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MUJI Designs a Micro-House and DIYs the Objects to Fill It

ByMyProperty Life

In a world that moves fast (and only seems to be speeding up), MUJI’s latest project feels like a deep breath. At Milan Design Week 2025, the brand teamed up with Studio 5∙5 to debut MUJI MUJI 5∙5 a modular micro-architecture house and a suite of clever DIY creations, all crafted from everyday MUJI products. Together, they created a blueprint for a downshifted life – one that favors calm, creativity, and a little less stuff.

A small modern wooden tiny house with a covered porch, large windows, and an attached vertical garden, situated on a cobblestone courtyard

Designed with Japan’s tradition of modest, modular living in mind, the micro Manifesto House embraces flexibility, sustainability, and calm. Built from prefabricated modules, it can be configured to the perfect size, from a one-person retreat to a family weekend getaway. Eco-conscious touches, like recycled textiles for insulation, a white roof that reduces heat absorption and collects rainwater, and a raised structure with an open upper section for passive cooling, ensure the home treads lightly – and thoughtfully – on its environment.

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A small, modern, white tiny house with glass doors, plants growing on vertical trellises, and wooden steps, situated on a cobblestone courtyard. A woman stands nearby

A small modern wooden tiny house with plants growing on the exterior, set in a stone courtyard; a woman stands on the front steps, and a bicycle is parked beside the house.

A modern greenhouse structure with glass walls, wooden frame, and plants growing on shelves, situated in a cobblestone courtyard near historical buildings

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The Manifesto House unfolds across six flexible modules, each designed with simplicity and purpose.

A series of modular wooden and metal room units displayed in a row, illustrating different interior functions and a vertical garden structure at the end

A small wooden shed with open doors, a metal panel, and planters with green plants, set on a gravel surface under leafy trees

The Genkan marks the entrance, with a bench that doubles as shoe storage – a must in Japan, where it’s customary to remove your shoes before entering – and a coat rack crafted from repurposed bottles. The Ofuro module, dedicated to hygiene and well-being, features a reinterpreted Shoji sliding partition and a traditional Japanese soaking bath.

A small, modern wooden structure with large glass windows stands among trees; a bicycle with a basket is parked nearby

Ofuro module

A modern kitchen corner with a white sink, faucet, black tiled backsplash, and various kitchen utensils hanging on a wall grid

Daidokoro module

Plastic containers filled with various dried spices, herbs, and grains are neatly organized on shelves, each labeled with handwritten tags

Daidokoro module

In the Daidokoro kitchen, a full wall of MUJI containers celebrates fermentation and long-term food preservation. A Kintsugi workshop encourages creativity and making, anchored by a mobile workbench that doubles as a desk, work surface, or dining table.

A modern, minimalist room with wooden furniture, frosted panel windows, shelves with jars, a trash bin, and soft overhead lighting

Kintsugi module

A small wooden reading nook with a bench, open book, shelves holding books and stationery, and a window showing greenery outside

Tatami module

The Tatami module offers a foldable sleeping area that maximizes every square inch. And outside, a Niwa garden nods to Japan’s courtyard gardens, offering a place to grow food, meditate, or simply stay still.

A small modern shed with wooden walls, a metal door, potted plants on shelves, steps, and an outdoor water feature with a white spout and bucket in a garden setting

Niwa module at left

Hollow shelf, made from bamboo boxes

In the spirit of doing more with less, MUJI and Studio 5∙5 also introduced MUJI MUJI 5∙5, a collection of DIY creations that transform existing products into new objects for daily living. With just a few tweaks, familiar MUJI products turn into entirely new creations: a birdhouse built from a bookend and drawer, a hollow shelf fashioned from bamboo boxes, even a gong made from a measuring bowl and coffee spoon.

A two-tiered plastic storage bin with wooden support, holding bottles in the lower bin and a glass on the upper tray, placed next to glassware and bowls on shelves

Tray cart, made from a pinewood board, wood tray, and storage box

Frosted box-shaped light fixture with an exposed bulb hangs by a window, with hooks and a white bath pouf attached below. Green trees are visible outside

Box lamp, made from a storage box, cable, socket, and LED bulb

Kitchen utensils including a strainer, scissors, ladle, and sponge hang from hooks on a metal grid ceiling organizer near a window

Gong bowl, made from a measuring bowl, coffee spoon, suction cups, and aluminum hooks

More than a showcase of clever design, the Manifesto House and MUJI MUJI collection embody a shared belief between MUJI and Studio 5∙5: that true living isn’t about accumulating more, but about choosing well. Every object, every space, is a quiet affirmation of shaping a life with intention – focusing on what is essential, what is versatile, and what will truly endure. It’s proof that intentional design – and a little DIY creativity – can go a long way.

Outdoor wall with a wooden panel, grid section holding cleaning tools, a window with shelves visible inside, and plants in the foreground

A wooden soaking tub and two bottles are inside a glass-walled structure with outdoor trees and sunlight visible through the windows

A small modern prefab structure with wood and glass panels sits on a stone courtyard, with a bike parked outside and vertical planters on one side

A modern, small modular building with large windows and a mix of wood and metal panels stands on an elevated foundation in a courtyard

A modern, small glass-walled structure with a flat roof stands on a cobblestone courtyard, adjacent to a historic stone building

A modern tiny house with wood and metal exterior, glass doors, small porch, plants, and steps, situated in a stone courtyard beside an old building

A woman stands and a man sits on wooden steps outside a building, both looking at the camera in natural daylight

Claire Renard and Jean-Sébastien Blanc, co-founders of Studio 5∙5

Want to learn how to DIY your own MUJI MUJI 5∙5 object from the collection? Visit muji.eu where you can get detailed illustrations, instructions, and learn more about the Manifesto House by MUJI x Studio 5∙5.

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She’s probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

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