Loft

The storage unit continues in the living room, marked by a Tiki sofa by local design company Fogia. NOTE designed the stool as well as the coffee table, which was created for the French brand La Chance as part of a series called Zorro.

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."

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.”

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

There are still a few tickets available for this year's Dwell Manhattan Home Tour on Saturday, October 11. This self-guided tour of five private modern homes in Manhattan is also eligible for .5 AIA CEUs.

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

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