ALCOVE begins its story in 2018, with the purchase of a 100 year old house on a side street of the seaside town of Onomichi, Hiroshima prefecture.
The house had been left in disrepair for a decade and was in desperate need of care. In came the lovely people at ATELIER ARCHITREE, a sustainable firm in onomichi.
Thanks to the careful and thoughtful redesign of the home, ALCOVE retained all of its original charm but with a refreshed, modern look.
Working with specialists in the Setouchi area ensured that we stayed respectful of locals whilst we were miles away in London during construction.
Eventually, after a little over a year of hard work, a very hot summer and many surprises (some good, some not so good...), ALCOVE was finally finished.
The house now features two floors of open plan space and light, airy walls painted with Yukari's favourite colours from her paint collaboration with WALPA Japan.
The softly lit atrium hallway with warm shoji screens allows for privacy on the top floor after a day of exploring the bustling streets of Onomichi.
Of course, we purposely designed ALCOVE to not only be a comfortable living space, but also a place where it would be easy to get things done.
A newly located and specially engineered staircase with steel slats allows for light to spill downstairs from the windows above during breakfast.
A big communal table was a definite 'must' when it came to designing the ground floor area, as well as an open plan kitchen, made for sharing.
We think it's the perfect place for holding a book club, a gathering place for cooking workshops, or even hosting a meeting with your company.
With so many coffee shops, bakeries and cafes around in Onomichi, you could even host a menu tasting party or a beautiful working lunch for your coworkers!
A housewarming party combined with a viewing took place in late 2019- the perfect test for us to host what would hopefully be one of many such events!
We all know what happened next- the COVID-19 pandemic grounded us and many others, meaning that we were unable to visit Onomichi for a number of years.
In Japan, the country remained open for business and so our wonderful project manager was able to organise several events and residences in our absence.
Back in London, we busied ourselves with finding a treasure trove of delights for us to bring to the house, and designed new products for our eventual return.
We have since transformed into a pop up shop for textile designers as well as been the backdrop for food styling lectures by local agriculture specialists.
We love Onomichi, and want to to introduce not only curious visitors to its many wonders, but also invite interested local businesses into the space.
For more information, or to book some time in ALCOVE, click on the 'FIND OUT MORE' button to enquire about our availability for the upcoming months.
We hope to see you soon! - Team ALCOVE Onomichi, 2024

Want to visit us?

We always welcome people who are interested in visiting Onomichi or staying at our ALCOVE residence! For more information, click through to our in-depth look at the home.

FIND OUT MORE

Photo by friend of ALCOVE Onomichi, Jan Stroetmann

Explore all things ALCOVE!

Curious about who we are, what we do and the things we enjoy? Read a little more about why we decided on Onomichi and come with us on a journey exploring the things we love about our city.

Home from home: An ALCOVE Onomichi story

The story behind our little home in Onomichi- a surprising city with a wealth of joy at its doorstep.

ALCOVE VIA MAPS: THE long way around

Our Google Map guide with all of our very favourite spots- we’ve got your next trip here covered!

Stories of the Sea: Onomichi in popular culture

A look at the impact Onomichi has had on media, from poetry to films to video games and back again.

A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: OUR GUIDE TO NAVIGATING JAPAN

Is it your first time visiting Japan? We’ve created a little page dedicated to sharing our experiences as well as handy hints and tips on culture and etiquette for you to learn about before you go!

Our Onomichi lifestyle at @alcoveonomichi

Join our community on Instagram!

Hello Onomichi (and Fukuyama)❤️
I’m back.

一年ぶりのアルコーブ．
今年は綺麗にお掃除をしてもらっていて、小さなプレゼントまでテーブルの上に乗ってました．

一年ぶりでも1週間ぶりでも懐かしい気がする尾道の街．
ミモザの花に込められた大事な友達からの「おかえり」とか、変わらず美味しい味を守っている人たちの「おかえり」とか、遠くから近くから遊びに来てくれる大事な友達の愛情たっぷり受けて瀬戸内暮らしを再開することができました．

今年もよろしく

Merry Christmas to everyone in Onomichi with love from us in London 🎄

ロンドンから尾道へ、メリークリスマス🎄
尾道のクリスマスの風景はどんなかな？と思いを馳せながら、ロンドンのクリスマスを贈ります．

尾道の人が街が、元気でありますように🌟

With Japan becoming a popular destination for many people recently, it’s usually the hotspots like Tokyo and Kyoto that get visited the most, isn’t it? But for some, the quiet yet lively charms of Onomichi draw them in.
•
We have al

Once a year, Onomichi's streets are lit with twinkling lanterns and candles to celebrate the 'Akari Matsuri' (Light Festival).

Our good friend Yamaguchi san of @antenna_coffee_house sent us this wonderful photo of one of our @yukarisweeneydesign No

September in Britain is an interesting time- for many, it’s the last chance to go away on holiday before the school year starts. In Britain, we are very much blessed with a treasure trove of beautiful places to visit during the holidays.

With

As the intensity of summer begins to dwindle, and the days slowly get windier and wetter, we find ourselves with the last vestiges of sunshine at our fingertips here in London.

Walking to work today, we noticed many empty residential parking spaces

Recently, we got a notification that it is ALCOVE's 6th anniversary. We can't believe how lucky we are to have been on this journey with all of you for so long!

Yukari sent me a song sung by Taro Urashima (the musician and actor Kenta Kiritani), ca

Hidden (and not so hidden) gems of Onomichi!

Today we wanted to share some of our favourite spots to eat, visit and relax in Onomichi and surrounding islands. Some of you may already know this, but we have a community map over on Google Maps where w

This year, we were so fortunate to have an absolutely fabulous @setouchidenimcompany blind installed in our little home in Onomichi. It's a real dream come true for us!

There is a small window in our home that we have been wondering what to do

The beauty of Setouchi.
We are so blessed to have a little house in Onomichi.

瀬戸内の景色

この春ラッキーにもアルコーブで2ヶ月半くらい、瀬戸内の暮らしをすることができました．
いろんな人に支えてもらって、元気にしてもらって、尾道の海の風や瀬戸内の青い空の下で心も身体も健康なれたのがありがたかったです．
この街は本当に大切な街です．

たくさんの人に本当の瀬戸内の、尾道の、美しさを体験してほしいなと心から思います

Life in Setouchi, episode 3!

1) Cherry blossom viewing (hanami) at Fukuyama Castle. It was such a privilege to be there.
2) Our dear friend Mr I san sipping matcha tea which was provided by Ms Kinoko san.
3) The famous cherry blossoms at Senkoji

Life in Setouchi, Episode 2!
1) one goes to Momoshima (the Art Island), the other goes Mukaishima (home to our closest supermarket!)
2) Kawazu Sakura
3) Tairyou Sakura
4) A bus stop beside the sea at Mihara ( neighbour city of Onomichi)
5) A chee

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ALCOVE begins its story in 2018, with the purchase of a 100 year old house on a side street of the seaside town of Onomichi, Hiroshima prefecture.

The house had been left in disrepair for a decade and was in desperate need of care. In came the lovely people at ATELIER ARCHITREE, a sustainable firm in onomichi.

Thanks to the careful and thoughtful redesign of the home, ALCOVE retained all of its original charm but with a refreshed, modern look.

Working with specialists in the Setouchi area ensured that we stayed respectful of locals whilst we were miles away in London during construction.

Eventually, after a little over a year of hard work, a very hot summer and many surprises (some good, some not so good...), ALCOVE was finally finished.

The house now features two floors of open plan space and light, airy walls painted with Yukari's favourite colours from her paint collaboration with WALPA Japan.

The softly lit atrium hallway with warm shoji screens allows for privacy on the top floor after a day of exploring the bustling streets of Onomichi.

Of course, we purposely designed ALCOVE to not only be a comfortable living space, but also a place where it would be easy to get things done.

A newly located and specially engineered staircase with steel slats allows for light to spill downstairs from the windows above during breakfast.

A big communal table was a definite 'must' when it came to designing the ground floor area, as well as an open plan kitchen, made for sharing.

We think it's the perfect place for holding a book club, a gathering place for cooking workshops, or even hosting a meeting with your company.

With so many coffee shops, bakeries and cafes around in Onomichi, you could even host a menu tasting party or a beautiful working lunch for your coworkers!

A housewarming party combined with a viewing took place in late 2019- the perfect test for us to host what would hopefully be one of many such events!

We all know what happened next- the COVID-19 pandemic grounded us and many others, meaning that we were unable to visit Onomichi for a number of years.

In Japan, the country remained open for business and so our wonderful project manager was able to organise several events and residences in our absence.

Back in London, we busied ourselves with finding a treasure trove of delights for us to bring to the house, and designed new products for our eventual return.

We have since transformed into a pop up shop for textile designers as well as been the backdrop for food styling lectures by local agriculture specialists.

We love Onomichi, and want to to introduce not only curious visitors to its many wonders, but also invite interested local businesses into the space.

For more information, or to book some time in ALCOVE, click on the 'FIND OUT MORE' button to enquire about our availability for the upcoming months.

We hope to see you soon! - Team ALCOVE Onomichi, 2024

Want to visit us?

Explore all things ALCOVE!

Our Onomichi lifestyle at @alcoveonomichi