It goes without saying that The Blue Building stands out from its surroundings. It was originally built 100 years ago as a commission for a pair of artists, but more recently, Brooklyn- and Athens-based LOT office of architecture redesigned the dwelling to highlight—in a very bold way—how color can transform a home.

Painted a brilliant shade of blue, the exterior of the three-story home pops out from the comparatively muted palette of the block. The color draws inspiration from another one of the firm’s design projects, Formations, an urban art installation comprising a series of playful ultramarine-blue pieces that form a “seating plaza.”

“We were looking for a bold monochromatic approach that would create a new-building effect, almost making the building a stand-alone object in a row of existing buildings,” explains Leonidas Trampoukis, LOT’s founder. “We’ve received feedback from the neighborhood that the color brings back familiar memories of family homes in their home countries.”

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For the gut renovation of the interiors of the home, color remained a focus of the design, but the palette instead shifts to softer shades to balance the bold statement of the exterior. A bright and light loft-like feel is achieved with high ceilings and white gallery walls that float over black-stained hardwood floors. Translucent, full-height polycarbonate panels connect the children’s room and a study to help maintain visual continuity, and they also add brightness and enhance the sense of scale inside the home.

At the back, the 3,000-square-foot building opens up to a private patio built around a mature magnolia tree. The light-colored concrete yard is enclosed by a reflective corrugated gate that “picks up all the color changes throughout the passing of the day,” says LOT.

Related Reading:

7 Brooklyn Row House Renovations

A Bright Red ADU Anchors a Lot on L.A.’s Westside

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: LOT office for architecture / @lot_officeforarchitecture

Builder/General Contractor: Fernando Cadmilema

Structural Engineer: Angelos Georgeopoulos

Cabinetry Design/Installation: Fernando Cadmilema

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