The tokonoma (alcove) used to be one ken (1.8 meters), but now varies in size around four or five shaku (1.2 or 1.5 meters), depending on the room structure, and its design also varies widely, and may include 'muro-doko' (a tokonoma plastered all over including the ceiling), 'hora-doko' (a cave-like tokonoma), 'kabe-doko' (tokonoma formed by only a wall), or 'fumikomi-doko' (a 'step-in' tokonoma).
一間を基本としていた床の間も部屋の広狭、構成に応じて四尺、五尺とバリエーションを増し、そのデザインも、「室床」「洞床」「壁床」「踏み込み床」など、多様な展開を見せる。