{"id":137840,"date":"2025-10-22T07:54:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T07:54:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/137840\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T07:54:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T07:54:22","slug":"inside-a-calgary-home-that-blends-japanese-and-scandinavian-minimalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/137840\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside a Calgary Home That Blends Japanese and Scandinavian Minimalism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-117813 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Studio-Felix-27-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A home kitchen with a four-person dining table, an island, a stove and a bar nook.\" width=\"1365\" height=\"2048\"  data-\/>Photo by KM Photography.<\/p>\n<p>Jenny and Koki Aihara, parents of two boys and owners of local restaurants <a href=\"https:\/\/shikimenya.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Shiki Menya<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/shikimenya.ca\/pages\/first-avenue-corner-store-pickup-window\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">First Avenue Corner Store<\/a>, searched for a home with a calming and minimalist vibe for their busy, growing family.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, the couple found a corner lot in Mount Pleasant and decided to custom build their ideal home with the help of Suzanne Tetrault, owner and principal interior designer of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.studiofelix.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Studio Felix<\/a>. Together, Tetrault and the Aiharas set out to capture a mix of Japanese and Scandinavian minimalism, and did so using neutral tones and clean lines while incorporating colour, warmth and coziness through furniture, art and plants.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re a fairly young family, so we wanted it to look chic, and we also want it to be completely livable for a family of four,\u201d says Tetrault.<\/p>\n<p>The home was finished in 2024, complete with lots of windows and natural light \u2014 a priority for Jenny.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe added a window literally everywhere that we could,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-117811 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Studio-Felix-17-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A blurry figure walks through a home kitchen with an island and green stools.\" width=\"1365\" height=\"2048\"  data-\/>Photo by KM Photography.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-117814 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Studio-Felix-31-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A bar nook with books, vinyl records, a vinyl player and plants.\" width=\"1365\" height=\"2048\"  data-\/>Photo by KM Photography.<\/p>\n<p>The Aiharas wanted an open kitchen and living space that would encourage family time and accommodate entertaining.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause we are in the restaurant industry, \u2026 [it\u2019s] really important for us to have a place where we could be good hosts,\u201d Jenny says. \u201cEven the small touches \u2014 like a built-in bar where we can bartend or serve coffee, a spot to play our vinyl collection and a kitchen island that lets us cook, serve and have conversations with our guests all at once \u2014 help create a hospitality-focused, welcoming space.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s subtle, but I definitely think it mirrors the rhythm of a restaurant, where interaction and flow are key.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That said, the couple also wanted their home to be a calming, minimalist space where they could \u201crecharge from the busyness of our work and family life,\u201d Jenny explains.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-117817 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Studio-Felix-39-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A living room with a white couch, a wooden coffee table and a colourful carpet.\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\"  data-\/>Photo by KM Photography.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-117816 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Studio-Felix-35-edited-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A living room with artwork above a white fireplace \" width=\"1365\" height=\"2048\"  data-\/>Photo by KM Photography.<\/p>\n<p>The home is peppered with nods to their restaurants, from the kitchen\u2019s green metal stools from First Avenue Corner Store to the framed Shiki Menya posters hanging in the dining space. A particularly meaningful piece is the Shiki Menya rug a customer made and gifted to the couple for the restaurant\u2019s 10th anniversary, which the couple put in their bedroom.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, the flowing, open layout and natural light provide the functionality and comfort that the Aiharas wanted in a welcoming and soothing family home. \u201cWe didn\u2019t set out to replicate any part of the restaurants in our home design,\u201d says Jenny. \u201cBut, looking at the spaces, you can definitely see the similarities, simply because it\u2019s our natural style and design taste.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-117812 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Studio-Felix-03-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A home entryway and staircase\" width=\"1365\" height=\"2048\"  data-\/>Photo by KM Photography.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-117818 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Studio-Felix-51-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A black piano pictured behind glass doors\" width=\"1365\" height=\"2048\"  data-\/>Photo by KM Photography.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-117819 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Studio-Felix-60-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A bedroom with large windows, a bed with green stripped bedding and a large black and white tapestry on the wall.\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\"  data-\/>Photo by KM Photography.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#the-piano-room\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"aal_anchor\" id=\"the-piano-room\"><\/a>The Piano Room<\/p>\n<p>The piano, which Koki has had for almost 30 years and the whole family now plays, is showcased through custom glass and powder-coated metal doors by Edmonton metalwork company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forge53.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Forge 53\u00b0<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#the-kitchen\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"aal_anchor\" id=\"the-kitchen\"><\/a>The Kitchen<\/p>\n<p>The kitchen embraces the home\u2019s neutral palette with white cabinetry, while incorporating unique elements like wood pulls on the fridge and a matching tiled backsplash and range hood.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#the-bar-nook\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"aal_anchor\" id=\"the-bar-nook\"><\/a>The Bar Nook<\/p>\n<p>This space, between the kitchen and living room, makes it easy to whip up drinks while showcasing the family\u2019s books and record collection.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#the-living-room\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"aal_anchor\" id=\"the-living-room\"><\/a>The Living Room<\/p>\n<p>The open flow between the kitchen and living room, along with the low furniture and seating, makes it easy to gather with family and friends while preparing a meal, playing games together or reading.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#the-primary-bedroom\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"aal_anchor\" id=\"the-primary-bedroom\"><\/a>The Primary Bedroom<\/p>\n<p>A handmade Shiki Menya rug adds coziness to the bedroom, along with a piece above the bed that Jenny and Koki created by attaching a Blacksaw wool blanket to a piece of wood left over from building the home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Photo by KM Photography. Jenny and Koki Aihara, parents of two boys and owners of local restaurants Shiki&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":137841,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[267],"tags":[365,362,363,364,366,18,117,13392,81749,19,17],"class_list":{"0":"post-137840","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-eire","14":"tag-entertainment","15":"tag-homepage","16":"tag-homepage-feature-slider","17":"tag-ie","18":"tag-ireland"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137840"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137840\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/137841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}