Owner's Voice Vol.40 H's Residence in Kanagawa Prefecture

CASE STUDY 26.05.25 Mon

Non-standard design kitchens will change the way we live in the future.

A new life in a place where childhood memories remain.
This choice was the starting point for the construction of Mr. H's home.
At the center of their completed new home is the Toyo Kitchen Style "iNO CD-LAND.
The kitchen has the ability to encompass everything from "cooking" to "relaxing" in a single space,
How has it changed the way of living?

Toyo Kitchen Style Kitchen INO and TSUDOI Sofa

What we sought was not the number of rooms, but a comfortable spread

The residence of Mr. H stands in a quiet residential area in Kanagawa Prefecture.
The house was built on the land where his parents used to live, and was rebuilt.
Mr. H. said, "I had a house in Tokyo, so at first I thought about selling it.
However, I couldn't bear to let it go because it was where I spent my childhood.
Then I decided to rebuild the house to suit my current needs.

At the same time, he was retiring from management and thinking about his future life with his partner.
In a sense, it was a natural choice for him to choose a place that he had known since his childhood, and where he would live out the rest of his life.

What Mr. H was aiming for in his new home was "a comfortable space that does not demand too much.
She wanted to make it as spacious and comfortable as possible within the limited space available.
Rather than increasing the number of rooms, we prioritized what was comfortable for us.

True to his words, the floor plan of the completed house is extremely simple and seamless.
The spacious LDK is located on the first floor and is connected to the bedrooms on the second floor via a stairwell and skeleton staircase.

The key color of the entire space is white, and silver, black, and blue are used to create a cool and sophisticated impression.
The LDK is where I spend most of my time at home, except for when I sleep.
I have a separate study, but I do most of my computer work here.

The idea is to centralize the center of living in one place.
This concept is deeply connected to the choice of the kitchen, which will be discussed later.

Toyo Kitchen Style countertop storage and Rinnai gas cooktop

Fusion of functionality and appearance, 1+1=3 added value

Mr. H recalls that he was not originally very particular about his kitchen.
I just wanted an open-type kitchen that would be integrated with the living room from the beginning, so I compared several manufacturers through catalogs and the Internet.

I was comparing several manufacturers in catalogs and on the Internet," she says, "and when I came across Toyo Kitchen Style, I wanted to see the actual product first.
I had the impression that this was something out of the ordinary," he said.

And that impression was confirmed when he saw the actual product in the showroom.
I think all manufacturers' kitchens have good functionality, but the TOYO KITCHEN STYLE products are not as good as the others.
But I felt that Toyo Kitchen Style products have a different approach to manufacturing before functionality.
I thought that Toyo Kitchen Style offers product proposals from the perspective of how to design the entire lifestyle, rather than just the kitchen itself.
I was attracted by the uniqueness and impact of the project itself, which was different from so-called off-the-shelf products.

The essential perspective of craftsmanship embedded in the beautiful design captured the heart of Mr. H.
The iNO CD-LAND, which is integrated with the dining room, was chosen.
The kitchen connects the cooking space with the dining area, making it the center of the home.

I used to think it was natural to have a separate dining table, but iNO CD-LAND made me realize that it was enough," says H. "The kitchen is a beautiful fusion of multiple functions.

This concept of integrating multiple functions in a beautiful way is not limited to kitchens.
The "Dress Core" unit used on the second floor near the bedroom is a unique item that combines the functions of a washbasin and dresser in one unit.
Mr. H says, "I was attracted to it because, like the kitchen that also serves as a dining room, it combines two different purposes, a washstand and a dresser, and at the same time it is sophisticated.
The added value of 1 + 1 = 3 is very appealing to me.

The stylish "iNO CD-LAND" will become the star of your interior design. It also goes well with the beautiful mirror with cut glass.

The "Dress Core" installed by the bedroom combines a crystal bowl with a metallic finish.

Arabesque-patterned washbasin and faucet

iNO" and "Tsudoi sofas" as a result of my criteria selection.

In creating their home, Mr. H emphasized the importance of "not being close to other people's standards.
She says, "We chose what we thought was best for us.

The kitchen chosen in this way is not merely a piece of equipment, but is the star of the space.
The metal smoke design adopted is a unique fusion of wood and metal, with the expression of smoked wood grain wrapped in a black metallic finish.
The design has a strong character, yet it is not overly assertive, bringing a sense of tension and depth to the entire space.
I want glamour, but I don't want it to be too glamorous.
For me, this kitchen has just the right balance.

This balance is also reflected in the interior design.
In this house, the kitchen also plays the role of eating and relaxing, so I decided not to put a table in the kitchen and just put the "TSUDOI Sofa" table, which I fell in love with at first sight in the showroom.
At first, I wondered if this was really the right choice, but now I think it was the right decision to break away from the norm and create a layout that is completely different.

Cooking is completed at the sink. PARALLELO Sink

Changing attitudes toward living centered on the kitchen.

Mr. H usually goes on trips or plays golf, and is not often at home all day.
That is why she wants to spend her time at home as comfortably as possible.
He does not place importance on the "length" of time spent at home, but rather on the "quality" of his life.
The kitchen is the center of his life.

Looking back," says Mr. Kato, "I used to have a separate kitchen in my old house, and cooking itself sometimes felt a bit tedious.
That was one of the reasons we tended to eat out more often, but now I can cook, eat, and clean up in a natural flow, so I don't feel burdened.
Thanks to this, I now want to cook and eat properly at home, even if it is something simple.
For this reason, I have started thinking about learning to cook.

Furthermore, as the center of her life has shifted to the kitchen, the way she uses her home is changing as well.
I have not invited people to my home very often, but now I feel that I can invite friends I like in this kind of space," she says.
The kitchen is not a place to entertain a large number of people, but rather a place for a small group of people to share a comfortable time together.
Perhaps what is created by placing the kitchen at the center of the house is not merely convenience, but the power to gradually change the rhythm of life and the way we spend our time.

The stools in the kitchen are from the same "Shu" series as the sofa.

The atrium will sparkle at Klunker Satellite 23.

A blue sofa forms a gentle arc in the white space.

［Hired Items]
Zero flow kitchen
iNO CD-LAND
Size: W295 x D105 x H95 cm
Door: Metal Smoke
Sink: PARALLELO Sink
Worktop: Emblem Top ice
Handle: Roulette 35
Heating equipment: Rinnai
Faucet: Tallboy (with and without hose)
Range Hood. 35 UFO
Dishwasher: Gaggenau

Storage
Rear counter storage, Wingtip (wall-mounted storage)

Dress Core
Storage: Open deep drawer in white marble
Washbasin: Crystal 021 Paisley
Mirror: Mirror 024, Mirror 022 Tele

Interior
Sofa: Tsudoi Sofa Set (Couch R/L + Sofa 45 + Cushions), Tsudoi Ottoman
Stools: Tsudoi Stools
Lighting: Klunker Satellite 23
Mirrors: Klunker Mirror round 65

［Profile.]
Mr. H started playing golf six years ago and plays about five rounds a month during the season. Since leaving work, he enjoys traveling all over Japan to places such as Ise Jingu Shrine and Sangayu Onsen Hot Springs. During my working years, I lived mainly in the city, so now I am reminded of the depth of Japan and the deliciousness of Japanese food," he says.

(photo: Kentaro Isibashi / text: Shihoko Tomibe)

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