Loft

Connected to the kitchen by a flight of stairs, the bar features cohesive custom fittings and furniture by Eginstill. Each living area flows freely into the next, in effort to “make the space as open as possible, just like it used to be when it was a sugar refinery” says van Hulzen. “We wanted to [return] the building to its old glory.”

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.

“We had to talk John into doing this project,” says Dave Jordano. “He wanted nothing to do with renovation, but we gave him total freedom and, two months later, we were presented with this exhilarating design.” The experience changes dramatically as one travels the perimeter, moving from the front elevation’s equilibrium to lopsided massing along the alley. As the original structure recedes, the addition absolutely towers over the courtyard.

Futuristic floating stairs lead to the loft’s mezzanine. Throughout the lower level, natural stone was chosen for the flooring, laid at an irregular angle to add visual interest.

Globetrotting Belgian architect Julien De Smedt carves out a space to call his own in a converted industrial loft building in Brussels. Photo by Frederik Vercruysse.

Melissa and Keith Bishop successfully simplified their 720-square-foot loft space. Photo by: Jake Stangel

The 1920s building was converted into lofts in 2000. The client started out looking for new cabinet hardware and an improved connection between the laundry room and the guest bath, but ultimately decided to work with the firms on a full overhaul.

Indoor Sunbathing“In the morning, the eastern light comes into the small terrace by the kitchen,” De Smedt says. “If I have work to do at home, which I do a lot, I’ll sit at the dining table and just look out. And in the summer, I’m out on the terrace. On clear nights, I’ll head upstairs. There’s a skylight and you can see the stars. Even in the city, you totally can! The skylight really changes the condition of the interior. If you light that gap in the evening from the outside, it’s as if there is daylight.” The Inconstant Gardener“I have a lot of cacti, which is probably because I don’t have a green thumb,” admits De Smedt of his sculptural flora. Inspired perhaps by his neighbors’ greenhouse just across from his patio, the architect’s next project for the apartment involves turning the terrace into something of an oasis—as long as the plants are hardy. “I have an idea to grow some ivy.”

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

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.

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.

Kartheiser’s private courtyard includes a covered seating area and fire pit, designed by Roberts.

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.

The Scandinavian pavilion will be decked out with furniture and accessories that embody Hygge—a Danish term implying warmth, coziness, and friendliness. This renovated loft in Copenhagen by Vipp Chief Designer online Morten Bo Jensen and his wife, Kristina May Olsen highlights that concept. Photo by Anders Hviid.

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

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."

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."

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

The bed was designed to hang from the ceiling and can be hoisted up and pulled down as needed.