Collection by Luke Hopping
Modern Home Renovations
With a healthy amount of elbow grease, these suboptimal houses and buildings were re-envisioned as havens of modernity.
Given the homeowners’ request for an open-concept house with a fluid floor plan, Bloomberg first stripped the building down to its basics. Brick walls and a steel structure appeared; both became integral to the design. The architecture was not meant to be wholly decorative – that was the full responsibility of the bold furniture and art.
The cozy “rumpus room,” a kids playroom that functions as a second living room, looks out onto the courtyard. The space was designed to encourage kids’ creativity, while complementing adult tastes. With the addition of a movable wall, the space can be sectioned off so children can be seen but not heard. Functional and durable white cork flooring completes the child-friendly space.
The main living room, located near the front door, features a striking two-story glass garage door that opens the interior spaces to the outdoor dining area. The original house was very dark, so the new plans involved as many windows as possible to break down the barriers between the indoor and outdoor spaces. “Even when [the garage door] is closed, it’s still very bright and helps open the house to the outdoors,” Rice says. “It was basically an easy way to eliminate a wall entirely.”
A far cry from minimalism, the renovated 900-square-foot Paris flat belonging to Nicolas Roche, a scion of the French furniture company Roche Bobois, is decked out with vivid hues and vintage furniture. A 1960s orange lamp by Luxus is suspended over the Warren Platner dining table and chairs. The 1950s rosewood glass cabinet is from Soriano. Pod Lens pendants by Ross Lovegrove for Luceplan hang from the ceiling.
With its sloped Douglas fir ceiling, expansive glass, and elm built-ins crafted by Wolf Melian, the upstairs study resembles a Crestwood Hills classic. Case Study sofas that double as guest beds meet the client’s request for convertible space. The rug from Amadi Carpets, pillows sewn from vintage Swedish fabric, and painting by Sylvan Lionni inject red into the earthy palette.
The bungalow had beautiful bones but some major problems, including a poorly designed addition to the back that had to be removed. In its place, Tribe Studio designed a gray brick box that connects directly to the garden. “The owners love the fact that the extension is compatible with the old part of the house, and is completely different from many renovations of this type, which simply open up the back in a single move,” Tribe says.
In the living room, and throughout the home, recessed "book nooks" are used to provide space-saving storage. The only seating in the room is a sleek black faux leather and steel daybed, fabricated by Montreal-based Surface Jalouse. Walls were removed to cohesively unite the living space and kitchen.