Luxury Interior Architecture & Renovation Studio Kyoto・Tokyo・Shiga・Osaka
We understand that renovating in Japan can feel complicated, especially if you’re navigating it from overseas. That’s why Chalk Lane offers a complete design-to-delivery service. We handle everything from interior architecture and detailed documentation through to contractor coordination and on-site project management. Permits, schedules, material sourcing, furniture installation. It’s all managed with structure and care, so our clients can move through the process with confidence rather than stress.
At the centre of Chalk Lane is Sophie Lucas, our Principal Interior Architect, whose 20-year career in high-end residential design spans both Australia and Japan. Her refined design eye is balanced by Benjy Trenkner, who oversees operations and client experience, making sure each project runs smoothly from first conversation to final handover. Supported by a trusted network of craftspeople, builders and artisans, our team brings design integrity, calm efficiency and genuine warmth to every project.
We design with intention. The homes we create are calm, functional and deeply personal. Each space is carefully resolved through texture, light and proportion, resulting in interiors that feel timeless without feeling generic. Whether it’s restoring a heritage home in Kyoto or shaping a contemporary retreat by Lake Biwa, Chalk Lane is known for combining creativity, practicality and a strong emotional connection to place.
If you’re planning a renovation in Japan and want to work with an international design team that understands both your language and your lifestyle, Chalk Lane would love to hear from you. Let’s create something exceptional - a home that truly feels like your own.
At Chalk Lane, we design homes with heart, substance and character. For us, a beautiful space should feel alive. Grounded in authenticity, refined in the details and shaped around the people who actually live there.
Founded in Australia and now firmly based in Japan, Chalk Lane is an interior architecture and renovation studio focused on high-end residential homes. We work with individuals, couples and families who own, or plan to own, property in Japan. A big part of what we do is helping foreign homeowners and investors transform properties into distinctive, long-lasting spaces that combine Western comfort with genuine Japanese craftsmanship.
Our projects range from restoring Kyoto machiya and rural kominka to upgrading luxury apartments and townhouses in Tokyo and Osaka. Every job starts with a clear understanding of how our clients want to live, what they value and what they’re aiming to create. From there, we shape the project through close collaboration, careful detailing and disciplined execution.