{"id":645,"date":"2021-11-19T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-19T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/?p=645"},"modified":"2023-02-06T09:39:49","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T08:39:49","slug":"renovation-of-old-houses-between-japan-and-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/2021\/11\/19\/renovation-of-old-houses-between-japan-and-france\/","title":{"rendered":"Renovating old houses: Between Japan and France"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Maritchu Durand<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, the akiya<\/em> phenomenon in Japan [1] has received a lot of attention and the renovation of vacant houses has increasingly been associated with rural revitalization in Japan. When researching akiya<\/em> for my master\u2019s thesis, I found many examples of abandoned houses recently renovated by newcomers on social media. Although all of these houses are unique in their final conceptualization, a significant number share similar designs, colors and materials. In many cases, discrete pastel colors were used for the walls made of natural plaster. Pictures show old refurbished furniture or new sleek and minimalist tables, chairs or countertops of light wood. A clear and high ceiling is another shared feature of many houses and laying the framework bare, highlighting the raw wood structure seems to be another common strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When scrolling through all these pictures, I felt strongly reminded of my grandparents\u2019 house in the southern French countryside and especially of their most recent renovation. When they first moved to the old family house in 1978, the house had stood empty for several decades, and after rewiring the entire house with modern electricity, they installed heating and renovated the rooftop to insure its longevity. But it was not until recently that they decided to renovate the kitchen, which is the heart and soul of the house. It showed many signs of use. The plaster was falling off the walls and the furniture could hardly keep up with a house full of guests during the holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My grandparents’ kitchen before renovations: an old and crooked floor and a plaster that is peeling off<\/em><\/strong>
Copyright Maritchu Durand 2013<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With the help of friends and family, they stripped down the entire kitchen, laid bare the old stone wall, retiled and plastered the sink with pastel colored natural materials. They decided to keep the ceiling as is with the wooden structure visible. Finally, they returned the fireplace to its original look, and refurnished the kitchen with new cupboards and counters made of wood from an old tree they had cut and dried years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n