Two Shopkeepers At Home In Brooklyn

When interior designer Asumi Tomita and her husband Kuni decided to open a shop in 2013, they wanted it to be a reflection of their collective styles and a place to showcase their favorite artists and objects. Named Kanorado Shop, the online store features a tightly curated assortment of beautiful home goods, gardening supplies, and clothes—some designed by the couple, some vintage. With an emphasis on simplicity and minimalism, the objects held by Kanorado have a quiet beauty about them. In many ways, the shop is an extension of Asumi and Kuni’s Brooklyn home, a place that the couple has shared for six years. Drawn to the space originally because of its killer features (hello, exposed brick!) and nearby parks and shops, the apartment has become a place for the couple’s style to evolve and coalesce. With the same minimal aesthetic as Kanorado Shop, the home provides breathing room for individual objects and ideas to shine. —Max

Image above: The bedroom. An antique marine signal flag hangs above the bed. Bed linens from Area Home. Side cabinet from IKEA with hardware from Anthropologie.

Image above: An alternate bedroom view. Table lamp a vintage find from an Upstate flea market.

See more of this minimal home after the jump!

Image above: An assortment of flowers and succulents on the bedside cabinet. “We love to fill the corner of the room with lots of plants,” Asumi says. “The cake stand in the back is from our wedding. Now we use it to put a plant on it and we love it.”

Image above: A wooden clothing rack designed by Tomoko Azumi stands along the bedroom wall. “The antique wooden Champagne Bollinger box underneath the rack was a gift from our best friend Yuko Watatani,” Asumi says. “She filled this box with messages from all the guests who came to our wedding and wine corks from that day and shipped to us a month after our wedding as a surprise gift. It was the most beautiful gift ever.”

Image above: Vintage hotel hangers are used to hold shirts on the clothes rack.

Image above: Unlike the bedroom, which has a more subdued feeling, the couple opted to bring more color into their main living space. The walls were painted a dark blue to contrast with the yellow chaise lounge.

Image above: The wood on the chaise used to be painted, but the couple opted to strip and stain it brown for a more natural look. The colorful pillow was designed for their shop. The antique trunk next to the chaise was a gift from a friend and is now used for extra storage.

Image above: In order to create the artwork seen above, Asumi and Kuni glued down vintage postage stamps, one by one. “It took us quite a long time to complete but it was fun and we love how it came out all together!” Asumi says. 

Image above: The kitchen.

Image above: The kitchen corner, a favorite spot for food prep and enjoying morning coffee. The wire shelf was purchased at Brooklyn’s Moon River Chattel.

Image above: One of Kuni’s hobbies is making ceramics—the two bowls above center were crafted by him. A limited-edition embroidered wreath from Coral & Tusk hangs above the shelves.

Image above: Vintage brackets from the Brimfield antiques fair hold up the white shelf in the kitchen.

Image above: The backyard is the couple’s favorite spot at their home. During the summer, it makes a perfect place for entertaining guests.