Owner's Voice Vol.38 K's Residence in Hyogo Prefecture

CASE STUDY 26.03.28 Sat

The kitchen was chosen by the owner who enjoys cooking.
The kitchen was chosen by the owner, who enjoys cooking.

At New Year's, the family and relatives gather at Mr. K's residence, where he personally cooks up a storm.
The kitchen, a large 4.2-meter island kitchen, was installed at the center of the house after a full renovation of a spacious apartment building.
The kitchen is the centerpiece of the house," said Mr. K. "I wanted to create a house where the kitchen plays a leading role.
We would like to introduce the kitchen and the space that naturally connects cooking and people.

The kitchen was chosen by the owner who enjoys cooking.<br>The kitchen was chosen by the owner, who enjoys cooking.

The couple's decision to choose a home centered around the kitchen.

This time we visited a 200㎡ apartment in a quiet residential area in Ashiya.
The creation of the K residence began with the clear intention of "making the kitchen the star of the show.
My husband loves to cook, so much so that he even prepares his own Osechi dishes for New Year's by himself," says the wife, who also likes to cook herself.
The K's house, where they entertain guests with homemade dishes, is a regular gathering place for many people.
Especially during the New Year's holiday, when family and relatives gather to spend a lively time together, I wanted a house that would be easy to welcome many people," she says.
So, they had previously considered detached house, but changed their plans when the husband became ill with a bad back.
They decided to move into a condominium that would provide them with sufficient space.
When you have a large island kitchen where many people can come and enjoy cooking to the fullest, you want to have a certain amount of space.
We looked for a house with a spacious layout, whether new or used, and found this apartment," said the wife.

After remodeling, the LDK was born, a 100 square meter one-room space.

The idea of reconstructing the house as a "space for cooking" was a very graceful decision.
Cooking has been his hobby since childhood, and he says, "I enjoy cooking what I want to eat. I enjoy making people happy.
These words seem to sum up the core of this house.

Both IH and gas stoves are available for various types of cooking.

The presence of the kitchen iNO captured my heart at first sight.

Mr. K recalls that choosing a kitchen, the centerpiece of his home, was a multi-year process.
detached house She says that from the planning stage, she compared various companies and visited showrooms.
He says, "I saw the name of Toyo Kitchen Style on the list of recommendations given to us by the designers.
I saw the catalog and thought it looked good, so I went to the showroom.
I fell in love at first sight. I couldn't look at anything else.
That was his first encounter with a Toyo Kitchen Style kitchen.

Large island with large storage capacity. The wide width and deep depth create a sense of scale.
The cooking process of "washing," "cutting," and "serving" is completed in the sink, starting at PARALLELO,
The layout is designed so that you can reach the sink from anywhere in front, behind, left or right, and stand side by side with your family or friends.
The showroom had one on display that was almost identical to the one we had in our house.
I saw one in the showroom that was almost exactly the same size as the one we put in ours, and I thought it had to be just right. I knew it had to be this size.

Next to him, his wife laughs and says, "Actually, I went to the showroom at that time.
Actually, I didn't go to the showroom at that time. My husband made all the decisions.
He is more passionate about kitchens than I am.

In the end, he probably went to the showroom about 10 times.
I went maybe twice. But I knew that if it was his choice, there was no doubt about it.
The kitchen he was particular about was the "iNO C-LAND," which has large storage capacity on both sides of the kitchen.
In addition, a counter-type "dining block" for dining is used next to the kitchen.

The design connects the kitchen and dining area, facilitating the serving of food.
The close proximity to the kitchen during meals also makes it attractive to have uninterrupted family conversation.

Storage is also installed on the living room side. The door material is Shkabla, which is based on the image of an ice floe.

Mr. K's residence has many professional cooking utensils such as large pots and pans. The combination of tall storage cabinets and "ORLANDO" provides ample storage.

Large, yet surprisingly smooth flow of traffic

Standing in the completed kitchen, the first thing one senses is the overwhelming sense of scale. When combined with the dining block, the island kitchen is approximately 4.2m wide.
Above it is a wide 2.4m wide Range Hood.
While these elements are powerful enough to attract the viewer's eye, they are strangely weightless.

It's a sight to behold. And it's functional, too. Even though it's big, it's easy to move around.
It's integrated with the dining counter, so I can cook a dish and serve it right away by moving to the side.

The husband nods in agreement with his wife.
He says that the "Zero flow" concept is not just a word, but something he feels comfortable using in his daily life.
In our previous house, when we were standing in the kitchen and someone came to get a plate or something, we kind of avoided each other. Now we don't have that problem. We can work smoothly even when there are a lot of people around."

Right: The distance between the sink and the stove has been eliminated to the utmost Zero flow kitchen, thereby reducing the line of flow during cooking to zero.

The height of the kitchen is 95 cm to reduce the burden on the lower back, making it difficult to bend over.

The height of the tabletop is 95 cm, a setting that takes into account the burden on the lower back.
According to the owner, "It's good that it's this high so it doesn't put any strain on my back.

It is spacious, yet easy to move around. It is large, yet easy to handle.
The reason for this lies not in the mere size, but in the design built around the line of movement.
The space was created from the perspective of the cook.
This is what you will feel every day when you use this space.

Warm, lab-like space surrounding the kitchen

What makes the kitchen of the K residence so impressive is not only its stand-alone presence.
The composition of the entire space makes the kitchen stand out like a stage.
I wanted the kitchen to have a lab-like atmosphere," he says.
But I didn't want it to look too cool," says the owner.
So we used natural stone for the floor and tiles for the kitchen walls to give the impression of space.
Lighting from the ceiling softly highlights the island kitchen, creating a stage-like atmosphere, like a professional demonstration kitchen.

The large dining room table seats 10 people and is topped with a Klunker LED120 crystal glass light, while the living room is furnished with a Bordeaux-colored Tsudoi sofa.
When we have a lot of people over, we wanted them to be able to use the dining room and living room sofas as well for meals," said the wife.
In fact, the room can accommodate about 20 people seated.

On the windowsill, she placed a Kartell "kabuki," which she had been curious about for a long time.
I really wanted to put this in," he said. It has a unique presence.

The art-like wall-mounted gas stove "FLRAME" hanging beside the dining table is the husband's favorite.

Cooking. Eating. Relaxing.
All of these are loosely connected in the K's residence.
I'm sure I'll have more opportunities to cook here than before," says the husband.

The choice to build the house around the kitchen has transformed the house into a more natural place to spend time with family and friends, with cooking at its core.

Left: The owner also selects interior items. From left: "FLRAME," a wall-mounted gas stove with a beautiful flickering flame.
Right: "Kabuki," a floor lamp that looks like lace fabric and harmonizes with the windowsill.

TSUDOI Sofa," which he says is his favorite for its comfort.

［Hired Items]
Zero flow kitchen
iNO C-LAND+ dining block (counter type)
Kitchen size: W334×D105×H95cm
Dining block size: W90×D105×H95cm
Door material: Shkabla
Sink: PARALLELO Sink
Handle: Roulette 35
Worktop: Emblem Top ice
Heating equipment: Gaggenau
Oven: Miele
Dishwasher: Miele
Faucets: Zero flow Faucet with Twin metal hose
Range Hood UFO hood 2400

Storage
iNO Tall storage, ORLANDO

Interior
Sofa: TSUDOI Sofa (Bordeaux), Table: Collection Cafe Table
Stools: Masters stool (Kartell)
Lighting: Klunker LED120, Klunker Satellite, Kabuki, Lantern, Battery 2 (Kartell)
Gas stove: FLRAME

［Profile]
Mr. K
The glass shelves in the kitchen, which were installed after they moved into their new house, are filled with their favorite whiskeys and liqueurs.

It is a rich lineup that is typical of Mr. K's residence, where he often entertains guests.

The beauty of the bottles is impressive, as they seem to float against the shimmering tiles on the back.

(photo: Kentaro Isibashi / text: Shihoko Tomibe)

Previous "Owner's Voice" is here.

Back Number

Learn more about the products featured