Vertical Challenge

The 1630s warehouse dates back to the Dutch Golden Age. More recently, the one-time coffee depot became an artist's studio that fell into disrepair.

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Until Hindman and Carr moved in, the space had never been a home. Carr cooks every day, so the compact kitchen was a natural starting point for the renovation. It features an industrial curving steel counter, which also functions as a breakfast bar. The Scrap stools are by contemporary Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek.

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The deceptive simplicity of the dining table and chairs, by Piet Hein Eek, and Tufty Time sofa by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia, enhance the authentic feeling created by the old gallery-style middle floor, supported by massive 400-year-old beams.

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Few structural additions were made to the apartment, but the half wall in the top-floor bedroom was one of them The wall and an elegant chest of drawers by Peter Laszlo create storage for clothes without breaking up space. The white-painted brick of the new wall blend in with the original 17th-century walls.

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Teak cabinets add warmth to the steel counter in the kitchen, which local designers Op16 created for the couple. The picture was created by the New York graffiti artist Cycle and was purchased at Upper Playground in San Francisco. Exposed electricity cables on the old brick walls enhance the industrial feeling.

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The floor is new and the brickwork has been whitewashed to create a cleaner feel, but the beams supporting the gallery were left in their original state, as were the paint-splattered iron railings. The Tufty Time sofa is by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia, and the acrylic tables are from Kartell. The prints are from Hindman's personal collection.

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Piet Hein Eek's wooden chairs add a touch of color to the monochromatic apartment. "I'm a fan of simple modern furniture, with a twist," says Carr. "I wanted to buy everything from Piet Hein Eek."

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A George Nelson daybed takes center stage at gallery level. Part of the couple's collection of American mid-century design, it harmonizes with the newer Dutch pieces and with the apartment's 17th-century architecture.

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"Instead of the disappointment we anticipated, there was yet another great space, with an incredible beamed ceiling," says Hindman of seeing the top-floor bedroom for the first time. The wooden frame was left in its natural state. Rody Grauman's 85 Lamps chandelier, a classic from Droog Design, places the 17th-century room squarely in the present.

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