Traditional Japanese Houses

I found some inspirations from traditional Japanese houses that may be useful in solving our problem. I notice that their rooms looks spacious and open because their furniture are low in height, giving an illusion of a taller ceiling and hence, more space. They sleep on mattresses instead of beds, and sit on cushions on the floor instead of chairs.

They also store away their furniture when not in use. Ex: move the table to the side during night, or roll up their futon (mattress) during the day and store it inside their closet.

They use sliding doors instead of normal doors (this also apply for their wardrobes/closet doors). Sliding doors take up less space compared to normal swinging doors.

In addition, the use of natural materials and light color scheme gives the room an airy, fresh look.