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      Dumbo Loft by Crystal Sinclair Designs features a book-filled mezzanine

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      Interiors studio Crystal Sinclair Designs has renovated a loft apartment in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighbourhood to include a mezzanine with a wall of books and a bedroom behind a glass partition.

      Upstate New York studio Crystal Sinclair Designs overhauled the space for a well-travelled lawyer and writer.
      The loft’s high ceilings enabled a mezzanine library to be addedThe client purchased the loft during the early Covid-19 pandemic in Dumbo, an area that has seen extensive conversion of buildings into luxury apartments.
      Sinclair’s aim was to retain the industrial look of the space, while incorporating a mix of furnishings that offer a European flair and nod to some of the locations where her client has spent time.
      Crystal Sinclair Designs retained the industrial materials and kept surfaces bright”[She] wanted to incorporate certain elements that are representative of the places she’s lived and worked before,” Sinclair said.

      “To that end, we worked in a nuristani mirror and a tribal qashqai rug purchased in Afghanistan, a statement chandelier from Italy, and her entire and not insubstantial library.”
      In the kitchen area, arabascato marble contrasts a farmhouse-style islandThe concrete shell was largely left exposed, balanced with antique pieces like an easel and a leather wingback chair to add more story and a “lived-in” feel.
      “The space itself led the way,” said Sinclair, who founded her eponymous studio with her husband, Ben. “The idea was to draw attention to the high ceilings with floor-to-ceiling drapes and a metal/glass partition wall. As the space is bright, we decided to paint everything white.”
      Floor-to-ceiling glass panels divide the living space and the bedroomThe 1,190-square-foot (110-square-metre) apartment features a concrete coffered ceiling that reaches over 14 feet (four metres).
      Thanks to this height, an L-shaped mezzanine could be added to provide a space to store the client’s book collection.
      One wall is covered in wooden battens that create a relief patternA ladder beside a window provides access to the upper level, where bookshelves displaying the extensive library almost cover the whole wall.
      Underneath are a row of tall cabinets, and the kitchen that features slabs of white and grey arabascato marble that contrasts a wooden farmhouse-style island.
      The eclectic selection of furniture was chosen to help give the space a lived-in feelIn the living room, a cream boucle sofa is paired with a Moroccan rug, while a giant crystal chandelier hangs overhead.
      The corner bedroom is partitioned from the rest of the space by floor-to-ceiling glass panels housed within black metal frames.

      Andrea Leung conceals “secret spaces” within renovated Tribeca Loft

      A white linen curtain can be pulled across to obscure the neutral-toned sleeping area from view. A desk also runs the length of a wall, for the client to use on the days that she works from home.
      Elsewhere, original structural columns are wrapped in tiles around their lower halves, and a section of wall is covered with wood battens that create a relief pattern.
      Linen curtains can be drawn to provide privacy in the bedroom”We played with it and kept everything bright and airy,” Sinclair said. “All we needed to do was to layer in order to give the space depth and purpose.”
      Loft apartments are typified by high ceilings, large windows and expansive open floor plans, and are commonly found in former industrial neighbourhoods of Brooklyn.
      Antique pieces help to imbue the spaces with a European flairOther areas of New York City, like Tribeca, are similarly full of historic warehouses and factories that have been converted for residential use.
      In these types of buildings, recently completed projects include an apartment by Andrea Leung with “secret spaces” hidden behind a mirrored wall and a penthouse by Worrell Yeung where industrial finishes are contrasted with the “pure minimal lines” of new fittings.
      The photography is by Seth Caplan.
      Project credits:
      Interior design: Crystal Sinclair DesignsStylist: Mariana Marcki-Matos

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      Andrea Leung conceals “secret spaces” within renovated Tribeca Loft

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      A dividing wall that’s part transparent, part mirrored separates the public and private spaces of this loft apartment in Manhattan, which architect Andrea Leung has renovated for herself.

      New York-based Leung discovered the 1,600-square-foot (150-square-metre) Tribeca Loft within a historic building, and gut-renovated its interiors to suit her needs and tastes.
      The Tribeca Loft is divided by a partition that runs the full length of the space”One look at the raw space, and I knew exactly the sort of refuge I wanted to create,” said Leung. “One that unfolds and reveals itself slowly, that wows you initially with its grandeur and then capitalises on your curiosity.”
      The architect used the hidden spaces of her grandmother’s Vancouver apartment as a precedent for the project, which she completed during the Covid-19 pandemic while living in the space throughout.
      The building’s original cast-iron columns contrast white walls and oak floors”Secret spaces fascinate me,” she said. “My grandmother’s penthouse pied-à-terre was full of them. Push on the correct mirror, and it opened into a hidden tatami room. Lean on the right bookcase, and a dimly lit hallway led you to her own personal oasis of calm.”

      Work to update the tall, sun-drenched corner unit involved removing a mezzanine level to relieve areas squashed below.
      Leung custom designed several pieces of brass and walnut furniture for her apartmentIn its place, the private rooms were grouped and neatly organised along one side, leaving the public space for entertaining completely open.
      An entrance hall, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a closet and a bedroom are now enclosed behind a partition that stretches the full width of the apartment, and can be accessed through swinging and folding panels.
      The bedroom is visible from the living area through transparent panels, while the primary bathroom is only revealed when mirrored doors are folded backWhile the bedroom remains visible through floor-to-ceiling, transparent glass panes, the other smaller rooms are concealed by mirrors and reduced in height to help with spatial proportions.
      “The wall of mirrored doors allows the main living space to transcend its physical limitations and appear to double in size, while the generous windows with their original wavy glass are also reflected, bathing the walls with soft refracted light,” Leung said.
      A freestanding oval tub is surrounded by pale grey stoneThe building’s original cast-iron Corinthian columns remain exposed and stand out against the minimalist colour scheme of white walls and wide-plank oak floors.
      In the living area, the furniture includes several brass and walnut pieces that Leung custom designed, including the dining table, credenza and console.

      Raad Studio turns two Tribeca lofts with exposed arches into huge apartment

      Brass accents are continued in Lee Broom’s Eclipse Chandelier and a custom coffee table designed by Leung while an associate at Steven Harris Architects for the now-shuttered Barneys Chelsea Flagship.
      The kitchen is lined with marble and patinated brass millwork, while the primary bathroom features a freestanding oval tub framed by surfaces of softly-veined grey stone.
      The kitchen features marbled walls and patinated brass millworkDecor in the bedroom is also restrained by a greyscale palette, whereas the second bathroom accessed from the entryway is enveloped in veined marble with bright metallic accents.
      Tribeca, a Lower Manhattan neighbourhood defined by and named after the triangle below Canal Street, has an abundance of loft spaces in formerly industrial and warehouse buildings.
      Bright metallic accents enliven the otherwise minimal second bathroomA large number of these have been converted into residences and later renovated, with examples including an apartment where walnut cabinetry and sliding doors replace walls, and a duplex connected by a hanging, blackened steel spiral staircase.
      Leung’s Tribeca Loft is shortlisted in the Apartment Interior category for the 2022 Dezeen Awards – see the full Interiors shortlist here.
      The photography is by Sarah Elliott.

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      Ten loft conversions by architects that add extra space to homes

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      Our latest lookbook shines a light on residential loft conversions from Dezeen’s archive, including rooftop extensions on existing dwellings and apartments built in underused attics.

      Opening up the volume beneath the roof is a popular way of squeezing more space out of a dwelling or building. The new spaces often feature unusual geometries, which a skilled architect can exploit to create dramatic and characterful new rooms.
      This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series feature plant-filled interiors, colourful kitchens and stylish home-working spaces.

      West Heath Drive, UK, Alexander Martin
      London architect Alexander Martin converted the disused loft of an Arts and Crafts-style house in Hampstead to create this pared-back and light-filled guest room and study.
      It has a T-shaped plan and was therefore divided into three rooms – one of which is hidden behind a moving wall that is disguised as an integrated bookcase. The guest room is finished with white walls, a dark wooden floor and a vintage Greaves and Thomas teak sofabed.
      Find out more about West Heath Drive ›

      House for a Sea Dog, Italy, by Dodi Moss
      While renovating the loft of a 17th-century apartment block in Genoa, architecture and engineering studio Dodi Moss inserted a mezzanine floor that serves as a bed deck to maximise usable floor space under the eaves.
      It has a rustic finish, characterised by an exposed wooden roof structure, unvarnished wooden floors and a rough plaster wall, and is furnished with a simple IKEA stool for use as a bedside table.
      Find out more about House for a Sea Dog ›

      Dormore, UK, by Con Form Architects
      Dormore is a bright home office nestled within the small attic of a house in London, which was converted for a client who needed a space to work from home. A large slice was cut out of the original roof and filled with glazing and a large dormer window to bring light inside.
      It is accessed by a compact folded steel staircase and finished with oak joinery and a whitewashed floor, alongside exposed brick walls and a Hans Wegner Wishbone Chair.
      Find out more about Dormore ›

      Rounded Loft, Czech Republic, by A1 Architects
      Czech studio A1 Architects built a two-storey apartment within the attic of an apartment block in Prague. Its living room, which occupies the lower level, is lit by windows slotted within the attic’s sloping roof and finished with tactile wooden furnishings and grey plaster walls.
      The lower level also contains bedrooms and is linked to a guest suite on the small upper floor by a staircase lined with wooden bookshelves and a steel net that takes the place of a bannister.
      Find out more about Rounded Loft ›

      Maynard Road, UK, by Widger Architecture
      A pair of minimalist bedrooms lined with plywood occupy the old attic of this first-floor flat in Hackney, which was converted by London studio Widger Architecture.
      As the attic had a sloped roof with limited head height, the architect introduced a flat roof dormer that spans the entire width of the property. While maximising headroom, it also allowed the studio to introduce more windows to invite more light inside.
      Find out more about Maynard Road ›

      Alpine Apartment, Slovenia, by Architektura d.o.o.
      This loft space was converted into a two-bedroom apartment by Slovenian studio Architektura d.o.o. for the client to use as a family holiday home in the lakeside town of Bled.
      At the centre is a kitchen, flanked by two bedrooms, a living room and an entrance hall. As the kitchen has no exposure to natural light the living room entrance has no door, in order to help illuminate the space.
      The home is complete with white custom-built furniture that aligns with the irregularly shaped attic ceiling, while pale wooden floorboards nod to the home’s Alpine setting. These finishes are complemented by wooden Wishbone Chairs by Hans Wegner and white folding chairs from IKEA.
      Find out more about Alpine Apartment ›

      Gallery House, UK, by Studio Octopi
      London architect Studio Octopi renovated and extended the dead space below the pitched roof of this terraced Victorian house in Battersea to create a separate reading room and study.
      The two rooms are unified by a perforated black steel staircase and their matching spruce plywood walls and floors. Pared-back furnishings are dotted throughout, including a pair of About A Lounge Chairs by Hay in the reading room.
      Find out more about Gallery House ›

      Attic conversion in Antwerp, Belgium, by Van Staeyen Interieur Architecten
      A dark attic that was used for storage was converted into this bright multi-functional room at a house in Antwerp. It contains a bed, seating area and bathroom defined by spruce-clad partitions with arched portals, curved seating and yellow detailing.
      It was designed by Van Staeyen Interieur Architecten for the clients to use as a guest room and a social space for their daughters to spend time with their friends as they get older.
      Find out more about Attic conversion in Antwerp ›

      Project Escape (to the Roof), UK, by A Small Studio
      Architecture practice A Small Studio created a reading room, bedroom, dressing room and bathroom for a family within the loft of their Victorian home in south-east London.
      Between the bathroom and reading room, there is also a new free-standing solid oak stair that helps bring light into the lower levels of the home. Three large dormer windows on one side of the loft frame views of the back garden.
      The conversion’s focal point is its reading room, which is complete with a Plastic Armchair RAR by Charles and Ray Eames and a black DLM side table by Hay.
      Find out more about Project Escape (to the Roof) ›

      Attic conversion, France, by F+F Architects
      This spacious light-filled apartment was built by Parisian studio f+f architects by converting the attic of an art nouveau building in Strasbourg. Over two levels, it comprises bedrooms, bathrooms and an office, alongside an open-plan living space with a kitchen, dining area and terrace.
      The attic’s original pine flooring was preserved and treated with lye, an alkali used to lighten wood, while existing trusses have been painted white and left exposed throughout.
      Find out more about this attic conversion ›
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing colourful interiors, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

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