Get off the grid and score your own minimalist home from the Japanese retailer MUJI.
Owning our own home might be the ‘great Australian dream’, but for many Aussie millennials getting our foot in the property door can feel like an unattainable aspiration. With soaring property prices, many of us are opting to secure long-term rental leases rather than try our hand at purchasing our own slice of paradise. But for those looking for another option, this latest concept might be the perfect solution.
Lovers of minimalist design and Japanese homeware will be well-acquainted with the global retailer, MUJI. Since launching in Oz in 2013 (with the opening of MUJI’s first Melbourne store), the chain has continued to expand with five stores across Australia. With an emphasis on timeless design and simple, quality materials, shoppers have grown to love MUJI’s classic basic apparel, smart travel gear, and refined furniture and homewares. And in a big move for the brand, MUJI have just announced the launch of their latest offering: prefab homes.
Followers of the company might remember MUJI’s first foray into the world of architecture with the launch of their tiny homes (the MUJI ‘Hut’) back in 2017. Starting at a very reasonable $40,000 AUD, the prefab homes measure up at just nine-square-metres, designed to be part holiday home, part permanent abode. Whether positioned by the water or set in the back of a property, these self-contained spaces were clad in black charred wood (to improve the building’s durability).
This latest home concept takes things to the next level. Meet the MUJI Plain house (or Yō no Ie), a one-story prefabricated home designed to blur the lines between indoors and out. Made to exist in the wilderness, these 74-square-metre structures are a place to call home, complete with a large outdoor deck and sunken segment (perfect for an outdoor fire pit or dramatic garden). Each home can be customised for the buyer’s desired layout, and priced at $216,600 AUD (much more reasonable than your typical entry-level property).
Expect light timber floors, bright white walls and plenty of floor-to-ceiling windows to floors the interiors with natural light. Inside, you’ll find everything from a large bedroom to a kitchen and ding space, a bathroom plus a dedicated living space. Unfortunately, you’ll have to head to Japan to buy one of these homes as the concept is yet to be released in Australia. But, who wouldn’t want to escape to the Japanese wilderness in one of these minimalist homes? To find out more, click here.