The building is located in the Gothic quarter in the old city of Barcelona. It is close to the famous Ramblas, the cathedral and the port.

The property is on two levels. On the first, a bathroom with basin, toilet and 2 showers, a single sleeping space, access to a patio with table, chairs and plants, and a large living room.

The spacious 645 sq ft lounge is sunny and bright with its 3 large windows (2 with balconies). There are 4 areas in this room; a seating area with sofa, armchairs, coffee table, then a dining area with a huge table, a desk area and finally a kitchen with a staircase leading to the mezzanine which has a sofa-bed that is comfortable for 2 people. The mezzanine leads to a bedroom with a double bed. This room has a view of the hallway and a skylight.

This loft of 170 m2 is located in a building built in Barcelona over a century ago, which was previously textile workshop. This space has kept most of the original structures and attractive unified space, all painted them white: wrought iron columns to ceiling originally black-and-run lengthwise environment, wooden beams, cut by a steel rail and the 4 meters mark open architecture.

Natural light, one of the key points of this house comes from a wall-hung windows, mostly original, ensuring that all day.

This massive building has undergone quite a transformation since its industrial origin in the 1960s. Holgaard Architects did a fantastic job breathing new life in to the striking apartments contained within – our favorite color, of course, is a prominent feature.

Notice how the sparsely lit rooms are bathed with glossy surfaces. Nothing is so reflective that it catches glare from artificial lighting, but the largest surfaces have just enough shine to brighten the space in a snap.

Some rooms are more “finished” in appearance than others are but, even the most thoroughly sleek modern interiors take cues from this building’s past with architecturally influenced furnishings.

The current owner, a Italian businessman who lives there with his wife for three months a year, purchased the building in 2005. Abandoned by the clergy in 1960, the building changed its identity several times: it was a dance studio, a woodworking shop and a photographer’s atelier.The former prayer hall, built for the followers of the Protestant movement founded around 1740 by the Anglican clergyman John Wesley, however, dates back to 1854 and recorded in the register of national monuments. It is located near the urban area occupied until the seventies by the notorious District Six, evacuated and razed by the apartheid regime.

Perry Harrison-Hyde, an architect commissioned to adapt the building, preserved its authentic atmosphere and created modern, unpretentious, functional interiors. Retaining original heritage of the building reqired removing all the changes done by the previous owners. For example, scraping off several layers of paint, accumulated over a long period of time, revealed beautiful wooden floor.

Sharp contast between raw, authentic architecture of the building and well balanced mixture of furniture styles makes the interiors absolutely unique. Rustic floors and white cabinets in the kitchen correspond with gothic-style, arched windows. Metal chairs and lamps work as contrasting elements. Avant-garde art pieces add colour and spice up the white, airy, breathing interiors.

The penthouse apartment is located at 50 Lispenard Street inside a building built back in 1866 that has been perfectly converted.

This 1900 square foot, 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath NYC loft like apartment is listed for sale by Eklund Stockholm New York for $4.55 million dollars – I think this may be considered affordable by New York standards.  Note to self: come up with $4.55 million dollars immediately before this place is snatched up.

As you step off the elevator that opens into the two bedroom, two and a half bath duplex unit, you’ll find ceilings up to 18 ft, a floating staircase, heated 8 inch plank floors, glass paneling and a gas fireplace in the skylit living room flanked by two decked terraces, one with a Jacuzzi. The Valcucine Kitchen is fitted with a Subzero refrigerator, Viking cooktop and Kuppersbusch oven, built in Miele Nespresso machine, glass counters and cabinetry and LG Washer/Dryer. Bathrooms feature imported Italian marble and glass, Hansgrohe fittings, double steam rainshowers , deep Duravit soaking Jacuzzi tubs and custom vanities. A structural glass walkway separates the master bedroom with balcony and the guest bedroom. Channel luxurious industrial chic, defined by New York City aesthetics and style.

The loft apartment is located in Vilnius, Lithuania in a former radio factory that has been abandoned for several years. The space was transformed and repurposed. It was an ambitious project by Dmitriy Kudin. Given the original structure of the building, the space dictated an open plan. While transforming the factory, its original structures were also exposed. Most of the main elements were preserved as a testimony of the past but the smaller details and everything else had to be reorganized and redesigned.

The loft has a contemporary design. The remains of the factory also give it an industrial touch. The rooms have high ceilings and there’s a sense of openness everywhere you look. The living areas are large, open spaces. The furniture is minimalist and the décor is simple and casual. What’s surprising is that the apartment feels cozy despite the fact that it’s inside an old, abandoned factory. It’s amazing what a few changes can accomplish.

At night the loft transforms into a captivating, romantic space complete with a light therapy feature and a designer “moon” light fixture art piece. The mezzanine upstairs boasts a walk in closet, sitting area, library and tempered glass feature that allows you to see directly downstairs.

Also, it’s available for rent here

This renovation looks amazing. The neutral palette, the wood and the bricks create a beautiful and modern place, definitely a great place to live.

The house has had a series of renovations over the past century; the original Edwardian home was converted into apartments in the 1930s and then a substantial family home in the 1980’s. The brief was to restore the Art Deco facade, retain the existing footprint and add a third level.

The house is located directly opposite the beach in Middle Park and is constantly filled with beautiful light. Morning sun strikes the garden aspect, and at the end of the day the sun sets across the bay.

The planning has been carefully considered to create a series of distinct rooms, rather than an open plan. Joinery is placed to create spaces, but still allow views to flow from room to room and then to the horizon.

Materials have been selected to provide understated tones within a neutral palette. The neutral colour palette supports the play of light at different times of day. The overall feeling is extremely soft and one feels visually and emotionally connected at all times to the expansive sea, sky and garden views. At the same time the house has a feeling of intimacy & warmth, perfect for family living.

The client’s original intention was to demolish the existing house and build a completely new structure. After living in the house for a year, the architects thought the existing building worked well with the views and light and had a distinct ‘personality’. In short, it would be a shame to demolish a house which had stood for 100 years.

Trades that existed 100 years ago, don’t exist anymore, or are considered too expensive. The architects therefore chose to restore the existing building and protect the craftsmanship of the Art Deco period.  So, the most substantial decision regarding sustainability was to work with the existing fabric of the house.

Once this decision was made, materials and servicing were all designed around principles of sustainability, including a smart managed hydronic heating system, double glazed windows, and positively shaded windows with curtains and screens.

The building uses only natural materials such as stone, and stained (not painted) timber, windows are either steel or timber, and not aluminium. Additional ESD attributes include solar hot water booted system, solar pool heating and rainwater harvesting for drip feed garden irrigation systems.

 Photographs  © Derek Swalwell

Remove yourself from the modern world with an escape to a medieval watchtower overlooking the Carpini valley in Umbria, Italy. Secluded valleys, breathtaking vistas and a 12th century building lovingly restored with a minimalist bent. Mighty stone and wood marry with steel and glass while luxurious but minimalist furnishings reflect an austere past but a hedonist present. Moravola.

“The mind slips sideways a haven away from the modern world, the body unwinds as senses reawaken.”