Tent London Designs: Lofts

Showing posts with label Lofts. Show all posts

Friday, November 2, 2012

A charming loft house

An industrial building in Paris, transformed into a family home of an Interior designer, where the patio, with the ivy creating a decoration that changes with the seasons, is the center and the heart of daily life. Heirloom furniture, Baccarat chandeliers, contemporary pieces, extravagant accessories, chinoiserie collections create an eclectic atmosphere inside.

Warm colors for the pieces of furniture and pale colors for the walls make the industrial style building more attractive and liveable.

In the living room the main piece of furniture is “Proust” armchair by Alessandro Mendini for Cappellini, against a 1930’s cabinet. A reproduction of Canova’s Three Graces and a unicorne create another focal point.

Simple lines for the dining chairs and table.

In the dining room, 1940 style, a collection of animated lights, reminiscent of the owner’s childhood, glows against a trompe-l'oeil wall. The light comes from an ornate Baccarat chandelier.

The master bedroom, on the top floor, is all white, but punctuated by touches of ruby red and it opens to the elegant and functional marble bathroom.

A 1940 mirrored console with family images and objects plus a precious Murano sconce create a great vignette.

Outdoor chairs are designed by Philippe Starck for Kartell.

The charming patio with the terracotta colored wall.

Photography by Nicolas Millet for Côté Maison.

If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send me an email. It will be an investment in happiness at home, a well designed house is always a good part of a great life and a beautiful room will make you happy every time you walk in!

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A-Efendy Furniture, Houses, Interior design, Lofts, Paris, Tent London Interiors

Thursday, June 16, 2011

A loft in Florence

A large loft, airy and bright, with its industrial bones, as a former small factory, maintained, adding interest to the contemporary interior design and the dominant colors.

The dining table, in a rich and thick chestnut is a project of the designer and owner, Sachiko Bradley. The chairs are vintage Eames and the ceiling pendants were designed by Achille Castiglioni for Flos. The paintings are all by Sachiko’s father, the English artist Martin Bradley.

A comfortable custom made sofa in the living. Note the beautiful industrial windows with the natural light flowing in. The openness of the loft is what the owner was searching, a house “Where we would never feel alone”.

The Asian red lacquer cabinet creates a focal point and stands out from the concrete floor painted white. Small lanterns drop from the high ceiling at different heights, probably Flea market’s finds.

The children room with different stripes of vintage wallpaper on the main wall, a white Ikea piece continues with a custom designed desk, a smart way of mixing vintage, new, mass production and original pieces.

The kitchen, open to the living area, echoes the industrial feeling of the loft. Unusual decorative elements, the old alphabet characters, salvaged from stores signs, contrast in a great way with the stainless steel wall above the stove, a clean, functional, bright area where to cook, gather, create new recipes.

The designer maintained the original doors to the courtyard, worn iron and the rust tell us a story, like in so many houses in Europe where centuries of lives are creating a mosaic of styles and memories.

An open space fit for a modern family.

Photography by Lorenzo Nencioni/VegaMg

©2011 Tent London Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things".

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A-Efendy Houses, Interior design, Lofts, Tent London Interiors

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Industrial revolution: Lofts

source

More and more industrial buildings in several big cities around the world, like London, New York, Chicago, Vancouver, Milan are converted into lofts, I believe it is a great idea to revitalize part of cities that were abandoned or neglected for decades, a big component of urban revival initiatives that also include renovation of industrial buildings into art galleries and studio spaces.
There are true lofts also called "hard lofts" when a vintage factory or warehouse is converted into residential space and they are usually constructed of concrete and exposed brick, they retain original wood posts, beams and floors and they mostly have an open space plan with high ceilings, leaving pipes and wires exposed to create more visual interest.
There are also "soft lofts" consisting in new buildings with some characteristics of a hard loft such as high ceilings, large windows, open space, but more similar to apartments otherwise, they could have carpeted floors and the plumbing or electrical system are hidden behind walls.
Then there are "artist live/work" lofts that were restricted to people engaged in artistic activities but overtime they mostly became residence of people simply in love with the loft style.
All these residential spaces usually offer great location in the core of the city with more space than average condos and also opportunities of unusual way of decorating the interiors.

Here is an example in Milan, where an industrial space was converted to residential, leaving the structure intact with its brick walls, large windows, and a big open space.

A large plasterboard panel in the middle of the wall was painted an unusual eggplant color and has a long line of glass blocks to give some light to the space behind it. I love the eggplant accent color, I find it quite neutral but at the same time unusual and definitely perfect for such a large space. Notice the two coffee table and their interesting C shape.

The aluminum windows were painted to resemble wrought iron and they help to maintain the industrial look. A contemporary touch in the kitchen is given by the gas top raised from the wooden counter. I always suggest to have different materials on kitchen counters, marble, wood, steel make a efficient combination of surfaces for different jobs.

The whole apartment was conceived for entertaining, being the residence of a young single man. The floor was raised to create more movement in the open space and more steps where guests can casually sit. I love the choice of covering the floor with resin and giving it a cloudy effect.

The sleek bathroom has an interesting sliding Plexiglas door in a vibrant orange color.

The simple bedroom has a Japanese style bed on a wenge base. The drapes, when closed, create intimacy.

A bonus is the outdoor space, transformed into an Oriental garden, with water features and hidden from the street by a thick curtain of bamboo. An oasis of relaxation in the middle of a busy city.
I will explore other unusual way of building conversions soon, stay connected.

Photography by Cristina Fiorentini

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A-Efendy Houses, Lofts, Tent London Interiors

Friday, July 2, 2010

An artist apartment

When a photographer purchased this apartment of 500 square feet, in a humble Milanese building, it consisted of two-rooms badly distributed, in need of structural consolidation but with great potential: the terrace and the adjacent attic, so far unused. Thanks to the idea of including the attic space the apartment became a luminous open space with sloping ceilings, while creating a conservatory enhanced the terrace.

The architect Antonio Maria Becatti first created more natural light, enlarging the tiny bathroom window, facing south and with a wide view over the rooftops, and opening a new window in what later became the living area. The attic was then attached to the house with a glass corridor.

The attic was equipped with two skylights, one positioned above the bed. The roof has been redone to improve thermal insulation, but the original beams have been reused. The furniture and objects were found in junk shops from around Europe, and their heterogeneity contrasts with the linearity of the custom furniture designed and constructed of birch plywood, a material that provides a clean surface.

A frosted glass door leads to the conservatory, in the bathroom the tub is like a small swimming pool created with mosaic by Bisazza.

In the kitchen the cabinet are made of birch plywood and appliances are in brushed steel, the work surface is timeless Carrara marble.

At left an image of the new conservatory, which connects the living and sleeping areas and overlooks the terrace. At right, the pleasing atmosphere of the veranda with floor mosaics by Bisazza in ice-white hue.

The view from the top allows easy identification of the former two-room apartment, where they are now the living area and kitchen in a sort of small open space, and the bathroom (a total of 500 square feet), the new glass corridor opening to the terrace and linking to the attic area which now houses the bedroom and walk-in closet.

A very clever use of the space.

Photography by Andrea Vierucci

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A-Efendy Houses, Interior design, Lofts, Tent London Interiors

Friday, February 27, 2009