Loft

By burnishing historic details and adjusting the floor plan, multidisciplinary studio Loft Szczecin restored and transformed a loft in a warehouse that dates from before World War II. The living room rug is a Polish textile from the 1930s.

Loft Szczecin designed several pieces of original plywood furniture for the kitchen. The jet-black refrigerator is from Smeg.

“What often happens in our relationship is I come to Funn with an idea and he makes it into something livable.” —Vincent Kartheiser

He worked with Kartheiser’s existing appliances in the kitchen, trading the old cabinetry for new teak.

Raising the bed above floor level, architect Kyu Sung Woo converted this tiny studio into an open and comfortable home for Wonbo Woo. Photos by: Adam Friedberg

A social creature who seems to know everyone, Loft J occupant Jamil Malone has hosted several "alcohol-themed" parties and manages to wedge as many as 20 people into his studio. The gatherings are like gallery openings, with the walls of Malone's apartment displaying a roving selection of locally produced art.

Designer Paola Navone transformed a 200-year-old factory in Umbria into an inviting home for Andrea Falkner-Campi and her husband. Once a tobacco-drying plant, and before that a silkworm farm, the home sits 90 miles north of Rome.

A skylight floods the loft space with daylight and offers views of the stars at night.