Apartment Interior: A Surprising Way to Store Fusuma Sliding Doors - I Made a Headboard
My son has moved out, and the layout of our home has changed a little.
It is a 2LDK, 65 square meters.
The 15.5-tatami mat living-dining room and the 7-tatami mat Japanese-style room were originally separated by four fusuma sliding doors.
But there is no longer any need to divide the rooms.
I decided to take the plunge and remove the fusuma, creating a large space of about 23 tatami mats, and it turned out to be more comfortable than I imagined.
However, there was one problem.
Where should I store the four removed fusuma doors?
Since it is a rental, I cannot just throw them away.
I might need them someday.
When I looked on Instagram and Pinterest, I found various ideas like storing them under the bed, covering them with cloth, or leaning them against the back of a closet, but...
None of them felt quite right.
Instead of 'hiding them so they can't be seen,' I wondered,
'Can't I make use of them because they exist?'
When I was thinking about that, a headboard I had been interested in for a while suddenly came to mind.
Wait? Couldn't I just store the fusuma inside this?
A bed headboard that also serves as fusuma storage.
I couldn't find anything like it even when searching online.
Could it be that no one has done this?
If so, I might be the pioneer of the fusuma-storage headboard.
While getting excited all by myself, I consulted a friend who is an architect about the image I had in mind, and...
'That's interesting.'
They said that and drew up a blueprint in no time.
My friend knows my tastes well, so they are a precious person who understands ten things if I tell them one.
Establishing the image.
It's exactly my ideal!
Oh, I'm really looking forward to it now.
Things I want to place on the board
Colors and style
Budget
When I tell my friend just this much, my vague ideas quickly start taking shape.
The time spent imagining this finished product is also very fun.
Alright, then let's head to the home improvement store with the blueprint right away.
First, I thought about boldly leaving the side facing the wall, which isn't visible, hollow, and instead focusing on the wood for the front that is visible to make it look like a 'proper piece of furniture.'
Deciding early on what to compromise on and what not to compromise on makes decision-making faster when you're lost; I think this is what they call the wisdom of age.
In life, there are frequent choices about whether something is necessary or not.
Even so, I spent over an hour considering the materials, sizes, and prices, and had them cut according to the dimensions on the blueprint.
I sand the wood I brought home.
This makes a huge difference in the beauty of the finish, so it's tough, but I have to do it.
Once that's done, the next step is to assemble the parts.
After that, just apply some oil stain and it's finished!
A result worth more than the price, achieved after 7 hours of work.
What were once lines on a blueprint gradually become three-dimensional, and the image I had in my head starts to take shape. This moment might be the most enjoyable part of DIY.
Items purchased:
Screws
Nails
Lumber
The cost was about 6,000 yen, and the result was worth more than the price.
Once it's finished, I want to decorate the board with pictures and books, using the stylish interiors I've admired as a reference.
And what I'm planning next is to display a picture I drew myself in a frame I DIYed myself.
Imagining the completed space makes the next "I want to try this" bubble up.
In my 50s, there are still things I want to do.
Just having something you want to challenge yourself with next makes life much richer.
Now that I live alone, having the time to pursue what I "love" is the greatest luxury of all.