We had the pleasure of interviewing another of our lovely clients recently: Tessa Sinclair - the owner of a Koto Work cabin which is perfectly nestled in her Suffolk garden.

Tessa is a photographer of ‘Place’, whether in the wilderness of Antarctica or on the windswept marshes and heaths closer to home in Suffolk. Her inspiration is rooted in the discovery of the therapeutic quality that certain places have on us psychologically and emotionally. Her work explores how immersion in nature impacts so powerfully on our state of mind.

Tessa also makes photobooks, her second book ‘A Restless Land’, published in 2021 was shortlisted for The Charcoal Book Publishing Prize.

When did your Koto project take place?

“It was in 2021, we met Theo the Koto Founder in 2020 and he did some drawings for us. Where we wanted to put the cabin in the garden was completely landscaped and Theo bravely wanted to put it in the middle of this huge thicket of brambles instead, so we spent some time visualising. The building was put in around May 2021.”

Brilliant! So what inspired you to build a Koto cabin?

”Well, I went right the way down the process with a company that does very sort of basic rectangular outdoor office spaces. Because I'm a photographer, I was very concerned about where I was going to put things, which way it was going to face, and how it was going to be functional, because I also want to make books. So it needed to be a place where I could sit at the computer and edit and have wide surfaces on which I can do cutting of large sheets of paper and cards and have a machine like a French plough for cutting books.

“I had very specific wants for the interior and they just weren't interested. And for me, what's important is the detail. So when I saw Koto Cabins on Instagram, I looked at them and I thought I really liked these. We then contacted Koto and it turned out Theo was in Britain. And so he came down, he met me and he did some drawings and he seemed to really get the idea that the interior had to be bespoke. So that's why we went with Koto.”

Lovely. And how does the cabin compliment your creative work?

“It's absolutely perfect for making books in because it's nice and warm; I love being able to look up the garden while making books.”

What are your favourite elements of the design of the cabin?

“I think with the exterior, Kenton Jones did a fabulous job. All of the gutters and the drains are hidden and the wood looks solid and substantial. Aesthetically it's very nice and blends in, it's set in under a little grove of birch trees and has the black aesthetic which I like very much.

“The geometric shape suits the garden well because the garden is very organic. It wraps all the way around the house and so the cabin is the only geometric thing in the garden.”

How do you find the cabin helps with inspiration and productivity?

”It's nice to go to a separate space from home. It’s peaceful, it's quiet and it's in the environment. So I like it very much from that point of view. I can make books and there's no distraction.

“It's a lovely space. It's very warm, so it's nice to go there in the winter, I don't even have the heating on. And we live in the east where the temperatures are low, but by and large, I could sit in there up until about January without the heating on.”

It sounds as though you share similar values with Koto in terms of passion for nature and the environment.

”Yes, very much so. That was definitely an important element in choosing the cabin.”

What was your experience of modular delivery like?

“Well, it was an interesting process that Kenton actually came to the site. So the man fabricating and delivering the cabin came to the site to see how he would deliver it, which was very reassuring because you do wonder how it's going to work.

“There was quite a lot of planning as to what kind of vehicle it was going to come on. So when it happened, it went very smoothly.”

You can visit Tessa’s website here: www.tessasinclair.com

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Credits.

Architecture and Design - Koto Design
Interior design - Koto Living
Photography - Tessa Sinclair

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.