Loft

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."

The building was built in 1910. "It’s a pretty raw space with rough exposed brick, barrel vaulted ceilings, original hardwoods, and exposed ducting," Greenawalt says. "We tried to use industrial materials—stainless steel, perforated steel, brick—in a more refined way for the kitchen."

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.

Roberts found the Montauk black slate, which he continued in a second bath.

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.

The interior of Met Lofts studio suite #634, designed by Laura Schwartz-Muller, CEO, Founder and Principal of FOUR POINT Design+Construction, Inc.

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.

Kartheiser's courtyard also includes a dry sauna with a ceiling made from 2,500 pieces of wood.

Structural changes were immediately made to the original shell to bring in more natural light. The small windows on the front façade were dramatically replaced with a folding window assembly that stretches the entire width of the room. Skylights were cleverly added slightly beneath the peak pitch of the roof to funnel light towards the mezzanine, while still illuminating the main floor below. Warm, rich iroko wood spans the ceiling and wall, and also extends to the seating bench beneath the window.

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.