Hasami Porcelain designer and Tortoise owner Taku Shinomoto has a lifetime of experience, having formerly worked as an in-house furniture designer at Idée in Tokyo, Japan for 13 years before moving to the U.S.
Having designed shelving, cabinetry and furniture for Tortoise for the last 15 years along with parts of his newly renovated home in Venice (most recently featured in Dwell), Taku has decided to start a new design venture: custom add-on kitchen units for pre-fabricated homes.
This venture is a collaborative project between Tortoise and renowned Southern Californian Prefab Designer, Jennifer Siegal.
As a long time Tortoise customer, Siegal is also a close friend, and we are thrilled to work with her on this exciting project.
"As a product designer, I have a tendency to see the potential for everything to become a product, including houses. The kitchen I designed is very basic, small, and uses inexpensive material - ideal for pre-fabricated homes. Instead of marble countertops, I prefer an eco-friendly recycled paper and plastic countertop. My kitchen is not fancy. What I enjoy most is using materials you can find anywhere and using it in a design that elevates the materials into something new; this way the focus is on the design and not the parts. I know Jennifer personally which is a major reason why I decided to contribute to this project, but I also like the concept of pre-fabrciation very much. I use modular design for Hasami Porcelain and my design aesthetic merges well with Jennifer's vision for pre-fabrication." - Taku Shinomoto
“As founder and principal of Office of Mobile Design (based in Venice since 2002) I am dedicated to the design and construction of ecologically sound, dynamic structures, utilizing portable and prefabricated architecture. Our new housing product called prefabADU can be established on properties where there is an existing or proposed primary single-family residence. Built in California, our smart homes meet the highest national energy efficient standards. I have always wanted to collaborate with Taku. I have admired his design aesthetic and am equally drawn to his material palette and the sense of tactility they evoke. I was honored when he agreed to design a premium kitchen upgrade for our prefabADU’s. Each new home buyer will be fortunate to experience his well designed and supremely crafted kitchen.” - Jennifer Siegal
Prices for the pre-fab kitchen are based on the size of the pre-fabricated unit and include all appliances in addition to cabinets and counters.
Custom kitchens can also be ordered without the pre-fabricated unit; however, consultation is required before design projects can be approved. Prices for these kitchens will be announced after the new year.
Pre-fabricated units can be ordered directly through Jennifer's website: http://www.designmobile.com/adu/
