaces Are Designed to Blend In Beautifully House Beautiful

This Picture-Perfect Suburban Kitchen Is an Argument for Maxed-Out Storage, Smart Appliances, and Custom Furniture Architectural Digest

China云端之屋 / Hennessey Architecture ArchDaily China

Japanドラマ『深夜食堂』に憧れて、タコさんウインナーを私なりに本気でつくってみた｜キッチンにひと工夫 roomie