interior views/ideas

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.

The overall home is constructed with larch timber, a British wood, and features a central ridge beam that gives it a butterfly-shaped roof. Shou sugi ban was done on the wood to give it a charred finish.

Architect Ravi Handa camped out on the site before ground broke to find the sweet spot... and the best views.

The kitchen island responds to the concrete walls and floor, while black pendant lights punctuate the otherwise light palette.

Oak flooring runs throughout the home, creating a subdued backdrop for the aged furniture. "It really lets everything around it stand out,

In the living room, Two Mario Botta chairs look towards the new fireplace, a Memphis coffee table and an original leaded-glass window. The rug is designed by Faye Toogood for CC Tapis. Happy the dog sits on a sofa from Toronto’s Home Societe.

A highlight of the overhaul is the floor-to-ceiling glass on the north side, which includes a five-panel bifold door. The door opens to the couple’s favorite area of the house, the backyard. The deck is shaded by the cantilevered roof, and Ren planted drought-resistant brush amid the existing oak trees.

hytte

A classic bike shines in the north

HR Design Department refurbished the original wood siding and painted it in Sherwin Williams Snowbound. New flagstone pavers and gravel make the yard more drought tolerant.

Designed as an experiential retreated for the Henrybuilt team, founder and CEO Scott Hudson explains, "We had the idea to stop doing showrooms and to start doing houses that our staff can travel to, and live in, and actually live with the product and learn by experiencing it how to improve it."

"The design intent was to calm down the geometry of the house," says Blue Truck Studio’s Peter Liang of the renovation.

Cambrian black granite countertops lie in contrast with white cabinetry below and open shelves above in this contemporary kitchen. "One of the favorite things I have to do in the kitchen is wash dishes, just because it’s such a delightful view out the window," says the owner.