The ground floor comprises of a living room bathed in light under a glass roof and a high-end kitchen with center island, both enjoying the high ceilings.

The first floor is occupied by two spacious rooms with open views and a bathroom with bath and walk-in shower. The last level houses a large master suite.

The enhancement of old elements such as wood frame, metal elements and the hoist, give this place a unique and resolutely industrial atmosphere. 

You can buy this loft here for € 1,080,000.

Sitting right in the middle of the war-swept Mediterranean coast of the Levant, with the scars of conflict and violence still visible in its urban tissue, the city of Beirut, despite all the difficulties it has faced, is now home to a flourishing design and architecture scene.

A perfect example of what the city’s design and crafts scene can indeed achieve is the N.B.K Residence 2 by architect Bernard Khoury and his firm, DW5. Literally perched atop a nine-storey building adjacent to the infamous Green Line (the dividing buffer zone that used to split the city into the West/Muslim and East/Christian parts), the residence is in fact the architect’s own home, and as such it reflects his continuous experimentations and accumulated experience in interior design techniques, all in close collaboration with local artisans and design specialists.

It is less a connected penthouse, and more of an independent home that happens to be perched atop a building — it almost appears detached, floating above the rest of the structure.

The first floor and a mezzanine comprise the main volume of the living areas (including a spectacular double-height lobby and living room with generous views to the city), while a guest house, maid’s room, swimming pool and roof-garden terrace are situated on the topmost level. Wooden panel cladding has been used to cover interior floors and walls, in a technique that comes from experimentations in previous projects and was executed in collaboration with carpenter Doumit Tannous. The strong presence of wood has been complemented with black-painted steelwork: the ribbon-like spiral staircase, the mezzanine structure, the bookshelves in the lobby and the signature antenna-lights on top of the building were all created by Beirut-based design studio Acid (especially the latter shine like beacons at night, making the residence stand out as a landmark in the surrounding area).

Expansive and unobstructed, the main living area makes a powerful impression through the mixed usage of wood cladding and black steelwork. In addition to a stunning private rooftop pool, the three levels of space include a kitchen and dining room, guest studio, additional bedrooms, a floor-to-ceiling library, and separate quarters for all your various live-in staff.

This design incorporates the original church space housing an open plan living/meals and kitchen with butler’s pantry and formal living/home theatre room with side vestibule with panoramic views of the north- west garden, alfresco area and feature solar heated pool via vast floor to ceiling glazing. A mezzanine level within the volume of the church houses two huge bedrooms with built in joinery opening onto a rumpus room and adjacent bathroom overlooking the living room void and large arched window to valley views of the area.

The roof space within the timber trusses of the church has been converted into a New York-style loft space.  It is a multi-functional room with its own kitchenette and private bath room. Roof skylights and a circular floor to ceiling window encapsulate a panoramic view of the valley & city skyline.

A strong industrial element is evident through the exposed metal pipework and extractor tubing, a stripped back heating system against a background of raw concrete and unplastered brickwork. Distressed surfaces on which vintage and modern objects exist harmoniously contrast with an unexpected country island kitchen which adds a touch of homeliness. The warm rich hues of the wooden ceiling and the elegant chandeliers contribute a strong note of elegance to the equation.

The bedroom with its low bed and freestanding bathtub face a wonderful view of the city, adding to the tremendous urban energy of this very different residence!

The Lime Works, on the outskirts of Faversham, is a conversion of two water towers, which have been made into an art deco-inspired contemporary home. The building, which is grade II-listed, was built in the early 1930s and was a functioning water softening plant until 1942. The current owners acquired the property in 2005, converting it into the house you see now.

According to the agent, the owners have ‘sympathetically converted, restored and refurbished the building’, with the emphasis on ‘attention to detail and specification’. There’s no denying that the end product is a design you can’t ignore.

Plenty of space and plenty of luxury too. The accommodation is arranged over four floors, with the ground floor offering floor to ceiling windows for plenty of light, while a series of spiral staircases lead to the leisure facilities on the first floor and the bedrooms (six in total) and bathrooms (six of those) on the second floor. The master bedroom suite occupies the entire fourth floor while two roof terraces, one of which has a heated pool, offer plenty of entertaining opportunities.

Outside space (beyond the electric wrought iron gates and gravel driveway) is a large parking area, double underground garage, lawns and eight acres of grounds. There’s also a large storage area at the side of the house.

As for the luxury, pool and design aside, the house also has a dining room with with triple height void, hand crafted concrete beds and baths, gym suite, including sauna and plunge pool, an integral cinema room and motion sensor lighting. Wow.

Works are apparently ‘still ongoing at the property’ with the purpose of bringing the house to 90% completion which will allow the buyer to design and specify the final 10% by way of arrangement with the current construction company or with the buyer appointing their own designer and contractors. In short, you can do your own finish.

Hope that last bit of work is included in the price, we expect it is, especially with an asking price of £3,750,000.

It’s currently for sale, you can find it at the Savills website.

Perched high in the exclusive Southridge community, with panoramic views of the Coachella Valley, including the city of Palm Springs and the San Jacinto Mountains, the 23,366-square-foot home was designed in 1973 by the California Modernist architect John Lautner. It was built to resemble a volcano, with three visorlike arches and an undulating concrete roof, a hole at its center opening a courtyard to the sky. The roofline has been described as one of the most distinctive works of architecture in the Coachella Valley. The house has also been likened to a giant mushroom. Its original wood frame burned down during construction, in a fire sparked by a welder. Work was finally completed in 1980.

It was a modernist gem still filled with laboratories, test tubes, files and furniture, as if the workers had got up one day and walked out. They had to save it from oblivion. But how? After years living in one tiny room and learning things they never knew about themselves and each other, they have turned this mass of steel, concrete and glass into a big, bright home full of endless possibilities and bold primary colours. From the building itself to the tiniest utensil, vase or toy car, this couple celebrates the beauty of everyday objects. It has taken seven years of hard work for Judith and Robert to tame the unruly space, but they’ve finally made it into a home. Says Judith,

We were looking for an original house that we could turn into whatever we wanted. It became exactly what we hoped for and more. It has been a bit rough but I’m glad we did it because we love our home. It’s bright, upbeat and light.

Schubert’s “garage” is breathtaking. Beautiful. Exquisite. But where are the tools, the work benches, the girlie calendars? Schubert concedes that it isn’t a typical, oil-on-the-floor garage, and he’s comfortable with that. “I wanted to create a backdrop for the car as a piece of art,” he says.

“I like very pure, minimalistic, empty space,” the German-born Schubert says. Think polished concrete, lots of glass and halogen lighting. “I like to be in a space where things line up and nothing stands out.”

It’s not just a Ferrari though: Schubert used to have a Maserati in there too, if only for a few photo shots.

One wall is covered in Homasote, a special type of recycled paper-fiber board, with a single-tier bookshelf built in. Two walls are floor-to-ceiling glass with retractable exterior shades to cut down on the afternoon sunlight. Overhead, the central skylight is artfully bisected with an aluminum enclosure for halogen lights.

To avoid exhaust fumes when the car is started, Schubert built a hydraulic ramp into the floor. The ramp tilts up about six inches at the front, enabling the car to roll back across the bridge and into the street before it’s started.

Further proof that the automobile role as machine has been abandoned in favor of its status as objet d’art: There are no wrenches, screwdrivers or battery boosters lying around – and Schubert will need them if the Ferrari remains true to form. Such a garage is consistent with the fact that modern cars are largely inaccessible to the tinkering, shade-tree mechanic. Most people never open the hoods of their cars. Instead, this garage has a lovely modular couch, two Dodo recliners by Toshiyuki Kita, a metal and stone coffee table and a flat-screen TV on tracks that can traverse the length of the room. “People in L.A. care so much about their cars and then the cars wind up stuck out in garages,” says Schubert, whose garage truly brings the car into the living space.

There has always been good reason to separate cars from living space. Cars are kind of stinky and oily. In modern cars, the passive reeking of gas and oil has largely been overcome by strict clean-air requirements that limit out-gassing. Soon, emission-free electric cars will “really open up the design of houses,” says Schubert, so that people will be able to drive directly into the home. It would make unloading groceries easier. Schubert looks forward owning an electric car, and his garage is pre-wired for a high-capacity charger and has 49 solar panels on the roof. But the electric car will have to sleep elsewhere. The Ferrari, he says, “has found its permanent home.”

Architect designed and built- this steel structure is tucked into a group of mature hardwood trees. High ceilings and big, clean spaces with tons of natural light.

Modern, radical, custom built lofts- way up in the trees-tall ceilings and big open floor plans make it a huge hotel room or as event space for small gatherings, meetings, retreats.

Clean, bright and beautiful, this building is made of steel, wood, glass and plaster- with no unhealthy adhesives or off gassing materials- for healthier air quality and to prevent mold growth.

Large windows, and giant doors open out onto a 200sq-foot deck surrounded by treetops. The huge balcony off the kitchen has two grilles- gas and charcoal- built into the guardrail.

The stainless kitchen is minimal- a gas cook top, a small oven, a small sink and a mini-fridge and toaster.

Do you like it? You can rent it at Airbnb, where I’ve found it.

On the entertainment/first level, the Living Room boasts 18 foot ceilings and features a floor-to-ceiling plain-sawn cherry wood hearth which contains a wood burning fireplace (one of three fireplaces in this residence.) The Kitchen features top of the line fixtures and appliances with custom white lacquer cabinets and bluestone counters. Museum-quality polished concrete flooring and teak flooring are featured throughout this level, extending seamlessly to the outside terraces.

Oversized glass sliding doors open from all rooms on this level to the incomparable terrace, with a state-of-the-art outdoor stainless steel kitchen located on the southwest corner and a hot tub and private outdoor shower located on the northwest corner. The entire north, east, and south terraces boast wide open spaces, including a dining area off the Kitchen and Dining Room. Restored parapets of the original historic building provide both refined style and privacy without interrupting the cinematic city skyline and Hudson River views.

A steel and glass elliptical staircase is one of two stairways that connect the entertaining floor to the very private bedroom suites on the second level. All Bedrooms have luxurious en-suite baths, large closets, and each highlight beautiful vistas of the city. The Master Bedroom features extraordinary views of the mighty Hudson, endless closets and a bathroom that features honey colored onyx bath and steam shower, Jacuzzi and sauna.

Other notable features include hand troweled plaster walls and ceilings featured throughout, Lutron self-adjusting light and shade systems, state-of-the- art security system, climate-control system, and walls that allow artwork to be hung without fear of damage from sunlight.