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      Part Office transforms Venice Beach condos into “calm” live-work units

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      Los Angeles design studio Part Office has renovated two condominiums on the California coast, as part of a wider conversion of buildings into hybrid residential and office spaces.

      Sited directly on the Venice Beach boardwalk, the Venice Lofts occupy a pair of buildings that are undergoing updates to create a 44,000-square-foot (4,088-square-metre) complex of 12 live-work units.
      Part Office used a minimal material and colour palette to transform the condos into live-work unitsPhase one of the project involved the completion of two units, as well as exterior common areas, hardscaping and landscaping in collaboration with LA studio Cactus Store.
      Finished without specific tenants, the spaces were designed to be neutral and flexible, with a restrained material palette of oak, concrete, steel and tile used throughout.
      Double-height spaces were kept open and sparsely furnished”In contrast to similar programs, where trends within start-up culture favour bold and irreverent design gestures detached from their specific users or locations, our intent was to create a calm environment that reflected a nostalgic coastal experience,” said Part Office.

      Code and structural requirements meant that the building envelopes were preserved, and that units need to have an equal division of “live” and “work” spaces.
      Accordion doors allow spaces to be separated or joined as requiredDue to the shift in office culture during the pandemic, the team chose to lend the units a less formal and more residential atmosphere. Although layouts of some units vary slightly, all are organised in a similar way.
      Lower floors are designated primarily for residential use, with necessities like kitchens and bathrooms, while other adjustable spaces are separated by rows of accordion doors.
      Concealed doors under the stairs open to provide storage spaceOpen double-height areas function as living spaces but can also be used as more casual work environments, and are sparsely populated with modular pieces crafted by LA-based Michael O’Connell Furniture.
      Open workspaces can be found upstairs, furnished with custom desks that feature angular steel bases and lime-washed ash tops. Each unit also comes with its own roof deck.

      David Saik gives Emeco a cactus-filled Californian brand home

      Grooved oak panelling used across walls and concealed doors was also lime-washed “to create a more beach weathered appearance”, and guardrails were installed with a very fine mesh “to appear like window screens overlooking the beach”.
      “Attention was placed on the detail, finish, and interaction of each material in order to elevate their appearance,” said Part Office.
      Workspaces upstairs are furnished with custom desksOn the exterior, orange glazed tiles by ceramic artist Sofia Londono were added to breezeways to demarcate unit entries, and the planting evokes windswept coastal environments.
      Venice Beach, which is known for its bohemian and creative spirit, is a popular place for small businesses like design studios and architecture firms to operate from.
      Orange glazed tiles and coastal planting were used to enliven the exterior spacesFurniture company Emeco recently opened a cactus-filled brand space in a converted an old sewing factory in the neighbourhood.
      The photography is by Taiyo Watanabe and Gustav Liliequist.
      Project credits:
      Design: Part OfficeTeam: Jeff Kaplon, Kristin Korven, Israel CejaArchitect of record: Klawiter and AssociatesContractor: Barling ConstructionLandscape: Cactus StoreFurniture: Michael O’Connell Furniture

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      Green tiles fill renovated São Paulo apartment by Casulo

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      Green tilework in multiple rooms is contrasted with terracotta plaster at this São Paulo apartment, renovated for a couple by local studio Casulo.

      The 220-square-metre apartment was overhauled for friends of the designers, who made it clear that the space “should not have a minimalist atmosphere”.
      Renovations to the apartment included opening up the kitchen”Shortly after their wedding in early 2020, the couple bought an apartment at a closed-door auction, without knowing the actual status of the property,” Casulo partner Camila Abrahão told Dezeen. “On the first visit, we realised that the state of the apartment did not reflect its profile at all.”
      Therefore, the studio overhauled the interiors, keeping only the positions of the rooms and the wooden floor in the bedroom suite.
      Terracotta plaster was chosen to contrast the areas of greenThe most drastic improvements were made to the kitchen, which was previously subdivided into non-functional spaces including a small balcony with a barbecue.

      Casulo opened up the room to create a large space that integrates the grill, while a series of sliding, fluted glass panels were installed to close off the cooking area as desired.
      Furniture was sourced from various vintage stores in São PauloGreen tiles cover the floor, the sides of the central peninsula and the back wall. In contrast, a terracotta volume begins in the kitchen and wraps around to the entryway, concealing the powder room.
      “Almost all the references brought by [the client] had a green colour,” said Abrahão. “We brought the earth colour to balance and contrast it.”
      The green-tiled bar overlooks a view of the city’s skylineVarious shades of green are also used in the living area for the dining table, sofa and a tiled bar adjacent to the full-height windows that enjoy views of the skyline.
      Flooring in this social space was swapped for black slate, while the remaining walls and a masonry bench that connects to the enclosed balcony were painted white.

      Eight São Paulo apartment renovations that make the most of their Brazilian heritage

      Although re-lacquered, the dining table was the only piece of furniture retained from the original apartment, because it was too heavy and cumbersome to remove.
      “The furniture was almost entirely extracted from antique dealers in the city of São Paulo and we combined these pieces with some of the contemporary design,” Abrahão said.
      The wood floor in the bedroom was one of the only elements retained during the renovationStandout vintage finds included the midcentury Wave Bank bench by Jorge Zalszupin and a 1970s Italian coffee table with striped cylindrical legs.
      In the bedroom suite, the same tiles from the bar were applied to the walls and tub in the bathroom, where the black slate flooring and fluted glass panels are also repeated.
      The same green tiles used for the bar cover the walls and tub in the bathroomApartment living is extremely common in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, and renovations there often involve injecting colour and personality into the homes.
      Examples include an interior filled with peach, green and purple for a fashion editor, and another with burnt pink ceilings in the bedroom.
      The photography is by Joana França.

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      Frama designs apartment for filmmaker Albert Moya in Renaissance villa

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      Copenhagen design brand Frama has contrasted modern furnishings against dark wood panelling inside this hybrid apartment and workspace in Florence, which belongs to Spanish director Albert Moya.

      The self-contained residence occupies a number of rooms inside the Villa Medicea di Marignolle, a Rennaisance villa and estate nestled among the hills of Florence’s southwestern suburbs.
      Frama has furnished the Florence home of Albert MoyaThe building once belonged to the House of Medici – a powerful Italian banking family that achieved prominence in Florence in the 15th century – and was often frequented by Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei.
      Today, it is split into multiple apartments including Moya’s, which was renovated in the 1970s and consequently has a different feel and appearance compared to the more traditional parts of the villa.
      The brand introduced modern furnishings to contrast against the dark wood panellingMoya, who became known for his 2013 short film American Autumn, asked Frama to turn the space into a modern residence that encourages “artistic encounters” by offering spaces for living as well as for hosting small events and collaborative workshops.

      “I teamed up with Frama to create a studio, a space acting as a school where artists can meet students, a place where everyone can learn something new, absorb knowledge and exchange ideas,” he explained.
      “There is a natural interaction between the interior architecture, Frama’s universe and each selected piece. It is a harmonious, unified and balanced approach.”
      Touches of stainless steel and aluminium help to brighten the interiorDespite the need for introducing “contemporary comforts”, Moya wanted the final design to respect the building’s heritage.
      As a result, the Frama team didn’t make any structural changes and didn’t mount anything on the walls in order to preserve the warm wood panelling that was introduced as part of the renovation.
      Instead, understated furniture, lighting and textiles from the brand’s collection were brought in to style the flat, using a simple material palette of wood, cork, marble, stainless steel and aluminium.

      Frama creates ultra-minimal interiors for Juno the Bakery in Copenhagen

      Apart from Moya’s own bedroom, the apartment encompasses a kitchen and studio space, a living room, a second bathroom and two mezzanines – one housing a gym and the other a guest room.
      The interior is designed to encourage socialisation, connection and meaningful conversations between the filmmaker and his guests.
      For this purpose, it features two different kinds of workspaces: a quiet area in the kitchen designed for independent work during the mornings and more social areas in the living room and on the mezzanines for gathering in the afternoon.
      Frama made no structural changes and left all walls untouched”The residence will allow the creative mind to wander in solitude or in relation to others,” said Frama.
      “Albert seeks to explore silence and spaciousness and, at the same time, to experience a non-conforming living studio where focus, imagination, expressiveness and mindfulness are free flowing.”
      The apartment looks out at the estate’s cypress treesFrama is a multi-disciplinary brand that creates everything from homeware to furniture, lighting, scents and skincare, all the way up to entire interiors projects.
      Previously, the company has designed a Beirut concept store with limewashed surfaces and simple concrete fixtures, as well as a collection of fabrics made from biodegradable materials such as algae and terracotta.
      The photography is by Teodora Kaolchagova and Fredrik Aartun.

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      Studio Noju creates intimate colourful spaces within open-plan Seville apartment

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      A pop-up guest bedroom features in this open-plan apartment by Studio Noju, which was renovated to create the illusion of having separate spaces and dressed in colours that nod to its Seville location.

      Casa Triana is a 60-square-metre apartment renovation in the Triana neighbourhood of Seville, southern Spain.
      It is the debut collaborative project by architects Antonio Mora and Eduardo Tazón, who co-founded their firm Studio Noju – a shortening of “not just”.
      Casa Triana is Studio Noju’s debut projectSpread across an open-plan area, the apartment features a bedroom for a single occupant, as well as a separate living space with living and dining areas and a kitchen. A bathroom is also included in the dwelling.
      “Our main strategy was to create the illusion of having several independent spaces within the open floor plan,” Mora and Tazón told Dezeen.

      A flexible curtain can create a pop-up bedroom in the living spaceIn line with this objective, an additional pop-up bedroom for guests can be created in the living space thanks to a retractable blue curtain, which is either stowed away or deployed to make a rippled partition.
      The main bedroom also includes a walk-in wardrobe that is separated from the rest of the space in the same way.
      The main bedroom’s walk-in wardrobe is also concealed by a curtainEach area of Casa Triana is distinguished by its own jagged colourful alcove made from readily available and low-cost roof ridges, known as “cumbreras” in Spanish.
      The ridges are typically used to cap gabled roofs in traditional construction projects. Studio Noju placed the horizontal V-shaped ridges next to each other vertically to delineate these distinctive spaces.
      “We created the alcoves with the idea of ‘architectural texture’, which gives them a distinctive three-dimensional backdrop, creating an interesting play of light and shadows while giving depth to the space,” said Mora and Tazón.
      Roof ridges define the texture of each alcoveThe alcoves’ colours create a lively contrast with each other, such as the cool lime green kitchen unit and the adjacent dining space dressed in a peaceful orange hue.
      “Triana is charged with a myriad of colour references that are distinctly part of the architectural heritage,” explained the architects.
      “The apartment’s design references some of these swatches, which are unmistakably Sevillian colours, such as the ‘albero’ yellow, a type of sand that covers some of the city’s streets and parks.”

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      Casa Triana features a mix of bespoke furniture by Studio Noju and pieces sourced from a range of other interior designers.
      A pale grey Delaktig Sofa by Tom Dixon for IKEA was placed in the living space, as well as a matt-lacquered wooden bar cabinet and gradient rug, both custom-made by Studio Noju.
      Delicate black Drop Chairs by Arne Jacobsen and Fritz Hansen frame a sleek bespoke table by Studio Noju in the dining area.
      Drop Chairs frame a custom-made dining tableWhile Mora and Tazón explained that Casa Triana’s design intends to avoid feeling like a “characterless loft,” they emphasised the importance of making the most of available space in a one-bedroom apartment.
      “Increasing real estate prices are making it very difficult for young people to access the property market, who are mostly bound to smaller apartments, such as this one,” the studio said.
      “From a design perspective, there is a need to answer to this reality, and in this case, we wanted to create the feeling of a more spacious home for the owner.”
      The kitchen area has a lime green colourStudio Noju was founded in 2020, although Mora and Tazón began collaborating on Casa Triana in 2019.
      Other small apartments with creative interior designs include a home in Athens within a semi-basement storage space by Point Supreme and a New York apartment by Martin Hopp with a retractable dining table.
      The photography is by Studio Noju. 

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      Styles and eras mingle inside “unfinished” diplomat's home in Rome by 02A

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      Antique and mid-century furnishings are combined with sleek contemporary cabinetry in this intentionally unfinished apartment in Rome, designed by local architecture and interiors studio 02A.

      The one-bedroom flat belongs to a stateless diplomat, who asked 02A to turn his home into a sanctuary that he could return to at the end of his frequent work trips.
      02A has overhauled the whole apartment of a diplomat in Rome from the bedroom (top) to the dining room (above)The owner also wanted a place to display the extensive collection of furniture and craft objects he has accumulated during his travels.
      “The client has given us a wider opportunity to reflect on the concept of home as a place of belonging, even more so when it is not lived in on a daily basis,” said architect Marco Rulli, who co-founded 02A together with Thomas Grossi.
      “The project was a journey into his memory and aspirations through a constant and free dialogue.”

      An archway with an integrated bookcase leads from the lounge to the dining areaThe apartment takes up 130 square metres on the ground floor of an early twentieth-century building in Rome’s Flaminio district, a few steps from the National Gallery of Modern Art and the MAXXI Museum.
      It has a generous garden and is surrounded by nature, nestled between the eastern bank of the Tiber river and the urban vegetation of the Monti Parioli hills.
      The kitchen’s barrel-vaulted ceiling was painted terracotta redThe apartment’s entrance opens onto the living area, where a glass wall cuts through the decorative barrel-vaulted ceiling.
      In the adjacent kitchen, this ceiling is painted terracotta red and paired with brushed granite worktops alongside white and yellow wall units that complement the building’s original flooring.
      An Esperanto phrase is engraved above the granite worktop in the kitchenEngraved on the backsplash of the scullery is a phrase written in Esperanto, a universal language developed for international communication in the late 19th century.
      Translated to English, it reads: “he who is firm in his ideas is noble, but he who is able to change them is even nobler”.
      The ground-floor apartment opens onto a generous gardenNext to the kitchen, the lounge features restored parquet flooring made of solid oak, which serves as a backdrop for a couple of leather sofas, French art deco armchairs from the 1940s and an antique Venetian lantern, alongside a selection of photographs and sculptures.
      A set of French doors opens out onto the home’s private garden, which is shaded by a huge palm tree and surrounded by shielding vines and Swiss cheese plants.

      Arched travertine wall carves up Greetings From Rome apartment by 2XJ

      An arched passage with a custom integrated bookcase leads from the lounge to a more intimate dining area, where an Illan birch pendant lamp by Luceplan hangs above a glass-surface table set with 1950s chairs.
      This space also displays a number of the owner’s antique furniture and artworks, including pieces by South African textile artist Igshaan Adams and a chalk work called Classroom by Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou.
      Elements from different eras are brought together in the apartment’s bedroomThe apartment’s bedroom, study and two bathrooms are separated from the rest of the plan by a small doorway.
      This sleeping area was the main focus of the project, according to 02A. The bedroom was conceived as a suite with a small open bathroom, which is screened off from the rest of the space by smoked mirrored screens.
      Mirrored screens enclose the en suite bathroomThe bathroom’s reflective walls create what 02A describes as an “immaterial cubic volume”, camouflaging the ensuite while diffusing the light streaming in from the three large windows that run along the apartment’s southwest side.
      One side of the bedroom is lined with made-to-measure wardrobes covered in Ukiyo wallpaper by French design brand Nobilis, which was informed by traditional Japanese woodblock prints.
      Palm Jungle wallpaper by Cole & Son decorates the main bathroomThe second bathroom is bigger and houses a suspended ceramic tub, paired with black marble surfaces and Palm Jungle wallpaper by British brand Cole & Son.
      Next to the bathroom is a study furnished with upholstered vintage theatre chairs and a projector mounted on the ceiling. The room is completed with a writing desk by Italian brand Desalto and a Serbelloni armchair, created by the late industrial designer Vico Magistretti for De Padova.
      Dark decor and a projector build the theatrical character of the study”We tried to play with the concept of time,” said 02A. “We didn’t want a finished house. We were interested in giving space to the unfinished, to the imperfection that would contain the vital force of curiosity.”
      The idea of creating an intentionally imperfect or unfinished interior is popular among designers. Peeling plaster, raw concrete and dangling wires give character to these spaces, which look as though they’ve been abandoned halfway through decorating.
      The photography is by Serena Eller.

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      Diseño Norteño completes concrete apartments with lattices in Tijuana

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      Mexican studio Diseño Norteño has created a multi-storey residential building that features an earthy colour palette and frontal lattices that provide privacy.

      The project, called CLNS 12401, is located in Tijuana, a city located along Mexico’s border with the United States.
      CLNS 12401 is located in TijuanaThe building was constructed in a transitioning area, historically dominated by single-family homes, and it sits across from an abandoned park that is slowly returning to use.
      The building backs up to a steep slope, which led local firm Diseño Norteño to conceive the project sectionally, with the spaces becoming larger as the building reaches the higher floors.
      Diseño Norteño built the project across from an abandoned park”This resulted in a simple, four-level structure that is supported on its perimetral walls, generating a flexible, open floor plan,” the architecture studio said.

      “This building’s design allows higher density while maintaining a friendly, urban scale for the surrounding context,” it added.
      The staircase acts as a courtyardThe design comprises two blocks of habitations with an open stairwell between them. The staircase acts as a courtyard that helps promote neighbourly encounters.
      The architecture studio noted that the stairwell acts a pergola, regulating the amount of sun entering the public spaces and walkways.
      Concrete defines the apartment’s interiorThe building’s two bottom levels have concrete bearing walls, while the upper portion is made of concrete block.
      Facades are painted in hues of sage green and creamy white. Terraces are lined with metal lattices that provides privacy and a sense of safety.
      Facades are painted in hues of sage greenThe ground level contains the building entrance and garages, while the upper floors hold a total of six rental units. There are three different layouts, which are mirrored on each level.
      The first level’s units are 700 square feet (65 square metres), while the second and third levels are 1,00 and 900 square feet, respectively (93 and 84 square metres).
      “As the structure rises, the topography enables bigger units,” the architects noted.

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      In each unit, social spaces face the street and the park, while bedrooms are in the rear, next to the hillside. The uppermost unit has a spacious terrace that enables the public zone to flow outdoors.
      The architects said that simple materials, such as concrete and metal, helped keep costs down, which enabled the building to be accessible to younger residents in Tijuana.
      Simple materials helped to keep costs down”The building’s design breaks traditional urban development rules in favour of the people who actually live in the area,” the team said.
      Other projects in Tijuana include a house by Gracia Studio that has an exterior made of concrete and weathering steel, and a purple bridge by Legorreta that is meant to make crossing the Mexico-US border much quicker.
      The photography is by Lorena Darquea.

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      Martin Hopp adds space-saving “micro elements” to his Manhattan apartment

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      New York architect Martin Hopp aimed to make the most of his dark, irregularly shaped apartment by using lots of white and creating clever “micro elements” like a retractable dining table.

      Encompassing 700 square feet (65 square metres), the Hopp Apartment is located on the garden level of a 1930s, multi-storey building in the city’s Chelsea neighbourhood.
      The unit has various limitations and idiosyncrasies due to renovations that were made to the building’s foundation.
      Martin Hopp renovated his small, irregularly shaped Chelsea apartment”Its odd layout and challenging features of exposed foundation walls and large structural columns were further complicated by being partially submerged below grade and hemmed in by foundations,” Martin Hopp, who runs the eponymous local studio.
      “This gave the apartment a subterranean feel that only allowed for brief moments of natural daylight.”

      Hopp used white to brighten the dark basement suiteHopp set out to introduce a feeling of lightness and brightness, along with maximising space by using built-in millwork and flexible “micro-elements” that enable openness, privacy and multi-functionality.
      In the L-shaped social area – which accommodates cooking, dining and lounging – he and his team lined the walls with all-white cabinetry.
      Built into one spot is a “rotating table” that can be easily tucked away when not in use. The team also added a folding door that forms a separation between the kitchen and the rest of the room.

      Across from the dining nook is a living room with a built-in, white sofa. Between the dining and lounge space are steps to the unit’s front door, and beyond it, a wooden deck.
      The bedroom is located just off the kitchen and is fitted with simple furnishings and ample storage space. To the other side of the kitchen is a corridor that leads to a bathroom and an office space.
      The apartment features a storable tableThe bathroom features shelving and backlit glass panels that were made possible by the discovery of a two-foot-deep cavity during demolition. The discovery “gave us the opportunity to think creatively about how to use the space”, the design studio said.
      Similarly, the team got creative when designing the office, which was formerly a large closet. In addition to serving as a work area, the space now doubles as guest quarters, owing to the insertion of a Murphy bed designed by Hopp.
      The bedroom is off the main roomPrivacy is provided by sliding wooden doors, along with a pivoting door that extends across the hallway.
      “A slightly oversized closet was an opportunity to create a multi-functional space that could be guest room, home office and storage area all at the same time,” the studio said.
      A Murphy bed in the office folds down for guests”Conceived of pre-Covid, the value of the multi-functional spaces have proven invaluable.”
      In terms of materials, Hopp and his team used an abundance of white oak, which is found on the floors and walls. Only oil was used to protect the wood and enhance its grain.

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      Additional finishes in the apartment include lacquer, fabric, terrazzo, stone and metal.
      “Creative lighting strategies work as additional micro-gestures to make the space feel more functional and pleasurable,” the team added.
      The bathroom walls are filled with backlit shelvingOther small apartments with space-saving strategies include a micro apartment in Ecuador that features a central organizing element with hidden furniture, and a tiny London residence that has an elevated sleeping area wrapped in translucent panels that reference Japanese shoji screens.
      The photography is by Fei Liu.

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      NeuronaLab reorganises Barcelona loft with blue stair storage unit

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      A large blue unit provides extra space and storage in a compact Barcelona apartment, which has been renovated by local architecture studio NeuronaLab.

      The renovation transforms Loft in Poblenou, a former studio loft, into a two-bedroom apartment with a separate, dedicated workspace.
      A blue unit divides the former studio apartmentThe owner bought the flat 10 years ago, when he was living alone.
      The space started to become cramped after his partner moved in and they had a baby. Things became even worse during the pandemic, with the couple needing to work from home, and their son increasingly needing more space.
      A living space and kitchen is created in front of the unit”The family had no choice but to have all their objects in the middle of the space; it was a real mess,” said NeuronaLab founder Ana Garcia.

      “The challenge was to make much better use of the volume, so that the new family would not have to change homes due to lack of space and order,” she told Dezeen.
      The unit creates storage and integrates a staircaseGarcia’s solution was to insert a large piece of furniture that informally divides the space into different zones and provides plenty of storage.
      She has also taken advantage of the loft’s high ceilings by installing a new mezzanine floor, which is accessed via a staircase built into the storage unit.
      With these two interventions, plus the relocation of the old bathroom, the apartment now has a completely different layout.
      A blue shade was chosen to contrast the wooden flooringThe space in front of the storage unit becomes an open-plan living and dining space. A bedroom and study are located behind, with the new bathroom sandwiched in between, while the mezzanine overhead creates a second bedroom.
      “Four spaces are generated that are similar in size and interchangeable with each other,” said Garcia.
      “On the other hand, the mezzanine allows a certain disorder on the higher level, which remains out of sight on a day-to-day basis, such as the toys or the children’s bed.”
      A mezzanine takes advantage of the high ceilingsGarcia developed two possible colour schemes for the space, with the owners eventually settling on blue rather than pink.
      An aquamarine shade was selected for its natural contrast with the warm tones of the loft’s wooden floorboards, which have been revived using water-based varnishes.

      Doehler loft renovation by SABO Project features an irregular clustered storage unit

      Made from pressed, recycled cellulose panels, this unit serves various different storage purposes. It contains the fridge-freezer and food larder, it serves as a wardrobe and it creates room for utility items such as an ironing board.
      The layout was carefully planned to ensure everything had a place.
      “We made a list of everything that we had to relocate in the proposed cabinets,” explained Garcia, “and we measured the approximate volume of storage needed.”
      This space provides one of two bedroomsGarcia was previously a founding director of Nook Architects, but recently left the practice to launch her own studio.
      Nook is a specialist in creating space-saving solutions for small homes, with previous examples including a flat with a storage floor and one with a mezzanine bed deck.
      Garcia continues this approach, but also introduced elements of psychology and neuroscience to her design process. Her aim is to create homes that don’t just work well, but also promote wellbeing.
      A second bedroom and study slot in under the mezzanine”At NeuronaLab, our initial questionnaires go far beyond the typical briefing of a project,” she explained. “We not only ask about the number of bedrooms, but we delve into a client’s routines, their lifestyle, their chronotype, if they receive guests, if they exercise at home and how they need the space to respond to the new needs of the home office.”
      “We also analyse the space from parameters beyond proportion or functionality,” she continued.
      “We visit the house at different times of the day to observe the change in the light that enters through the double facade, we analyse the cross ventilation, the smells and also the noise from the environment.”
      A new bathroom is sandwiched between these two roomsHere, she believes the combination of different lighting zones and heights more comfortably allow different domestic activities to coexist.
      “The higher height encourages common life and social relations with guests, and the lower height in the darkest area favours rest,” she added.
      The choice of materials supports this ambition. Garcia opted for breathable and moisture-absorbing products – including ceramic tiles by Matter Atelier – to improve air quality inside the home.
      Photography is by Marcela Grassi.

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