Compact Life Storage in the Shape of Life

MUJI

Case
1

A simple, pleasant life in Hong Kong

Renovating the Ho family home

Organizing living spaces. Highlight items the family feels excited for.

Interview with the Ho family

Mr. Ho and his wife and daughter live in a condominium in an urdan district in Hong Kong. Their home is a typical size for Hong Kong families, but storage space is a problem. MUJI puts Compact Life into practice to help the Ho family think about their lives by renovating their living space, which was overflowing with clothes and everyday items.

Renovator

Ho family
A Family of 3: Mr. Ho, a mechanical engineer (50s); Mrs. Ho, a homemaker (50s); and their daughter, a company employee (20s)

Before renovation

The 2-bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining room layout is a typical living space for Hong Kong (41㎡), which also includes a windowless room. Their son has moved out, so his room is also being used by the daughter.

Problems prior to renovation

Renovation requests

Thoughts after the renovation

Changes in lifestyle after the renovation

Lives around the world can be changed by “arranging living spaces”

Creator of the renovation plan

Toru Arai
MUJI interior advisor

Floor plan

Placing stacking shelves here and there loosely divides the space while providing excellent storage without making it feel cramped.

How will the problem of overflowing items at the Ho family home be solved by MUJI? That was the starting point for the renovation. MUJI has versatile products with efficient designs that can be used in any room. The concept for this renovation is to shape life using one main MUJI product. The entire home was renovated using Wooden Stacking Shelves*, which provide storage and serve as walls to divide the rooms.

The renovation was carried out using the suggested steps to a Compact Life. First, we worked with the family to create categories and seperate items into ones that are meaningful to them and those that are not. As a result, what is left are items that are truly necessary. We also showed the family how to properly fold and put away clothes, and stored them in Stacking Shelves according to criteria such as how often they are used. In order to maintain a well-ordered lifestyle, the family had promised not to acquire any more unnecessary items by putting concept into practice. For example, they are encouraged to rethink the pieces of clothing they possess whenever they want to make new purchases.

The Ho family values gatherings of family and friends, so to accomodate for this, a combination of Unit Sofas were used in the living room. In addition, four tables make it possible for each family member to have their own area in the limited living space. When several people gather, the tables can be pushed together. Places to sit and relax, as well as personal table spaces, were created to give a spacious feel even within the small space.

Special memorabilia that were once part of the clutter give a very different impression when placed amid an organized living space.

Organizing living spaces clearly highlight items the family value.
This lets their personality shine and leads to a more pleasant lifestyle.

*The stacking shelf measurements are different from ordinary specifications.

Before

After