A few years back we discovered the Japanese equivalent of Plain English and Henrybuilt: KitoBito (“trees and people”), a custom kitchen design company inspired by traditional Japanese techniques and—even more appealingly—made without the use of nails or screws.
Photography by Yoko Inoue, courtesy of KitoBito.
The workshop is run by Masayuki Yoneto, an expert in joinery (specifically, mortise and tenon joints), and his wife, Michiko, herself schooled in the art of fine woodworking, in the small town of Misaki in Okayama prefecture.
KitoBito’s main aim in this project: making the millwork feel less like kitchen cabinets and more like furniture. The lower cabinets are made of oak sourced from Akita, Japan.
The kitchen has stainless steel counters—made by hand with a vibration finish that gives it a matte, rather than shiny, look—and a backsplash of white subway tile. Note the slim drawer beneath the stovetop: It’s a fish grill, common in Japan in place of a full oven.
Shelves and a built-in tool rail hang above the stainless steel sink.
The kitchen showcases Masayuki’s masterful knowledge of joinery. The drawers were handmade at the KitoBito workshop and hold trays of flatware.
The kitchen and the adjacent dining area in a neutral palette.