An ode to light and intimacy in this Japanese kitchen

The Japanese studio ‘and to’ perceives architecture as a conjunction that connects people, territory, natural environment, and history. Their aim is to “accompany” those who inhabit or use the spaces they create, carefully designing each project to respond specifically to its context.

In this case, for example, the architects have paid special attention to the surroundings of the single-storey house they have designed to make life inside as pleasant as possible: “The environment consists of multiple residential and office buildings, which raised concerns about visibility from neighbouring constructions. Additionally, without any solar protection, the intense light entering through the windows could force residents to keep the curtains closed all day,” they recall.

To address this, the studio arranged a strip of windows along the deep structural pillars, characteristic of high-rise buildings. This strategy visually minimised the presence of these large elements and transformed what would have been a residual space into a landscaped area. In this way, they managed to create an added benefit where there was previously a drawback, surrounding the house with vegetation to filter and block external views.

Inside, the studio maintained the organic style that promotes the presence of greenery in every room, opting for natural materials such as wood and plant fibres. In this context, the kitchen island, with a worktop of Silestone Pearl Jasmine, stands out with special intensity with its white limestone appearance covered with subtle grey veining.

“In a kitchen where morning light filters through delicate leaves, Silestone Pearl Jasmine offered the right balance: its veining is pronounced enough not to be diluted by the filtered light, yet subtle enough not to dominate the space. The surface pattern harmoniously connected with the changing natural light,” explain the team at ‘and to’.

The choice of Silestone, which was also used in the bathroom vanity, helped the studio achieve other goals sought by the firm, such as curving the material’s corners or giving the entire space a consistent and meticulous design language.

“Silestone made it possible to achieve the desired design expression —using a consistent level of detail across different materials and giving the kitchen island a monolithic and solid presence—. Furthermore, it allowed us to apply the same soft radius we used on the wooden corners, a type of curvature that is only possible because it is a material with the same pattern throughout its thickness, ensuring a continuous and uniform finish,” conclude the professionals.