INTRODUCTION
Studio Chik is a London-based architecture, interior and design studio creating tailored interiors suited to their client’s needs. The studio team have many years of multi-discipline experience and works collaboratively, utilising their extensive creative design skills and construction knowledge to deliver various projects worldwide. The result is a service that creates bespoke solutions, and unique and inspiring spaces that reflect the individual style and personality of the end user.
We were delighted to speak to Chikako Kanamoto, founder of Studio Chik, for our latest Journal. Here Chik talks us through her life, her inspiration and key influences that have shaped the way she designs.
BIOGRAPHY
I was born and raised in Kyoto until I moved to the UK when I was still a student. Following the completion of my Architectural Degree, I moved to Tokyo to start my career in Architecture.
Three years later, I returned to the UK to obtain my Diploma in Architecture, and after graduating, I worked for several practices in London before I founded my own studio: Studio Chik for architecture, interior and design in 2019. I am qualified as an architect both in the UK and Japan.
PROJECTS
My design focus has always been to blend my interests in materiality, colour, texture, and geometry, regardless of the project type and scale. The invention of new materials, components and methods of fabrication with ever advancing technology greatly enriches simple yet inspired design solutions. In recent years, Japanese design has also been actively engaged in pioneering innovation, however in my view, there is an enduring concept of delicacy, precision and simplicity, that will continue to be tactile and represented in the future.
INFLUENCES
Kyoto, where I grew up, is an urban city with the incredibly profound history and original culture. While surrounded by mountains, the river running through the city centre offers easy access to some beautiful nature scenes. Traditional and contemporary architecture co-exists harmoniously in this unique context. Discovering the beauty in the integration of the old and new, and the complementary interaction between architecture and nature strongly inspires me.
KEY PRINCIPLES
Embracing the change in climate and the nature of the four seasons is embedded in Japanese traditional cultural heritage, and the Japanese sense of beauty is somehow rooted in nature. Over the years Japanese building design has developed and increasingly conveys the seasonal characteristics both functionally and aesthetically. The essence of the Japanese craft, to me, is the attention to fine details, the material character and elegance of the production, which embodies the design in rich and personal character. It is called ‘Kodawari’, which is an important design philosophy reflected in my work to date.
