‘Kerry reflects on creating her sustainable Koto haven in the Cotswolds.’

This week we caught up with our wonderful client, Kerry, who recently commissioned the striking two-storey Falcon House nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds. We launched Falcon House towards the end of 2021 at Habitat First Group’s luxury Lower Mill Estate site, where homeowners and visitors can retreat comfortably and consciously. Here, Kerry explains the behind-the-scenes journey to owning a Koto home and her first-hand experience of what it’s like to work with the Koto studio.

What about the Koto ethos made us the right fit for delivering your first modular home?

Kerry: “Firstly it was the design, the cantilevered design was completely different from anything we’d seen and we loved the angle; it’s the point of difference. Initially, it was the design and then going into the background of the company. The fact that Koto really understood sustainability and produced carbon-neutral designs was a deal-breaker. It was just a perfect fit.

“I love the black look, the outside of the design was just really distinctive. Also, we didn’t compare as we just fell in love straight away, but Koto nailed the attention to detail and the complete blend of the Japanese and the Scandi aesthetic. When you see the alternative you can see what makes Koto stand out. It’s the design lines, the strips of the cladding that are all vertical that work and they are seamless.

“Also, the ethos of kind and calm living really resonated because the idea of the house was to escape a busy work life for my partner. However, I’m slightly the opposite. I love calm but I didn’t want it to be ‘boring’ so the design kind of mixed those two. It needed to be characteristic, it needed to have high eco-credentials, and it needed to be really design-led but equally calm; it merges those worlds really well.”

Take us through your journey, from concept to delivery…

“We really wanted something compact to escape to. We saw the design on the Lower Mill Estate and we were like – wow! For us, it really had the wow factor, and then on top of that were the eco-credentials.

“So we both went to see the plot and the house was designed with the plot in mind; it overlooks a lake on one side, and it’s amongst the trees. We thought about it for a little while and then we went for it! So that was that, and then I independently contacted Zoe and the Koto Living team because although I love interior design and I think I’m quite good at it – I knew the interior needed to be very different from what I would naturally go towards.

“Our house is very maximalist and colourful and quirky, whereas this needed something very calm and relaxing - yet still interesting and different. I love Scandi design and I love Japanese design but I wasn’t particularly familiar with the brands and I didn’t feel confident that I could do it justice. So, I talked to Zoe about the interiors to see if Koto Living would be interested in helping and she said yes, they then got involved in the whole of the process which was brilliant.

“Koto was completely there from the moment we got them on board to the moment we got the keys, and that part of it was seamless. By the evening of the day we moved in, between Johnathon, Zoe, myself and my husband, it looked like we’d been there for months! Friends came round and couldn’t believe how amazingly finished it was in a day – it was just like: pictures up, furniture built, rugs down, cups and saucers there, and we were having people round in the evening; it was truly like we’d lived there months.”

What a difference compared to the complexities of a traditional house move!

“Yes! Oh my gosh, it was done in a day and it was perfect, so that was really brilliant. I hadn’t even thought about that compared to a traditional house move, but all the furniture arrived, it was all brought in, it was all placed, it all fitted and it was all ready to go. It all worked, it was so easy… really brilliant!”

The way the house is so structural but still sits in amongst its natural setting really well, is that something you had envisaged?

“Absolutely! It’s amazing, and it’s exactly what we imagined, but in a way, it’s much nicer than we ever imagined. It fits in beautifully. We, of course, want to be amongst nature but we also wanted to see the lake because that’s the view, and our upstairs living situation achieves that perfectly. The design within the natural environment is perfect. People just stop and stand outside of the house to take photos – it’s quite bizarre!”

So what are your favourite architectural elements of the design?

“I love the angles. I think there’s so much that Koto does so well but for me, what really differentiates them is those angles. I love the way that the design is cantilevered and it’s really different, so that stands out.

“I remember walking in without the furniture, just when the pieces had been put together and what really took my breath away was the way the staircase was designed. You walk up into this room which in effect on paper should be quite small. But because the angle of the roof had gone up, it looked to me quite cathedral-like. It was just amazing. It has such a presence but on paper, it’s quite small. That’s what really took my breath away, the height of the ceiling and how the angle rose. At no point did we feel that it was enclosed at all. It just had a sense of grandeur about it. Maybe that’s the windows because I love the windows, but it’s also the height of the ceilings. There are lots of things, and the angles of the staircase work beautifully; it is such an interesting design.

“I also love the balconies on either end, I love the way they’ve been designed. We’ve got two really usable outdoor spaces, and they’re both very different. One gets the sun in the morning and one gets the sun in the afternoon so it works perfectly. One’s slightly more enclosed but you feel like you’re amongst nature when you’re out there, so there’s absolutely no compromise on space. Despite the footprint, it doesn’t feel like a small house at all, it feels really spacious and almost quite church-like.”

How did Koto Living help to create your dream interior design?

 “Well firstly, I think Zoe is a wizardess! She really knows her stuff. She can put things down and make them look beautiful. There are a couple of things that I really love about the interior: one is the work-top, we got a foresso work-top so I love that, and I love the art. 

“We’ve got four artists that I would never have looked at and all of them I love. They are perfect for the house and they create calmness. And just the knowledge of all the Scandinavian companies that I now love and actually I’ve had so many compliments about the interiors. I mean, so many. Everyone keeps going, which company is that? I’d never heard of Bolia or Menu Space whereas now I just love it because it’s so design-led and everything’s so beautiful! 

“Our bespoke routed bedroom cupboards add so much texture, interest and practicality to the room. An inspired interior design has been created through the choice of interesting finishes and furniture alongside art, dressing and textures - plus a relaxing pallet. But what sets it apart are the really interesting shapes and textures. The shapes of vases that maybe I would’ve looked at it and thought, do I need a vase like that? But it’s a decorative piece that actually brings attention to the space and adds so much to it.”

Do you have any advice for anyone considering buying a Koto home?

“I’d just say: do it. Don’t even bother looking elsewhere, you are wasting your time if you want the best! The whole team’s minds come together which is fantastic; you’re dealing with experts who just know their stuff and create the most remarkable spaces which everyone will notice.

“I also feel like, even though the homes blend into their natural surroundings, they’re outstanding. But they’re not ordinary - they’re anything but ordinary. I personally feel like I’d hate to have a home that’s just normal. For me, life’s too short to have an ordinary home. So it needs to be something extraordinary, and Koto will produce something extraordinary.”

Contact.

If you have a Koto project in mind, please get in touch with Poppy at poppy@kotocabins.com.

Credits.

Architecture and Design - Koto Design
Interior design - Koto Living
Interior Photography - Edvinas Bruzas
Exterior Photography - Olco Studios

About Koto.

Modular Architecture - Sustainable by necessity.

Koto delivers beautifully crafted, architect designed, energy neutral homes and cabins. All our buildings are produced to the very highest standards and delivered whole and complete directly to your site. Every Koto home has been crafted with the utmost respect for both our environment and the people we work with. The Koto studio co-founded by Zoe, Johnathon and Theo design modular houses, cabins and sculptural small buildings, with each one drawing inspiration from Scandinavian design and culture. Co-founders, Johnathon and Zoë Little, returned from living on the shores of Norway’s fjords with a deep appreciation of the local aesthetic and environment. As the brand progressed, Koto began looking further east to the minimalist world of Japanese design and their focus on social functionality. This is something that has always fascinated co-founder and architect Theo Dales. Koto shares their emphasis on clean and simple details that provide a sense of calm. This exploration has helped Koto’s designs evolve into the carefully-considered works they are today.

“As both designers and parents, we recognise the dynamic relationship between nature, quality design and one of life’s great luxuries – spending time with friends and family. Each and every Koto home embodies this ethos.”
Zoe Little - Co-Founder Koto.