An Expecting Mother Turns Her Tiny London Loft Into a Baby-Ready Home

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Project Details:

Location: London, United Kingdom

Architect: Studio 29 Architects / @studio29architects

Footprint: 430 square feet

Builder: Tomkin Construction

Photographer: Tarry + Perry

From the Architect: "Our client, a single professional woman, was looking for a change of scenery and bought a flat in a converted factory in South East London. The flat is part of the Alaska Building, a 1930s industrial building minutes from the London Bridge. A month after she moved in, she found out she was expecting a baby. Her priorities changed, but she wouldn’t give up her beloved mini-loft. She appointed us instead and briefed us to add more storage and make the apartment warm and cozy.

"We started by replastering all the walls and leaving them bare, showing the dusty pink hue and the trowel’s marks. Then, we painted everything that was once gray in a warm shade of chocolate brown. This gave the original industrial features a soft makeover. We allocated a large part of the budget to built-in joinery, which we designed to suit the space and her needs.

"We chose plywood for its natural, simple look and also because it was one of the few materials available when the works started during lockdown. A long bench under the Crittall window hides the radiators and provides storage and seating.

"On the mezzanine level, we have installed a set of concertina doors. They provide a calm sleeping environment for the baby, acting as a blackout, privacy screen, and sound barrier. A cluster of paper lanterns hangs from the ceiling. They show the full height of the double space and screen the mezzanine bedroom when the doors are open."