Loft

In New York City, Sarah Zames of General Assembly renovated a Greenwich Village loft originally constructed in 1868. "The client wanted to maximize the efficiency of the space," she says. Zames and her team completely overhauled the space to create a modern haven in bustling Manhattan.

The loft addition afforded space for a home office and music area. The family chose to forego a dedicated office upstairs, instead prioritizing private bedrooms for each of the children. Shelving and a built-in desk anchor the loft’s far wall.

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.

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.

A skylight floods the loft space with daylight and offers views of the stars at night.

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.”

Concrete stairs leading up to a sleeping loft are illuminated with wall sconces.

The Tower House is made up of tiny houses, clustered at the southern end of the property and clad in white steel panels and western red cedar shingles. Spinning off the living room on the north side of the main house, the children’s study sits separate from the other pavilions. On its upper level, Oxley netting forms a web on which the kids and their friends can sit and read with views of the leafy street and garden.

“I believe that whenever you’re hiring an artist, and Funn is an artist, he’s going to do his best work if he’s trusted,” says Kartheiser.

Illuminated by a String Light from Flos, the bedroom embraces the loft’s palette with a side table, duvet, and pillows by HAY.

A finished attic can be the perfect spot for a private—and quiet—home office.

To inform the color palette for this interior renovation in Stockholm, NOTE Design Studio began with three inspirational images. The sculptural fireplace, covered in plaster, contrasts with oak parquet floors.

A custom blue-gray built-in storage unit, which includes shelving, cupboards, and drawers, runs throughout the home, connecting the rooms. “The tone is calm and creates a dark base,” Wåhlin says. “The apricot pink, together with the sandy colors, reflect light but give a warmth to the space and contrast with the blue tones. Together, they become dynamic.”

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

The stairs up to the loft were a happy mistake, the result of an errant delivery of the wrong type of plywood. The improvised staircase was one of many on-the-fly creations that made this such an exciting project, according to Langston-Jones.

A vaulted loft room complete with a typewriter and natural wood furnishings serves as the perfect hidden workspace. The chair is a vintage Cherner chair, the side table is Nanna Ditzel, and the wood lamp is a Muuto Wood model.

Raising the bed above floor level, architect Kyu Sung Woo converted this tiny studio into an open and comfortable home for Wonbo Woo. Photos by: Adam Friedberg