The Scandinavian pavilion will be decked out with furniture and accessories that embody Hygge—a Danish term implying warmth, coziness, and friendliness. This renovated loft in Copenhagen by Vipp Chief Designer online Morten Bo Jensen and his wife, Kristina May Olsen highlights that concept.
Photo by Anders Hviid.
When planning the renovation, the owner gave Standard Studio complete freedom to develop the design. In the unconventional bedroom, the bed sits against a black feature wall, with a prominent freestanding bathtub on the opposite side. In addition to the wood beams, all original windows from the old sugar refinery were preserved, to keep the "soul" of the building intact.
This open-concept Amsterdam loft features soaring 15-foot ceilings, an Eames lounge chair and ottoman, and a Jielde light. Throughout the home, Standard Studio architects Wouter Slot and Jurjen van Hulzen favored raw materials, including concrete, oiled oak, and hot-rolled steel, all of which complemented the original space's industrial feel. Tucked smartly underneath the loft, a compact home office features functional built-in shelving and an Eames DSR chair.
The loft addition afforded space for a home office and music area. The family chose to forego a dedicated office upstairs, instead prioritizing private bedrooms for each of the children. Shelving and a built-in desk anchor the loft’s far wall.
Futuristic floating stairs lead to the loft’s mezzanine. Throughout the lower level, natural stone was chosen for the flooring, laid at an irregular angle to add visual interest.
Kartheiser's courtyard also includes a dry sauna with a ceiling made from 2,500 pieces of wood.
Uninterrupted cement flooring was chosen for the mezzanine. The cement extends to the bed and bathtub block, while the exposed ductwork and black beams above dramatically accentuate the ceilings.
A skylight floods the loft space with daylight and offers views of the stars at night.
Indoor Sunbathing“In the morning, the eastern light comes into the small terrace by the kitchen,” De Smedt says. “If I have work to do at home, which I do a lot, I’ll sit at the dining table and just look out. And in the summer, I’m out on the terrace. On clear nights, I’ll head upstairs. There’s a skylight and you can see the stars. Even in the city, you totally can! The skylight really changes the condition of the interior. If you light that gap in the evening from the outside, it’s as if there is daylight.”
The Inconstant Gardener“I have a lot of cacti, which is probably because I don’t have a green thumb,” admits De Smedt of his sculptural flora. Inspired perhaps by his neighbors’ greenhouse just across from his patio, the architect’s next project for the apartment involves turning the terrace into something of an oasis—as long as the plants are hardy. “I have an idea to grow some ivy.”
Concrete stairs leading up to a sleeping loft are illuminated with wall sconces.
In addition to reconstructing an open living room, Loft Szczecin had to subdivide four smaller spaces to create privacy in the expansive warehouse.
Designer in Brooklyn, New York
"The pieces in the space are a combination of industrial reclaimed finds and bespoke, often both in the same item. The cabinets were a vintage medical find, powder-coated and set up on welded stilts. The mirror was commissioned from Made In Chinatown. Ceiling color and texture came through lots of trial and error in order to avoid the heavily toxic and arduous process normally involved in staining concrete. The mezzanine sign which marks the space was acquired through a long chain of inside jokes from a friend—I'm still unsure exactly of its origins, possibly the bygone New York Subway signage system."
Illuminated by a String Light from Flos, the bedroom embraces the loft’s palette with a side table, duvet, and pillows by HAY.
“We took away a very thick, heavy staircase that led to the loft, and designed one that had a much lighter look,” Wåhlin says. “The new one, made of steel, looks simple and indeed light—but is in fact super heavy and was a real challenge to construct.”
To inform the color palette for this interior renovation in Stockholm, NOTE Design Studio began with three inspirational images. The sculptural fireplace, covered in plaster, contrasts with oak parquet floors.
The storage unit continues in the living room, marked by a Tiki sofa by local design company Fogia. NOTE designed the stool as well as the coffee table, which was created for the French brand La Chance as part of a series called Zorro.
A custom blue-gray built-in storage unit, which includes shelving, cupboards, and drawers, runs throughout the home, connecting the rooms. “The tone is calm and creates a dark base,” Wåhlin says. “The apricot pink, together with the sandy colors, reflect light but give a warmth to the space and contrast with the blue tones. Together, they become dynamic.”
There are still a few tickets available for this year's Dwell Manhattan Home Tour on Saturday, October 11. This self-guided tour of five private modern homes in Manhattan is also eligible for .5 AIA CEUs.
He worked with Kartheiser’s existing appliances in the kitchen, trading the old cabinetry for new teak.
Loft Szczecin designed several pieces of original plywood furniture for the kitchen. The jet-black refrigerator is from Smeg.