This 484-Square-Foot Tokyo Home Has the Most Unexpected Yet Dreamiest Book Storage Spot
Cullen OrmondHouse Tours Editor
Cullen OrmondHouse Tours Editor
I write about house tours (but I love a good kitchen and kids' room article). My work can be found across AT Media, including The Kitchn and Cubby. I’ve been writing about home-related topics for nearly five years and love seeing how people make their homes unique.
published Dec 9, 2025

This 484-Square-Foot Tokyo Home Has the Most Unexpected Yet Dreamiest Book Storage Spot

Cullen OrmondHouse Tours Editor
Cullen OrmondHouse Tours Editor
I write about house tours (but I love a good kitchen and kids' room article). My work can be found across AT Media, including The Kitchn and Cubby. I’ve been writing about home-related topics for nearly five years and love seeing how people make their homes unique.
published Dec 9, 2025
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Home Type
Location
Bedrooms
Square feet

484

Sq ft

484

The biggest challenge Stéphanie faced while living in her 484-square-foot, one-bedroom Tokyo apartment was feeling “at ease” in the space. But because Stéphanie is an interior designer, it’s no surprise that she made the small apartment feel like a bright, functional space. 

Stéphanie, who shares the apartment with her cat, Mila, has lived there for three years. When she moved in, it was almost new, but she describes the original space as “white and with no personality.” However, that would soon change. 

The apartment is also used as Stéphanie’s office, so it needed to be not only aesthetically pleasing, but also functional. For example, books line the stairs (aka a makeshift bookshelf and also a cozy look), and her desk and shelving system are supremely organized. She hung her artwork and photography all over the walls, too. 

“Being surrounded by art and objects I love from many places and also with ceramics of my grandpa from France,” Stéphanie says of her favorite thing about her home. 

While the initial apartment’s look was blank, after Stéphanie’s magic touch, she describes the home as “lively, artsy, and cozy.”

Thanks, Stéphanie!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.