Meet Our Next in Design Winners: Studio Kaimi

Next in Design 2025 winner Minako Bryson effortlessly bridges two design cultures in her style, blending Japanese calm and Western warmth

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A side-by-side image featuring a portrait of Minako Bryson on the left and a vibrant, eclectic dining area showcasing her interior design style on the right
(Image credit: Kotomi Yamamura)
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When our Next in Design 2025 winner, Minako Bryson, founded Studio Kaimi in 2019, it was the natural next step in a career that had already bridged two design cultures.

After studying interior design in the U.K., she worked for a Japanese designer before striking out on her own when her mentor returned to Japan. ‘A friend of a friend asked me to help with their renovation, and that’s how it began,’ she says. A hotel project soon followed, where she was able to experiment with a blend of influences from her home country and her adopted one.

A vibrant, modern living room featuring a green velvet sofa, a red marble-topped coffee table, and three framed art posters on a white wall.

Minako Bryson of Studio Kaimi loves using color in her projects

(Image credit: Kotomi Yamamura)

Minako’s work sits at a thoughtful intersection of Japanese calm and Western warmth. ‘Japanese clients come to me for something more Western, and Western clients want a touch of Japanese style,’ she says. Her interiors tend to feature bold colors while still maintaining a subtly minimalist feel.

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Raised in a traditional Japanese home, she was struck by the eclecticism she found after moving to London – the way a variety of objects can carry personal stories. That sense of narrative informs her work today.

‘People here work so hard,’ she says, ‘so I want them to come home and feel relaxed.’ Currently completing two residential projects, Minako defines interior design as both storytelling and editing. ‘I listen closely,’ she says. ‘The story belongs to the client. I just help bring it to life.’

3 Key Design Rules with Studio Kaimi

1. Start with the Shade You Love
When decorating with bold color, start with the one shade you really love and then blend it with a neutral color. This way, the space feels vibrant yet calm and beautifully layered.

2. Bring the Outside In
In traditional Japanese homes, the window frames the garden, making nature part of the interior. You can do the same. Echo the colors you see outside in fabrics and paint, and use natural materials like wood or stone. It’s an easy way to blur the line between indoors and out.

3. Choose What You Want to Display
Balance what you show and what you hide. Display your favorite pieces on an open shelf or on the wall – it adds warmth and personality. Don’t forget to leave space between items so it feels airy and intentional. Then hide everyday items in drawers or cabinets, so your space instantly feels stylish and inviting.

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Pip Rich
Pip Rich

Pip Rich is an interiors journalist and editor with 20 years' experience, having written for all of the UK's biggest titles. Most recently, he was the Global Editor in Chief of our sister brand, Livingetc, where he now continues in a consulting role as Executive Editor. Before that, he was acting editor of Homes & Gardens, and has held staff positions at Sunday Times Style, ELLE Decoration, Red and Grazia. He has written three books – his most recent, A New Leaf, looked at the homes of architects who had decorated with house plants. Over his career, he has interviewed pretty much every interior designer working today, soaking up their knowledge and wisdom so as to become an expert himself.