mezz

From the mezzanine of his 450-square-foot apartment at La Esquina, an eight-unit live/work building in San Diego’s Barrio Logan neighborhood, designer, artist, and Woodbury University professor Patrick Shields chats with fellow professor Hector Perez, who spearheaded the project.

This image shows how Brooks opened up interior, turning it into a light-filled space. While the home suggests a contemporary point of view, her inspiration for the interior actually came from medieval architecture and the great country homes of England. "The great halls where you'd have a feast had a ceremonial function as well as a domestic one. Here, the kitchen becomes a social hub, with the island as a hearth, in a way. The living room is the minstral's gallery, and the entertainent is on the mezzanine. With the double-height space in the center of the home, you encounter space in a different way." A Jasper Morrison Smithfield light hangs above the kitchen island. Brooks designed the kitchen cabinets and tables, as well as the steel fireplace.

Another view of the mezzanine. Rough brick walls add texture and old-world charm.