I decided I wanted the room I slept in to be as uncluttered as possible, with a couple pretty things to cheer me up. I painted, sewed some neutral-colored curtains, hung up calligraphy and pictures, added some plants, bought a small bedside lamp and an antique go board to use as a bedside table and banished the shelving unit to another room. There was nothing I could really do about the tatami except cover it up with a rug, but I decided to leave it exposed and just think of it as wabi sabi.

One thing I really love about Japanese apartments is the way you can easily remove the sliding doors between rooms, opening up two separate spaces into one big space, which is what I did with my living room and bedroom. I'm kind of addicted to the way it makes both rooms seem so much more spacious and am now contemplating removing the door between the kitchen and the living room.

New view from the living room.

I sleep on a futon, which I store away in my giant bedding closet during the day. It's all the convenience of a Murphy bed without the potential for disastrous slapstick humor. Plus, there's nothing better than a freshly-aired futon, still warm from the sun....

The nighttime transformation.

I also wanted to point out the picture of this bunny sleeping on a pile of pancakes, which hangs above my sleeping area, and may be the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life. I like to think it helps me sleep peacefully.

Up next: the kitchen and entryway, or How the Right Rug Can Help You Forget About Your Rotting Linoleum.