As space was limited, machiya developed their characteristic long and narrow shape. This also influenced their interior design, because the length posed problems to both
lighting and ventilation. Also, it became necessary to be able to maximise the space that was available, so sliding doors and stairs with integrated drawers found their way into the houses.
Furthermore, both for lighting and ventilation, people began to add gardens into the houses, thus having a little bit of nature directly at home in the middle of a bustling city.