Annie Le’s Kyoto guest house collection is named A Day in Khaki, inspired, she says, for the beguilingly tranquil colors of the city. Her focus is on giving visitors a chance to immerse in the history of Kyoto by staying in century-plus-old structures. The first “Khaki” location is in a restored machiya, an antique wooden townhouse near Nijo Castle: we recently spotlighted it in our Design Travel Tour of Artful Hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto .
Today, we’re dropping in on Annie’s new location, A Day in Khaki Muromachi,, within walking distance of Kyoto’s Imperial Palace. Set in a storied old silk factory with courtyards and the original owner’s dwelling in front, the compound was given a thoughtful remodel by Takato Yochida and his team at Ikken architecture. His mandate was to celebrate the original setting while making it a wonderful year-round place to hang your hat. Let’s take a look.
Photography by Kevin Ho, courtesy of A Day in Khaki , unless noted.
Front Building: Formerly a Family Home
Back Building: A Converted Textile Factory
Most of the furnishings came from designer Katsuyoshi Kameda’s company Django , which sells a mix of new and vintage pieces, and his own artful mashups. The glass pendant lights throughout are from Aruse , which also makes new designs from old parts. Photograph by Tsujii Shotaro, courtesy of Ikken.
“Washi paper is known to be extremely durable; it can last for centuries without decaying,” says Annie. “Like Nishijin-ori, it’s an increasingly rare art form; at A Day in Khaki, we think it’s important to carry on these traditional crafts into the future.” Photograph by Tsujii Shotaro, courtesy of Ikken.
The compound rents for approximately $450 to $650 a night—rates fluctuate depending on the season and number of people. See more at A Day in Khaki .
Two more Japanese guest houses in historic settings—to visit or admire from afar:
- ‘The Dedication to Making Things Well’ at Shiguchi Guest Houses in Hokkaido
- A Traditional Japanese Home in the Countryside an Hour from Tokyo
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