Living With Heat, Paying the Price If you’ve spent a summer in Japan, you already know: it gets hot. But it’s not just the kind of dry, baking heat you find in deserts—it’s humid, sticky, and persistent. In the countryside, I’ve often wrapped a wet
The switch that talks back Walk into a Japanese home on a rainy evening, and you might spot a dim orange glow by the door. That’s no decoration. It’s a pilot switch, quietly letting you know that something’s on—usually a light outside or in a
What It Means to Build for Yourself Building something with your hands changes how you see it. It’s not just a table. It’s a reminder of the tree it came from, the work it took to carry it home, the cold mornings shaping it outside
Why I Still Love Drywall There’s something humble about drywall. It’s not glamorous. It doesn’t sparkle. It’s not even all that interesting to look at when it’s done — just a flat wall, ready for someone else’s paint. But that’s the point. Drywall is the
Sketches on Shelter and Sense For most of us, a home is more than a structure — it’s a long-term companion. It holds our work, sleep, silence, and noise. And when you’re building it yourself or choosing one to buy, every detail becomes personal. I’ve
