Don't underestimate building materials! The shop is full of wonderful things!

Just past the Iyo Fire Station on National Route 56, there's a charming shop with a green door. The sign reads "Nishioka Building Materials Co., Ltd."

The chief, who used to help with administrative work at the company, was casually flipping through a building materials catalog one day when she was surprised to find it overflowing with cute and wonderful items.

So, she renovated the showroom, which was previously a break room for craftsmen, into a DIY and plumbing goods shop that would excite women. Stylish wallpaper, cute tiles, faucets and door messages that look like they're straight out of a movie – the shop has been transformed into a wonderful space with a dazzling lineup of items.

At the same time, the chief, thinking about what she could do with tiles, traveled to Osaka and Hiroshima to visit shops that held workshops utilizing tiles in crafts, and she became increasingly engrossed in tile work.

First, experience a tile workshop!

In the tile workshop, you arrange and glue tiles of your favorite colors and shapes onto trays or stools to create original crafts. There are dozens of types of mosaic tiles in the shop. Squares, hexagons, circles, flower shapes – the shapes and colors are diverse, making it difficult to decide on a design.

After gluing the chosen tiles onto the tray or stool with a small gap between them, you fill the gaps with the prepared cement. Wipe off the excess cement with a sponge, and then just let it dry.

Once the grout is dry, gently wipe off any remaining cement from the tiles with a wet wipe, and you're done! It's very easy, and they teach you carefully, so even children can enjoy the experience.

The chief hoped that this workshop would be aきっかけ (trigger/starting point) for people to start enjoying DIY projects to make their homes more fun. The shop name, "mononimo," embodies the idea that "at 'mononimo,' the building materials shop, there are many things that can make your home more enjoyable."

A new business project to convey the charm of building materials is currently being planned.

mononimo attracts a wide range of customers, from young people to the elderly. Perhaps due to the increased time spent at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are reportedly trying their hand at DIY projects such as replacing wallpaper and building water features in their gardens.

However, DIY can be challenging, and the fear of failure often makes people hesitate. To address this, mononimo is planning to launch a new business. Starting in 2021, they plan to offer workshops where participants can learn DIY skills such as wallpapering and plumbing by renovating vacant houses and old traditional houses in the city.

This provides an opportunity to try DIY before tackling projects in your own home. Furthermore, the renovated vacant houses will be sold, making this a business that also contributes to addressing the problem of vacant houses, a growing concern in recent years.