Loft makeover by architect Irit Axelrod

Open-plan living can go far beyond having a kitchen overlook the family room. One way to bring out the drama in a large industrial volume is to ensure the entire space can be read at a glance.

Built in 1907, the clocktower in San Francisco's South of Market district first housed lithography print factory. In the early '90s, the building was converted into live-and-work spaces, maintaining its brick and wood surfaces as well as the overall concrete, industrial feel.

When architect Irit Axelrod came to renovate an 167m² loft in the historic building, it was decided to make the most of the strong simple form and build on its industrial material palette.

The original 4.25m ceilings, concrete columns, mezzanine, and steel window frames have been retained, says Axelrod.

"The floor was stripped back to the original concrete and sealed with a high-gloss finish. The wall of windows was kept and other walls surfaced in plywall.

"To maximise the impact of the large volume, I set the mezzanine-level master bedroom, and guest bedroom beneath, behind a freestanding wall finished in grey wallpaper a dark planar insertion into a white loft envelope. This allows you to see past the wall and understand the dimensions of the space at a glance.

"Other internal walls needed for room separations were made of glass or acrylic to maintain a visual flow of space."

The minimalist kitchen is set in front of the dividing wall and has sleek aluminium cabinets and stainless steel benchtops.

"The introduced materials acrylic, stainless steel, and plywood all play off the industrial feel," says Axelrod. "However, I used them in a more finished way. For example, I designed a coffee table in layered resin sheet to create a piece that's refined, despite the basic material."

Some whimsical touches include a wall niche containing miniature models, further dwarfed by the apartment's scale. And in the master bedroom, artificial grass grows at the base of a pillar.

With furniture chosen in sympathetic hues, colour accents are achieved through stacks of multi-hued books.

Apart from the living room furniture, a desk and the kitchen, the loft is an open space, dotted with sculpture.

"The end result is a vibrant new take on a well-known theme an industrial loft with a modernist aesthetic," Axelrod says.

Story by: Trendsideas