Lulla House by I IN frames coastal living in Kamakura

Matheus Santos Carneiro Da CunhaARCHITECTUREYesterday3.7K ViewsShort URL

Set directly along the beachfront in Kamakura, Lulla House by I IN is conceived as both a private weekend residence and an extension of its owner’s fashion practice. Organized across three levels, the compact house negotiates between retreat and display, combining tactile materials, crafted details, and carefully framed views of the Pacific coastline.

Rather than treating the interior as a neutral domestic container, the project approaches space as something deeply tied to movement, dressing, texture, and atmosphere. The result is a residence that feels simultaneously intimate and theatrical, where architecture unfolds through a sequence of carefully composed moments.

At the center of the house, a sculptural spiral staircase clad in brushed metal anchors the entire plan. Wall mounted lights trace the circulation route upward, transforming the vertical movement through the house into an almost cinematic procession.

The second floor contains the primary living and dining areas, positioned to capture expansive west facing views toward the sea and sunset. Large openings dissolve the boundary between interior and coastline, allowing natural light to move continuously across the space throughout the day.

A solid titanium clad volume interrupts the rhythm of the glazing at the center of the plan. Rather than acting as a fixed partition, the metallic element conceals a door that opens directly onto the terrace, creating a subtle interplay between enclosure and openness.

Material choices throughout the floor reference the language of fashion and textile construction. Rattan panels conceal kitchen and closet storage while allowing filtered light and ventilation to pass through. Custom furniture designed by I IN reinforces the highly personal character of the residence, including a ribbed dark wood credenza and a low pink sofa calibrated specifically to the client’s lifestyle and sensibility.

On the third floor, an open closet occupies the center of the plan at the top of the staircase, emphasizing the ritual of dressing as a defining aspect of daily life within the house. Around it, the upper level unfolds as a softer and more intimate domestic environment.

The bathroom occupies nearly half of the floor plate, transforming bathing into a spatial experience connected directly to the ocean beyond. Shower, vanity, and bathtub are organized as one continuous sequence rather than separate rooms, while full height glazing opens the interior toward uninterrupted coastal views.

Pink ceramic tiles paired with contrasting yellow grout cover both walls and floors, introducing a tactile and almost textile like atmosphere. The unexpected colour combination softens the geometry of the space and reinforces the project’s dialogue between architecture, craft, and fashion.

Across the house, timber surfaces were hand finished on site using a brushing technique that exaggerates the grain and texture of the wood. These tactile treatments introduce warmth against the cooler metallic elements of the staircase and titanium surfaces.

Rope detailing integrated into the exterior balustrades further connects the architecture to the vocabulary of weaving and garment construction. Rather than functioning as decorative additions, these crafted details establish continuity between the owner’s fashion identity and the spatial language of the house itself.

Lulla House ultimately frames coastal living through texture, movement, and material sensitivity, transforming a compact beachfront residence into a carefully choreographed environment shaped equally by architecture, fashion, and the atmosphere of the sea.