Loft

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

When not in use as the headboard, the large redwood slab folds down to become a desk.

The dining room features a mobil custom table made by Gilles van der Brempt, and an assortment of Ikea Urban and Hee Welling dining chairs. Photo by: Frederik Vercruysse

This New York City home is studded with pieces by such famous names as Knoll, Saarinen, and Risom. Deployed throughout the loft, these modern icons at once unify and separate work and life. Like the architecture, they can be read two ways: as recognizably typical office furniture or as prized home-design collectibles.

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.

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.

One entire wall of the space is dedicated to storage. A simple, clean iron rod shelving system was conceptualized to span the entire wall left to right, and both floors top to bottom. Depending on the location of the storage wall, the nondescript iron grid can be used to house items in the living room, kitchen, library, or bedroom areas.

The main bathroom is only partially separated from the sleeping area by a glass partition. The absence of opaque walls creates a feeling of openness and cohesion in the bright mezzanine space.

Everything from lighting to curtains to video and audio can be controlled from a smartphone, enhancing the loft’s sense of effortless elegance.