A once-cramped Canberra flat is reimagined as a serene Japandi retreat, where layered textures, natural materials, and quiet design gestures come together to evoke calm, clarity, and soulful living.
15 April 2025
Home Type: 4-room HDB flat
Floor Area: 920sqft
Text by Olha Romaniuk
In Canberra, designer Ben Tan of Inizio Atelier set out to craft a deeply personal sanctuary for himself and his wife – a home that distills his years of professional experience into an intimate and considered space. Nestled within a 920-square-foot, four-room HDB flat, the home – aptly named Shibui House – embodies restraint, richness, and refined comfort.
While the original layout felt dark and fragmented, with outdated partitions and finishes that stifled natural light, the redesign strips it all back to its essence. The renovation, completed in 12 weeks, focused on opening up sightlines and breathing light into every corner. The result is a warm, textural home that honours simplicity without ever feeling sparse.
Ben approached this family project with a deep appreciation for natural materials, clean lines, and meaningful spaces. “Having spent years crafting homes for others, this was the moment to reflect our values: calm, clarity, and soul,” explains the designer.
Rooted in the Japanese concept of Shibui – a quiet kind of beauty that unfolds with time – the design vision came to life through muted tones, organic textures, and considered layering. Walls were opened up to let natural light flow seamlessly across the living, dining, and kitchen zones. Though much of the structure was reworked, ceiling lines and architectural silhouettes were retained to preserve a sense of rhythm and scale.
“It’s easy for minimalist homes to feel cold or sterile,” muses Ben. “However, with Japandi design as was the direction here, the goal was a soft kind of minimalism.” In Shibui House, warmth comes through in every material touchpoint – soft linen curtains, raw plaster walls, and fluted wood panels provide a quiet sense of tactility. The lighting, thoughtfully layered across ambient, task, and accent sources, shifts the mood from day to night with ease.
Storage was another critical design challenge. With the open layout, the couple had to avoid visual clutter. Ben’s solution? Hidden compartments built into custom benches and cabinetry that merge discreetly into the walls, preserving the home’s clean lines without sacrificing function.
Perhaps the most eye-catching feature of the home is its sculptural kitchen island, finished in textured paint. More than a functional surface, the island feels like a grounded art piece. Its tactile finish nods to wabi-sabi sensibilities, where beauty is found in subtle imperfections and the traces of the handmade. The island anchors the space both visually and emotionally, inviting gathering without demanding attention.
There’s a palpable softness to the home that’s hard to pin down but easy to feel. Whether it’s the shadow play on the plastered walls or the way sunlight filters through gauzy curtains, Shibui House invites its inhabitants – and guests – into a state of ease. It is a home designed not to shout but to soothe, proving that with thoughtful restraint and creative finesse, even a compact condo can become a deeply personal retreat.
Inizio Atelier
www.inizioatelier.com
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