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French firm Toledano + Architects has renovated an apartment in the seaside town of Biarritz, adding a raised sleeping area that looks out towards the nearby lighthouse through a large bay window. More
Interior design studio Holloway Li has reimagined the office of advertising agency Mother London using bespoke furniture that nods to the 1970s to enhance its industrial setting in Shoreditch, London.
Aiming to create a flexible multi-purpose space, Holloway Li reconfigured the ground floor and mezzanine of the office – located in a former tea factory – to host an open-plan kitchen, dining area and seating space, along with an updated reception area.
Bespoke, bold-coloured furniture features throughout the office interiorBright red tables line the dining area to provide a flexible space for hosting office lunches as well as meetings, events and exhibitions.
Designed by Holloway Li and manufactured by collaborator UMA, these bespoke tables nod to 1970s furniture design and feature a structural foam core encased by a thin layer of fibreglass, chosen for its lightweight materiality.
Bright red tables encased with resin fill the dining area”Whilst celebrating the brand’s distinct and eclectic character, we wanted to reinvigorate the space with a new material palette, in keeping with the furniture’s precursors so there was a retained sense of familiarity for the pre-existing environment,” project designer Ivy Aris told Dezeen.
“Our approach sought to not only elevate the multi-purpose functionality of the building as both an office and a hospitality setting, but also to develop methods of production with our close collaborators UMA and CraftWorks.”
Deep green cabinets and red shelves line the kitchen spaceAdjacent to the dining area, an industrial-style kitchen is organised around two sleek stainless steel islands.
Deep green cabinets topped with stainless steel and red-coloured shelving feature in the kitchen and display the agency’s extensive vintage tableware collection.
London apartment features fish and chip shop-informed kitchen
“In the kitchen, more muted shades of green and burgundy offset the clinical brushed steel counters, creating an adaptable space suited to shapeshifting from day to night,” studio co-founder Alex Holloway told Dezeen.
“Much of our scheme was shaped by materials with reflective qualities, capitalising on the natural light from the original tea factory’s windows which worked to accentuate the raw charm of the industrial setting,” he added.
Playful pink sofas wrap around the mezzanineThis material palette extends into the renewed 63-square-metre mezzanine area, which is furnished with playful pink sofas from Holloway Li’s T4 collection and complemented by red coffee tables made from salvaged wood.
Meanwhile, at the office’s reception, the studio preserved an existing stainless steel desk and encased its structure with a translucent, glowing fascia. This is set against a backdrop of red curtains and hanging light bulbs, adding a sense of drama and theatricality to the reception area.
A glowing reception desk is backed by red curtainsHolloway Li is an interior design studio founded by Alex Holloway and Na Li in 2018.
Other recently completed office interiors include the conversion of a Victorian mission church into a flexible studio in London and a Minecraft-inspired office in Prague.
The photography is by Felix Speller.
Project credits:
Interior design: Holloway LiDesign team: Alex Holloway, Ivy Aris, Jazzlyn JansenProject manager/ QS: Holloway LiContractor: Craftworks ProductionsMetalwork: Steel & FormJoinery: Craftworks ProductionsFurniture procurement agent: Holloway LiBespoke furniture (T4, Big Red, Reception Desk): Uma Objects
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For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up eight home interiors that make clever use of mezzanines to optimise floorspace.
Mezzanines, which are used as an intermediate level between the lower floor and a ceiling, have the ability to increase gross internal floor area by capitalising on extra ceiling height.
These raised floors offer additional room to host a variety of spaces – including bedrooms, home offices and reading spaces, to name a few.
Ranging from compact apartment renovations to newly-built, split-level holiday homes, this diverse collection of home interiors showcases how mezzanines can be used as a creative solution to maximise floorspace and create dynamic home layouts.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring minimalist bathrooms with peaceful interiors, compact garden studios with neat storage solutions and homes lit by central courtyards.
Photo by David DworkindHickson Residence, Canada, by Ménard Dworkind
Located on the south shore of Montreal, this 1980s house was renovated by local studio Ménard Dworkind and features rounded plaster details and a terracotta fireplace.
The studio added a sculptural mezzanine to the 520-square-meter home, which hosts the bedrooms, bathrooms and an office overlooking the double-height living room below.
Find out more about Hickson Residence ›
Photo by Seth CaplanDumbo Loft, USA, by Crystal Sinclair Designs
Crystal Sinclair Designs renovated this loft apartment in Brooklyn to include a mezzanine hosting a book collection, as well as a bedroom accessed via a ladder.
The studio retained the space’s existing industrial look but complemented it by adding wooden furniture and white and grey marble.
Find out more about Dumbo Loft ›
Photo by José Hevia 105JON, Spain, by Vallribera Arquitectes
This renovation of a narrow terraced house in Spain by Vallribera Arquitectes saw the studio add a mezzanine level to increase the home’s limited floor area.
Defined by its blue-painted steel and chipwood construction, the mezzanine level offers space for two children’s bedrooms, along with a bathroom and a small study.
Find out more about 105JON ›
Photo by Pier CarthewKerr, Australia, by SSdH
Housed in a former chocolate factory, Kerr is a warehouse apartment in Melbourne designed by local studio SSdH to include a split-level layout.
A mezzanine-style level wrapped by a white steel-mesh balustrade occupies the upper floor and contains an open-plan living space and kitchen.
Find out more about Kerr ›
Photo by JAG StudioHorno de Pan, Ecuador, by ERDC Arquitectos
ERDC Arquitectos and Taller General used brick and glass to construct this arched roof home in Quito that features an open mezzanine level.
Split across three levels, the lowest level offers living and kitchen areas, while an entry, bathroom, bedrooms and studio are provided on the upper floors.
Find out more about Horno de Pan ›
Photo by Pierce ScourfieldFerguson, Scotland, by Duncan Blackmore, Lee Ivett and Simon Harlow
Brightly coloured walls decorate this tiny apartment in Glasgow designed by Duncan Blackmore, Lee Ivett and Simon Harlow, which contains no freestanding furniture.
To maximise floor and height space within the 25-square-metre home, a small mezzanine level hosts a sleeping space that is accessed via built-in wooden steps.
Find out more about Ferguson ›
Photo by José CamposHouse in Rua Direita de Francos, Portugal, by WeStudio and Made
Mezzanine levels feature throughout the living and bedroom spaces within this gabled, stone house in Porto designed by We Studio and Made.
A staircase in the kitchen space leads up to a study on a mezzanine level, while ladders in the bedrooms lead up to mezzanines situated above en-suite bathrooms or storage cupboards.
Find out more about House in Rua Direita de Francos ›
Photo by Rory GardinerCasa Alférez, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy
Situated in a Mexican pine forest, this brutalist holiday home by Ludwig Godefroy is defined by concrete walls, built-in furniture and wooden floors.
Composed of five half-levels organised around double-height spaces, the home’s compact arrangement was strategically designed to prioritise height over width.
Find out more about Casa Alférez ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring minimalist bathrooms with peaceful interiors, compact garden studios with neat storage solutions and homes lit by central courtyards.
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Scandinavian and Japanese influences come together at Studio Frantzén, a restaurant in London’s Harrods department store designed by Joyn Studio.
Stockholm-based Joyn Studio created the sleek interiors for Studio Frantzén – the latest restaurant opened by chef Björn Frantzén.
Top: visitors enter via a domed reception area. Above: the bar is characterised by back-lit glass bricksThe two-storey eatery is arranged across a main restaurant and bar on the fifth floor, as well as on an additional mezzanine and rooftop terrace on the sixth floor of Harrods.
In stark contrast to the department store’s famed Edwardian baroque terracotta facade, Studio Frantzén features a contemporary palette that takes cues from both Scandinavian and Japanese design – a trend known as Japandi.
Studio Frantzén is located across two levels at HarrodsVisitors enter the restaurant at a domed reception area, which references Scandinavian churches and forest chapels, according to the studio.
The curved walls were clad with blocky cherry wood while illustrations of Nordic animals by Ragnar Persson decorate the ceiling and a Swedish wooden Dala horse was perched on the welcome desk.
“Undoubtedly, wood takes centre stage in this restaurant,” Joyn Studio founding partner Ida Wanler told Dezeen.
The main restaurant is composed of two dining hallsThe reception area gives way to a “glowing” bar composed of stacks of glass bricks bathed in amber light, which is mirrored by a ceiling of gridded copper.
Informed by traditional Japanese izakaya – a type of casual watering hole serving snacks – the large main restaurant is composed of two dining halls with bespoke geometric terrazzo and marble flooring.
One features bespoke timber seatingOne hall features an open kitchen and Joyn Studio-designed chunky seating booths and sofas carved out of end-grain wood. This was sourced from a large Hungarian pine tree, cut into cubes and then glued together piece by piece.
This double-height space is illuminated by a spindly oversized chandelier by Swedish studio Front.
The other follows the same gridded geometry as the barThe other dining hall, tucked around the corner and connected to a wine cellar, follows the same geometry as the bar.
Sliding timber doors and a gridded wooden ceiling are interrupted by ultramarine benches in booths and delicate, ribbed paper lampshades.
Halleroed mixes French and Japandi influences inside L/Uniform’s Paris boutique
“To create a distinctive Nordic dining experience with Asian influences within a historic London building, we delved into the architectural and design legacy of the early 20th century,” explained Wanler.
“Inspired by the journeys of our predecessors to the far east, where they assimilated influences and pioneered a style known as Swedish Grace, we embraced the resonances between traditional Japanese and Nordic architecture and craftsmanship,” she continued.
Mirrored artwork by Caia Leifsdotter was included in the mezzanineOn the upper floor, the mezzanine includes three intimate dining booths accentuated by a burnt orange carpet and a wall-mounted Psychedelic Mirror by designer Caia Leifsdotter.
Characterised by marble, rattan and wooden accents, the rooftop terrace offers expansive city views.
The rooftop terrace offers views of London”Aiming to infuse creativity into the traditional luxury context of Harrods, we envisioned a relaxed and comfortable ambiance with sparks of richness created in unexpected ways,” said Wanler.
In 2022, Joyn Studio was longlisted for the title of emerging interior design studio of the year at the Dezeen Awards.
Elsewhere at Harrods, fashion house Prada recently opened a green-hued pop-up cafe that referenced one of Milan’s oldest patisseries.
The photography is by Åsa Liffner.
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American interior designer Kelly Wearstler has paired a towering tree with speckled burl wood panelling and vintage furniture by Carlo Scarpa at the Ulla Johnson flagship store in West Hollywood.
Wearstler created the light-filled, two-storey shop as the flagship Los Angeles location for Johnson’s eponymous clothing brand.
Kelly Wearstler has designed the interiors for Ulla Johnson’s LA flagshipThe duo worked together to envisage the sandy-hued interiors, which Wearstler described as “something that really speaks to LA”.
“A priority for me and Ulla was to ensure that the showroom encapsulated the quintessence of the West Coast, firmly grounded in both the surrounding environment and local community,” the designer told Dezeen.
The “Californian idea of merging indoor and outdoor” permeates the interiorVisitors enter the store via a “secret” patio garden lined with desert trees and shrubs rather than on Beverly Boulevard, where the original entrance was.
“This Californian idea of merging indoor and outdoor is evident from the moment you approach the store,” said Wearstler, who explained that her designs tend to nod to the “natural world”.
Wearstler designed textured interiors to reflect Johnson’s collectionsInside, three interconnected, open-plan spaces on the ground floor were dressed with textured interiors that mirror Johnson’s similarly rich collections, which hang from delicate clothing rails throughout the store.
Standalone jewellery display cases by Canadian artist Jeff Martin feature in the cavernous accessories space. Clad with peeling ribbons of grooved, caramel-coloured tiles, the cases echo floor-to-ceiling speckled burl wood panels.
The mezzanine includes a double-height treeThe other living room-style area was designed as a sunroom with a pair of boxy 1970s Cornaro armchairs by modernist Italian architect Carlo Scarpa, as well as parquet flooring with Rosa Corallo stone inlay.
“Vintage pieces are infused into all of my projects and I enjoy experimenting with the dialogues created by placing these alongside contemporary commissions,” explained Wearstler.
A lumpy resin table features in an upstairs loungeThe largest of the three spaces, the mezzanine is illuminated by skylights and houses a double-height Brachychiton – a tree that also features in the designer’s own Malibu home.
A chunky timber staircase leads to the upper level, where another lounge was finished in burnt orange and cream-coloured accents including a lumpy marbelised resin coffee table by LA-based designer Ross Hansen.
“We collaborated with a variety of local artisans to imbue the spirit of Southern California into every facet of the project,” said Wearstler.
Kelly Wearstler and Masastudio design California home as a “modern ruin”
Ribbed plaster walls and textured flooring line a fitting room close by, which was created to evoke a residential feeling, according to the designer.
“We wanted people to feel at home in the store so we prioritised warm and inviting elements,” she said.
Another striking display cabinet made from wavy burl wood evokes “a touch of 1970s California nostalgia”.
Wavy burl wood evokes “a touch of 1970s California nostalgia”The Ulla Johnson store is also used as a community space, which hosts rotating art installations, talks with guest speakers and other events.
Wearstler recently designed an eclectic cocktail bar at the Downtown LA Proper hotel, which she previously created the wider interiors for. Her portfolio also features a 1950s beachfront cottage renovation in Malibu.
The photography is by Adrian Gaut.
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Local studio SSdH has designed a split-level, mezzanine-style apartment characterised by eclectic furniture, which is housed within an old chocolate factory in Melbourne.
Kerr is a warehouse apartment in Melbourne’s Fitzroy suburb, located in a building that was once home to the historic MacRoberton’s Chocolate Factory before being converted into residential units in the late 1990s.
Kerr is one of a number of apartments arranged around a central atriumAdapted into “apartment shells” arranged around a striking central atrium, the units were first designed with only basic amenities to allow occupants to determine their own interior designs.
SSdH recently renovated Kerr, one of these units, as a three-bedroom, two-bathroom dwelling that intends to expose but also refresh the building’s original architecture.
“The design pays homage to history while being decidedly contemporary,” studio director Jean-Marie Spencer told Dezeen.
The home is divided by a white-painted staircaseThe mezzanine-style apartment is split across two levels by a staircase with a white-painted gridded steel mesh balustrade. Doubling as a lightwell, the staircase is illuminated by the apartment’s original single factory window.
Upstairs, the open-plan living space includes a kitchen fitted with geometric cabinetry made from local spotted gum timber, as well as brushed stainless steel and nickel fixtures.
Spotted gum timber and stainless steel define the kitchenThe similarly minimalist lounge area is delineated by smooth sliding doors made of the same spotted gum, which are offset by existing structural beams and columns painted in bright white.
A sage-green two-seater armchair is positioned next to a chunky column floor lamp by emerging designer Annie Paxton and a distinctive coral-blue vase.
A two-seater armchair features in the lounge area”Old wall and ceiling linings, trims and details are stripped back to expose original materials and structural framing,” explained Spencer.
“An application of white unifies what was, subsequently giving the ‘new’ its own platform through contrast,” she added.
SSdH also included timber accents downstairsTwo bedrooms and a bathroom are contained downstairs, while a bedroom and an en-suite feature on the upper level.
All three bedrooms are defined by the same pared-back white and wooden elements as the communal areas. Inside one of them, a mushroom-like floor lamp made from lumps of blue sculpting plaster adds a playful touch.
Among the eclectic furniture is a mushroom-like lampGleaming geometric tiles in shades of blue and yellow feature in each of the bathrooms, which also have bulbous sconce lights.
Timber operable doors and translucent curtains leading to the sleeping areas were designed to balance the airy openness of the living spaces, according to Spencer.
One bathroom is clad in bright blue tiles”Living areas, where privacy is less of a concern, invoke a spilling out to the street to make the most of the light and air,” said the studio director.
Other sculptural accents inserted throughout the apartment include boxy aluminium corner stools under the stairs and a fluted side table crafted from a solid piece of timber.
Ten industrial yet inviting homes in converted warehouses
SSdH added double glazing to Kerr’s existing large factory window to provide both thermal and acoustic benefits to the apartment, which is located in close proximity to a busy street.
“This glazing, along with the thermal mass embodied within the heavy masonry building allowed the apartment to remain un-airconditioned, relying on passive cross ventilation from the shared building lobby to maintain temperatures and reduce energy consumption,” said Spencer.
Boxy aluminium corner stools are tucked under the staircaseFormerly industrial spaces are popular locations for residential conversions.
Local firm Studio McW transformed an east London warehouse into a live-work space for climate activists and filmmakers Jack Harries and Alice Aedy while Auba Studio designed an apartment in a 1980s bakery in Palma de Mallorca.
The photography is by Pier Carthew.
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Architect Lee Ivett, designer Simon Harlow and developer Duncan Blackmore have turned a 25-square-metre apartment in Glasgow into a brightly coloured space that doesn’t contain any freestanding furniture.
Blackmore worked closely with Ivett and Harlow to plan the interior of the ground-floor tenement flat, which he uses as a base while visiting his other projects in the city’s Govanhill area.
The micro-apartment was designed in GlasgowWhen Blackmore purchased the property it comprised a cramped hallway, a compact shower room, a kitchen and a sleeping area, which were separated by partition walls.
The main idea for the redesigned space was to enable circulation throughout and to utilise its verticality in addition to the square-shaped floor area.
It includes a tiny kitchen space”I wanted to be able to walk around in the flat, even though it’s tiny,” said Blackmore. “I also wanted the majority of the space to be flexible in terms of use, rather than defining areas for certain activities.”
Work began with the removal of internal walls and the raising of existing structural openings closer to the 3.4-metre ceilings. A series of volumes designed in three dimensions were then inserted to fulfil various functional needs.
An open space contains a fixed, multi-purpose benchThe apartment’s entrance area leads into an open space containing a fixed bench for sitting, lounging or sleeping. A shelf that functions as a desk is inserted next to one of two large, south-facing windows that flood the interior with natural light.
Key functions, including washing, sleeping, cooking and the entrance, are pushed to the edges of the plan, freeing up the rest of the space so it can be used in a variety of different ways.
The main space was left intentionally uncluttered”I was keen to avoid having a typical living space with a sofa, a coffee table and a television,” Blackmore told Dezeen.
“The main space is entirely unprogrammed and uncluttered and has almost nothing in it. You can use it for a meeting or a party or just as somewhere to sit and think. I like how versatile and unfussy it is.”
A compact shower room was createdA mezzanine sleeping platform is slotted in above a compact shower room, taking advantage of the vertical space and preventing the room from feeling disproportionately high.
The bed is reached via a set of wooden steps, with a small circular hole seen from the living area providing somewhere to place a hand while manoeuvring into position.
The mezzanine is reached via small wooden stepsThe new interventions are built around the retained structure and feature forms that playfully disguise which walls, columns or beams retain their original functionality.
“Lee came up with the shapes based on the connection between existing openings and the geometry we imposed on the space,” Blackmore pointed out.
A small circular hole provides a view to the living area”Where we needed to bridge differences in height or gaps between certain elements, the surfaces meet each other with a curve or a step,” he added, “so the decoration is derived from the resolution of these structural glitches.”
The project takes its name, Ferguson, from the found nameplate of a previous occupier and the design borrows from the architectural heritage of its surroundings.
The kitchen features an oversized red cast-concrete sinkThe remnants of a nearby building that burned down informed the arched shape above the stairs up to the sleeping area, as well as an opening that allows daylight to filter through to the shower room.
Coloured cushions on the bench reference the doorway of a nearby building, while the bright-yellow datum that extends around the space is a reversal of the painted walls in the tenement’s shared stairwell.
The remnants of a nearby building that burned down informed the arched shape above the stairsThe kitchen contains the minimum amenities needed to obtain a building warrant. Its oversized red cast-concrete sink is accessible for hand washing on arrival from the entrance hall – a legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic during which the project was built.
Behind the apartment’s only internal door, the shower room is fully lined in two colourways of a decorative solid surface material made by Simon Harlow’s company Mirrl. A custom-made sink extends the use of bright yellow seen elsewhere in the interior.
Proctor and Shaw designs London micro-apartment with translucent “sleeping cocoon”
The entire project was fabricated by Harlow and artist’s technician Simon Richardson, resulting in a level of craftsmanship and intuitive creative detailing that lends it a strong sense of personality.
Blackmore is keen to emphasise that the apartment should not be viewed as an example of tiny living, as he only ever spends brief spells of time there.
A custom-made sink extends the use of bright yellow seen elsewhere”I’m absolutely not suggesting that people should live like this,” he said. “The space is really personal and tailored to my needs, which are a nice bed, a hot shower with good water pressure and decent WiFi.”
“If you were living there permanently you would design it very differently, but as a place for me to stay and work or relax it’s perfect.”
Blackmore is the co-founder of developer Arrant Land, which creates projects led by an interest in architecture, built heritage and the social dynamics of the UK’s towns and cities.
Previous projects backed by Arrant Land include a red-brick house with playful tiled detailing in south London and an apartment building in the seaside town of Whitstable featuring black brick walls that evoke the nearby wooden fishing huts.
The photography is by Pierce Scourfield.
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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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A forest cabin and an apartment in a New York warehouse feature in this lookbook, which shines a light on ten homes with snug bedrooms raised on mezzanine levels.
Mezzanines are half-storeys inserted between a floor and ceiling to create extra space or distinct zones for different activities.
They are popularly used as platforms for bedrooms, particularly in open-plan residences, because they create privacy from adjoining living spaces.
The examples below demonstrate the potential of a mezzanine bedroom as a space-saving tool for small homes, but also as a way to take advantage of tall ceilings in lofty residences.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks including warm wood-clad kitchens, relaxing wet rooms and space-saving bunk beds.
Photo is by Anna PositanoHouse for a Sea Dog, Italy, by Dodi Moss
An exposed roof structure, floors of unvarnished wood and a plaster wall create a rustic look for the mezzanine bedroom in this loft apartment in a 17th-century building in Genoa.
The home was designed by Dodi Moss to feel as open and spacious as possible, so the level change is used to provide privacy for the sleeping area as opposed to solid partitions and walls.
Find out more about House for a Sea Dog ›
La Dominique, Spain, by RÄS
Sliding polycarbonate panels line one side of the sleeping platform in this Barcelona residence, allowing light to enter the space while separating it from the floor below.
Its designer, RÄS, finished the space with black decorative tiles that contrast with the rough-painted white brick wall that borders one side.
Find out more about La Dominique ›
Photo is by Michael VahrenwaldBed-Stuy Loft, USA, by New Affiliates
New Affiliates inserted this mezzanine above the study and kitchen area of the Bed-Stuy Loft apartment in New York to create a bedroom beneath its high ceilings.
The sleeping area, which sits alongside a raised dressing area, is finished with plywood and white metal-mesh panels that nod to the industrial heritage of the building in which it is located.
Find out more about Bed-Stuy Loft ›
Photo is by Alex DelaunayHike, France, by SABO Project
Alternating tread stairs lead up to this cosy bedroom, which SABO Project placed on a half-level when optimising floor space in a 72-square-metre apartment in Paris.
The bedroom provides a sleeping area for guests and uses a skylight and a wall of translucent glass panels to maximise light while ensuring privacy.
Find out more about Hike ›
Photo is by Stephen Kent JohnsonUWS Apartment, USA, by Stadt Architecture
Stadt Architecture introduced a mezzanine to a narrow 1970s condominium in New York in order to create a larger bedroom and bathroom for its owner.
Set against exposed brickwork walls, the platform is finished with a dark walnut floor that helps unify it with the level below. The bed’s headboard doubles as a balustrade, while its base contains hidden storage.
Find out more about UWS Apartment ›
Photo is by Anton RodriguezBarbican Mezzanine, UK, by Francisco Sutherland Architects
Set under the vaulted ceiling of an apartment in London’s Barbican Estate, this children’s bedroom forms part of a wooden mezzanine structure that also contains a bathroom and wardrobes.
Francisco Sutherland Architects lined the sleeping element of the volume with a wall of shutters that provide privacy while opening the room out to an adjoining bedroom below.
Find out more about Barbican Mezzanine ›
Photo is by Michael MoranSoho Loft, USA, by Julian King
A mezzanine with sculptural white walls was among the features that architect Julian King introduced in his reconfiguration of a tall and long warehouse apartment in New York.
Taking advantage of the home’s high ceilings, the intervention allowed King to relocate the bedroom to a higher level and create a more fluid, open layout for the owner.
Find out more about Soho Loft ›
Photo is by Maja WirkusK907, Poland, by Thisispaper Studio
This sleeping area is hidden within a boxy plywood volume that Thisispaper Studio inserted into a pared-back holiday apartment in an old print warehouse in Warsaw.
Its design helps maximise floor space while drawing attention to the lofty dimensions of the apartment, which enhances its minimalist aesthetic.
Find out more about K907 ›
Photo is by Ricardo Oliveira AlvesRural House in Portugal, Portugal, by HBG Architects
Built within an old granite community oven in the village of Aldeia de João Pires, this holiday home contains a wood-lined mezzanine that maximises space below its original gable roof.
The platform, which also contains a second bathroom, is accessed by steps that double as a table and concealed behind slats of wood that ensure privacy while allowing light inside.
Find out more about Rural House in Portugal ›
Photo is by Martin DimitrovInhabit, USA, by Antony Gibbon Designs
This mezzanine bedroom sits above a kitchen in a stilted wooden treehouse built by Antony Gibbon Designs in a forest in Upstate New York.
The cosy wood-lined bedroom looks out through a wall of glazing that runs upwards from the ground floor of the cabin, framing views of the surrounding trees and Catskills mountains.
Find out more about Inhabit ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks including warm wood-clad kitchens, relaxing wet rooms and space-saving bunk beds.
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