Why Space Matters: Healing, Nature, and True Protection
Inspired by JFK Jr. and Carolyn’s Tribeca Loft in "Love Story" (Disney+)
When I trace the origins of my fascination with interior design and the space we call “home,” I am reminded of the model homes at a housing exhibition center that my family and I visited when I was in elementary school.
Sunlight streamed in, and the sophisticated interiors highlighted the architecture's beauty. Even as a child, I was deeply captivated by their magic, wondering whether such beautiful spaces truly existed.
In Japan, known as the “Land of the Rising Sun,” the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami (enshrined at Ise Grand Shrine and also revered as the ancestral deity of the Imperial Family) stands at the pinnacle of Shinto. Just as we say, “The Sun is watching,” when someone does something wrong, the sun is a sacred and special presence for us, and when choosing a home, south-facing light has always been held in the highest regard.
What made me reflect deeply once again on this relationship between “light and home” was the drama "Love Story (Disney+)", which I watched the other day, depicting JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.
Amid their beautiful yet poignant story, what really caught my eye was the Tribeca loft where they lived. That space—which JFK Jr. had loved since his bachelor days and where the couple lived together after they married—was unified by concrete and light tones, making it supremely chic, like a sophisticated design hotel.
Official trailer of Love Story
Yet at the same time, I couldn’t help but be struck by a heart-wrenching “darkness.”
Located on a lower floor facing a major thoroughfare, with no doorman, and surrounded by relentless paparazzi the moment she stepped outside. Carolyn was forced to quit her job at the peak of her career, bewildered by changes in her friendships, and sinking deeper into loneliness. That loft, where she had no choice but to shut herself away, felt so devoid of daily warmth that it offered no “refuge” to catch her breath.
If only they had left that coldly stylish loft and moved to a place with security, where they could take a deep breath with their dog on a sun-drenched terrace or in a garden filled with greenery—Carolyn, who grew up surrounded by the nature of Massachusetts, might have been able to rediscover her true self. I couldn’t help but think so.
Parisian apartment decorated with MAISON MIYABI's pillows and scented candle
Of course, changing where you live doesn’t solve everything.
But a home isn’t just a “cool box”—it should be a “fortress” that protects you and your family from the outside world's hustle and bustle and a place to recharge for tomorrow.
I want people to live in a place they love, surrounded by warmth and beauty, with the people who matter most to them.
This desire to help make it happen led me to launch “MAISON MIYABI"
When I mention that I deal in traditional Japanese Kimonos and Obi sashes, people often assume they’re “for those who like Japanese-style rooms or Asian aesthetics.” But after living in Paris for over 15 years, I see it a little differently. Rather than imposing traditional Japanese crafts, I reimagine the handiwork and stories (the soul) of artisans—nurtured over many years—as a “new breath of life” that harmonizes beautifully with modern Western interiors.
Placing a single piece that holds a warm story within a minimalist, sophisticated space—that alone transforms the room into a surprisingly gentle place that envelops its inhabitants.
Please take a look at our collection.
If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment or send me a message at contact@maisonmiyabi.com anytime.
