Kyoto machiya are characterized by distinctive wooden lattice facades and mushiko slit windows, along with tiled roofs and white plaster walls.

The Kyoto machiya evolved over hundreds of years to suit the lifestyles of Kyoto townsfolk. Machiya were designed for both functional use of limited street frontage for commerce, as well as comfortable residence in the rear areas of the home. In old machiya (sometimes called "unagi no nedoko", or eel bedrooms, due to their narrow but deep footprints), a tori-niwa breezeway corridor often stretches all the way from the street entrance back to the living area. The tori-niwa traditionally boasts high open ceilings exposing magnificent timber construction. The breezeway was designed to house the okudo-san brick oven with plastered walls, beneath a high skylight window which served not only as a chimney, but to allow natural light into the cooking area. Gardens are generally small, and called tsuboniwa (gardens the size of two tatami mats), although larger machiya sometimes have grand and multiple inner gardens).

Use of natural materials in machiya construction, such as clay walls and washi Japanese paper sliding doors, help regulate humidity levels inside the house. Machiya can be modified to suit the season simply by replacing the summer sudo bamboo doors with more substantial fusuma sliding doors. Staying in an Iori machiya is a great way for visitors to gain an insight into the traditional way of life here in Kyoto.