Akiya Renovation: Mid-Remodel Walkthrough

Take a look inside our akiya! We’ve been renovating for a few months, and still have a few months to go. But I thought this would be a good middle point for an updated walk-through!

This house was built 70 years ago (1953) and has been vacant for 10 years. Our vision is to maintain the Shōwa-era charm. We love the retro-style, and will eventually furnish and decorate with many items found inside, and embellish with other era-appropriate items found in thrift stores.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned previously that we do have the blessing of the former owner’s son, who grew up in the house. We bought the house from him, and he’s happy to see the home being saved. He’s now in his 70s, and lives nearby. It’s always a delight when he stops by on his scooter for a visit, to check our work, and tell us stories. We’re doing our best to honor the house’s history, while giving it a place in Ōmishima’s future.

It sure feels like there’s so much left to do. We’ve been living here and seeing the daily changes; so it’s sort of surprising, even for me, to see the difference in a few short months! It’s only when I look back at those very first photos that I can really see the incredible amount of progress we’ve actually made!!!

I just uploaded a new walk-through video on YouTube, so please take a look. You can compare our progress with our first walk-through video, before we started any work.

While you’re at it, please consider subscribing to our YouTube channel. We’re working towards 1,000 subscribers, which is the threshold for monetizing. As part of our Startup visa business plan, we hope to include educational aspects in our small farm and guesthouse business. In the future, that will mean in-person workshops and hands-on experience, but for now, YouTube is our best option. Thanks, friends!

Our YouTube video. Take a walk through to see the progress! ⌄