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Materials and colors unify open areasin this remodeled apartment

A view of the living area, wooden flooring ceiling, furniture, interior design, interior designer, living room, room, gray, brown — A view of the living area, wooden flooring and cabinetry, white sofas, orange seat, TV, fireplace, white walls, lights, wooden furniture, rug, artwork.

A view of the living area, wooden flooring ceiling, floor, furniture, home, interior design, living room, room, table, wall, gray, brown

A view of the living area, wooden flooring ceiling, furniture, interior design, living room, real estate, room, brown

A view of the kitchen and dining areas, countertop, floor, flooring, interior design, kitchen, real estate, room, table, wood flooring, brown, gray

A view of the kitchen, wooden flooring and cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, floor, flooring, home, interior design, kitchen, real estate, room, window, brown, gray

A view of the bathroom, tiled floors and architecture, bathroom, ceiling, floor, flooring, glass, home, interior design, room, tile, brown

A view of the master bedroom, bed with architecture, bed, bed frame, bedroom, ceiling, floor, furniture, home, hotel, interior design, real estate, room, suite, wall, window, wood, brown

A view of the living area before it ceiling, floor, furniture, home, interior design, living room, property, real estate, room, wall, gray

A view of the living area before it ceiling, chair, floor, flooring, furniture, interior design, living room, property, real estate, room, table, gray

A view of the kitchen area before it bathroom, bathroom accessory, bidet, floor, home, plumbing fixture, property, room, sink, tap, tile, toilet seat, gray

A view of the bathroom area before it area, bathroom, floor, flooring, home, house, plumbing fixture, property, room, tile, wall, gray

A view of the kitchen area before it cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, floor, furniture, hardwood, home, home appliance, kitchen, major appliance, property, room, sink, gray, red

Natural light is something we all wish for in our homes and open-plan living is one way to ensure we get enough of it. Typically, apartments are places that are starved of light. With small rooms and windows on just one or two sides, there is often little potential for the sun to shine in.

When Andreas Charalambous of Forma Design was asked to design a remodel of this apartment, his first thought was to do away with the enclosed areas.

"We opened up the kitchen, so rather than a service area, it becomes part of the living space. This way light can be shared between the rooms," he says.

In order to unify the newly open space, Charalambous used repeated sycamore paneling on the upper kitchen cabinets and around the fireplace on the opposite wall. Changing all the floorboards to bamboo further married the open area.

"The room looks balanced now, which makes it seem even bigger."

A view of the kitchen area before it cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, floor, flooring, furniture, hardwood, home, home appliance, kitchen, kitchen appliance, kitchen stove, major appliance, microwave oven, property, refrigerator, room, gray, brown — A view of the kitchen area before it was remodelled.

As well as being environmentally friendly, the subtle coloring of the bamboo was important to Charalambous' design. Along with the sycamore, these wood tones become the color palette for the home, providing a neutral backdrop for the owner's extensive art collection. Furniture and accessories add splashes of more intense color.

The owner is not a huge fan of television, but is an avid scuba diver, so Charalambous suggested the wall- mounted flat screen above the fireplace as an alternative computer monitor.

"It can be part of his entertainment in a different way. It is used to play underwater visuals, or to show snapshots of his trips away," says the architect.

In the kitchen, the lower cabinets are stainless steel to tie in with appliances and create a clean, sleek feel. Under-cabinet halogen bulbs light the back-painted glass backsplash above the countertop.

Adjustable halogen down lights with dimmers have been specified to illuminate the artwork in the hallway.

To bring more light into the bedroom and create more space, the door to the spare room was replaced with a pocket door. This makes it seem like an extension to the bedroom, but still allows for privacy when guests are staying. When there are no overnight guests, the spare bed folds into a wall cabinet, which can also be used as a bookshelf.

All closets in this home are pivot-hinged to appear invisible. This makes the spaces seem less cramped, while still allowing for all-important storage. Closet space to the right of the fireplace is shared by the bathroom and the living area. One of the panels is fixed from the living room side and opens to a linen closet in the bathroom.

White terrazzo tiling gives the bathroom a sense of shine, while a large mirror exaggerates the space. Green glass tiles add a fresh touch, and off-set the white tiles and dark wenge wood cabinetry.

Colors in these rooms further unify the interior. The green of the shower tiles repeats a color found in the living room rug, while orange is also seen in both the living room and bedrooms.

Story by: Trendsideas

07 Sep, 2007

Interiors

Trendsideas

Home kitchen bathroom commercial design

Opening statement

US2307