Japanese modern - a few things we like

[Liwen Cheung]

One of our habits is asking guests to remove their shoes upon entering the house. One of the big issues is keeping the shoes organized!  We would love to incorporate the idea of a Genkan. We would want to have a "grand entrance" feel but somehow incorporate a genkan area for people to sit and remove shoes. Here are some photos on Houzz that are good examples.

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/24941830/thumbs/Genkan---Front-entry-transitional-place-for-guest-shoes

Here is a picture of a home that tries to integrate elements of Japanese style and a feel of zen. We liked the first picture of the stone walkway 

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Saratoga/14480-Oak-Pl-95070/home/811282