Apartments

In the living area, an HKLiving Mirror Block coffee table is married with a Tolomeo floor lamp from Artemide, a HAY Neon Tube light, and Moustache's sculptural Extra Bold armchair.

Set in a 19th-century Westend building, the flat is a minimalist oasis with shoji screens, tatami floors, and soothing neutral tones.

Renovated on a budget of approximately $100 per square foot, this 1,000-square-foot Brooklyn loft in a 1947 chocolate factory is an honest celebration of affordable materials. New Affiliates transformed the formerly dark and cluttered space into a warm, light-filled home that smartly fits two sleeping areas, a bathroom, a study, a new kitchen, and a living/dining area without losing the loft’s airy and open feel. The key to the project’s success was leaving materials and elements exposed—from the pine plywood used for the walls, panels, and cabinets to the existing pair of three-and-a-half-foot-wide Art Moderne columns that were painted white and integrated into the design, rather than hidden.

A view of the opened windows into the study room and the future child's bedroom.

soft grays and natural materials

Large format, 12-inch white oak floors help highlight and dramatize the scale of the apartment. “At the width we selected, you see such a beautiful grain expression,” says architect Max Worrell.

Adjustable pegboards help lawyer Dan Franklin manage his compact apartment in downtown Manhattan. The Executive Chair is by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller.

The 750-square-foot accessory dwelling unit (ADU) that Bo Sundius and Hisako Ichiki of BunchADU designed in Los Angeles’s Atwater Village is filled with bright colors that help to designate the spaces within the small backyard home.

In the living room, the team raised the firebox, cladded the hearth in a tactile plaster finish, and installed a floating limestone bench that wraps the column. On the left (unseen) is integrated firewood storage, and a cozy reading nook sits on the right. "The bench was designed to be used as a social space/lounge, and is well-used," says Coffey. The wood beams and red brick were scraped and stripped many times to remove the silver paint and reclaim a natural state.

Pale hardwood floors complement pared-back wall tones in mushroom and off-white.

The sliding glass doors draw the eye outside while exposed roller shades by J Geiger blend seamlessly with architecture. The shades feature patented hardware that conceals wires and screws, eliminating the need for valances or ceiling pockets.

The insertion of an attic makes the most of the apartment’s tall ceilings as well as provides ample space for the family.

The original living room was converted into an open-plan kitchen and dining area with a living room that can be reconfigured into a bedroom. The use of natural materials and the large windows that flood the space with natural light and frame the views make the small space feel bright and airy.