New apt

Street Smarts-An artist and designer couple transform an old Toronto storefront in Dundas West into a home and studio. Their industrial yet cozy abode mixes customized Ikea pieces with art by up-and-coming designers and modern finds. Photo by: Naomi Finlay

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.

The clean lines and, in Loft R's case, balcony with a view of downtown's skyline suit Robert Vanselow's urbane sensibility. "This was spot on," he says.

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."