Heather spent all of her spare time in the weeks after moving in getting to know her new city and discovering the challenges of procurement in a foreign country, combing London’s vintage markets and interiors stores for the perfect pieces to complement the flat. With a mix of personal items, vintage finds, and eclectic eBay purchases, Heather has managed to highlight the open plan living space as well as create a sense of security and charm, something that is often sacrificed to ideals of minimalism in such spaces.

The central living space makes you feel tall and proud. The room’s low pieces (that alluring green sofa, Danish lounge chairs, and paintings and signs that sit on the floor) and layered rugs add so much texture, while the vast windows of the warehouse building fill the room with light and energy from all directions. It’s an invigorating space to spend time in, and it’s perfectly balanced by the comforts of the downstairs guest bedroom and bathroom and the mezzanine level master bedroom and en suite.

While there is a distinct lack of doors on the upper level, some clever roller blinds have been used to shield from view a wardrobe here, a bathroom there. Every room—every space—has eye-catching features that encourage conversation or raise a cheeky smile: a buffalo by the bath, horns above the bed, a naughty cross stitch, and a never-ending calendar won in a high school bet.

Having character is much more important than being perfect,

says Heather.

The large windows may present a challenge to the privacy-conscious, but there are blinds that shield the bedroom and frosted panes in the bathroom. Besides, the building is well-located in an area mostly used for office space and isn’t overlooked by large numbers of neighboring apartments. This means this eclectic London loft has the added bonus of being centrally located but also quiet during nights and weekends—ideal city life. Heather admits that the kitchen, while elegant and functional, is the least-used thing in the whole flat, but when the local neighborhood has such amazing food and drink, that’s easy to forgive.

By U.S. standards New York is a pretty old city, and over the years New Yorkers have been pretty diligent about preserving its historic architecture. As we head into the future, we’re seeing more and more old industrial buildings being transformed into beautiful homes. A great example is this Upper East Side penthouse in a water tower that is not only awesome in concept, but is also stunning to look at. Lili and Lee Siegelson, the couple who own the immaculate home, worked with Olson Kundig Architects, and together they transformed two floors of the building into an apartment big enough for their happy family.

When Olson Kundig Architects began an overhaul of the apartment five years ago, Lee had been living there for a half-decade, having purchased the eccentric tower space — effectively the building’s 18th floor, and tall enough to have its own small mezzanine — as a bachelor in 2004. After he married Lili and they had two kids, the couple added the (much more conventional) 17th floor, and now they had to figure out how to put it all together. “At some point,” says Tom Kundig, principal of Olson Kundig, “you just go, ‘At what point are we grown up? When do we start to make a true home?’ They might not agree with that,” he adds, starting to laugh, “but I see it all the time.”

Making a true home entailed completely gutting the 18th floor and cutting a stairwell through from below. The architects custom-designed many of the interior fittings, including a banquette-bench-table dining nook in the corner of the living room. Their polished refinements of utilitarian materials can be seen in details like the exposed-pulley handle that opens the upper windows. The Siegelsons “came to us because of our industrial sensibility,” Kundig says. “What I think of as industrial is authentic; it embraces the function of the place, the materials, and it’s an expression of how it all works together, and that is what they really liked.” To that end, they left the exposed brick walls alone and used steel-chain mesh to cover the huge arched windows in the living room, which extend nearly to the 19-foot ceiling. “It’s really tough and filters the light, and it’s never going to deteriorate in the sun.” They also added a fireplace and chimney — which, if you think about it, is a little funny with all that water overhead. “Thousands of gallons, just right up there above the apartment!” says one of Kundig’s colleagues when I mention it. No wonder the surrounding rooftop garden is so green.

Two decades ago, Queen Elizabeth Street Loft was down and out, a warehouse all but withered. But the owners had other ideas. From the dizzying brick walls to every nut-brown timber beam, this marvellous apartment is not as good as new, but better. Paired sofas and a professional pool table impress beneath the sitting room’s pitched ceiling, while a steel-clad kitchen and a coolly upcycled coffee table are honed and hewed.

Whether you skip to the mezzanine master bedroom, or scan the skies from the loungey balcony, here you can be sure yours is a story that ends happily.

Design for life

The owners are no strangers to restoring old buildings – they do it for a living. For all Queen Elizabeth Street Loft’s dereliction, they fell in love with its structure, and the rest is history.

Stroll across the tan wooden floor for a look at the woven lampshades and off-centre artwork, or spend untold hours in the charming twin armchairs. Stout timber beams span the ceiling, but there’s no lumber to be found in the coal-hued kitchen, with its blowtorch detailing and sleek worktops.

Linger at the pool table, or discover the melange of wood and brick that is the master bedroom. But before you slip deep into the modern four-poster, make time for a nightcap on the scenic balcony.

If you want, you can rent this loft too.

This loft of 115 sq. meters located in the heart of Kyiv, Ukraine. A project is executed in style of loft with the use of great number of characteristic elements. An apartment is in new building in the center of city.

The architects’ starting point was to create a loft for a gentleman, rather than a hipster. Martin Architects came up with a bold design that’s not for the shy and retiring. A glass paned wall partly conceals a bedroom from the main living space, which faces an open kitchen, with a fire set ingeniously into its units.

The bold space is adorned with raw brick, cement and wood alongside refreshing designer furniture pieces. A wall of plants framed by reclaimed wood adds both a witty touch and greenery to a dining area. Colours throughout are masculine greys and browns, with yellow accents in rugs and lights, while exposed concrete forms the backdrop to an adventurously-styled bathroom.

The most important feature of this Kyiv Loft is furniture and elements of decor, which were made Ukrainian masters, companies and designers. Furniture of Igor Martin, developed for a company HIS (Home Ideas Supply), made debut in this project. The apartment is also a smart house; everything can be done through a smartphone.

An absolutely stunning example of modern loft design with a masculine touch.

The loft has retained many of its original features with high ceilings, pitched roof and huge windows and 2 sleeping decks. Ideal for the creative types looking for a live/work base in the heart of Shoreditch.

Originally designed by Juan Carlos Quintana, a London-based fashion designer who combines Latin American flare with haut couture. He learned his trade from two Spanish masters who had formerly worked for the house of Balenciaga in Spain. When he launched his fashion label Quintana in London he needed a place to work and live. He found the solution in an unlikely place – a former canning factory in Shoreditch, on the southbank of the Thames River.

Before moving into his super-sized loft he had lived in a modest one-room apartment or bedsit in Chelsy. The difference could hardly be any greater – before, a small, cramped space, now a huge, two-storey loft in an erstwhile canning factory in London’s East End. Juan Carlos and Chris, a screenwriter friend, initially had to overcome a few difficulties in adapting. “We felt as if we were sleeping in a park or football field, ” says Chris, who felt lost in the vastness of the neo-Gothic building.

Shoreditch Loft

Juan Carlos, who comes from Guatemala, arrived in London in 2002, working first as a freelance fashion designer for Matthew Williamson, Jenny Packham and Michiko Koshino. As he had already had more than ten years of experience as a fashion designer in South and Latin America he finally plucked up the courage to head for Europe and set up his own label Quintana, which proved very successful when he held his first show in Paris in 2008.

Creativity at work generally translates in a kind of genius on every level of life. Clever ideas come quickly to Juan Carlos and his friend in their private sphere as well. For instance the problem of feeling lost in their loft was solved simply by setting up a protective tent in which the fashion designer and the screenwriter slept for their first year in the loft. It also had the advantage of lessening the pressure they felt to turn the former factory into a home from one day to the next. They took their time converting the industrial space and it paid off.

You can even rent it here: rent this loft

The building in Shoreditch where the loft is located

Original interior – 1

Original interior – 2

In 1881, European immigrant Jacob Elsas built one of Georgiaâ€s most successful late 19th century textile mills. Today it remains a proud and significant part of Atlantaâ€s industrial history. The Stacks continues the legacy of its founding visionary, evolving from cotton mill to a community of one-of-a-kind loft homes.

After years of declining operations, Fulton Cotton Mill finally closed its doors in 1978. The property languished for years and demolition loomed until the Cabbagetown community banded together and saved the mill from the wrecking ball. In 1997, Aderhold Properties began the renovation and redevelopment of the historic Fulton Cotton Mill into a community of 505 loft-style homes. It is now known as The Stacks at Fulton Cotton Mill, named for the mill’s still-standing smokestacks.

Passing through the foyer brings you into the kitchen, which has 16-foot ceilings and is one of the main focal points of the unit. It is a galley-style layout with gorgeous travertine countertops and custom built-in maple cabinetry, which provides outstanding storage capability for even the most well equipped chef. Miele cooking appliances provide an exceptional cooking experience, including a 5-burner gas cooktop, built in oven and warming drawer to keep additional dishes table-ready.

Open shelving runs the length of the countertop creating a minimal look while also being extremely functional for day-to-day cooking and entertaining. Oversized drawers reveal a range of storage options for cookware and other essentials, all of which have automatic soft-close hardware. Around the corner, a huge 9†pantry provides additional dry storage and a recycling area.

Around the corner from the kitchen is the Master Suite. The bedroom itself has original brick on all 4 walls 16-foot ceilings. There are two window passages that open onto the main living area, which provides natural light, but not direct sunlight to the sleeping area itself. This effect makes for a wonderful setting to enjoy sleeping in on holidays and weekends without having to draw shades or curtains to achieve the right mood.

Perhaps the most sanctuary-like feature of the space is the bathroom itself. Upon entering, the soft, warm tones along with perfectly controlled lighting invite the visitor to stay and treat themselves to a spa-like experience. Architectural lighting highlights exposed brick features above the soffit and provides a nice juxtaposition between the sleek, modern finishes and the history of the building itself.

The shower enclosure is made up of beautiful travertine tiles and frameless glass, with a deep soaking tub fitted under dual showerheads, including a central rain head that provides incredible coverage for a residential shower. Soaking in a hot bath is a treat in this space, and is even better for 2!

Through the broad sweeping archway out of the kitchen lies the Tower, which is currently configured for living, dining, and office areas. The structure itself is original brick on all 4 sides with dimensions of 25†x 25†with staggering 65 foot ceilings. Words and pictures do not do the space justice, as it is impossible to comprehend until you are standing in the space absorbing the magnitude of the structure.

Before the conversion to lofts in 1999, this room housed 2 massive water tanks that were supported by a series of heavy timber beams. The Towerâ€s brick walls survived the fire of 1999 and the tornado of 2008 and the structure still remains largely as it appeared over 100 years ago.

The Tower faces East but receives natural light throughout the day. On the main level are windows facing North, South, and East, all of which can be opened. At the top level of the Tower (approximately 40 feet above the existing main living area) are massive arched windows on each of the four walls, creating an unparalleled panoramic view of Downtown Atlanta and the surrounding area.

The pool is centrally located in the ruins of the oldest standing exterior structure on the property. Mill building 1, originally built in 1881, was beyond repair at the time of conversion to lofts, but much of the exterior of the structure remained intact, which, along with the original boiler house, provides the backdrop for a unique experience of bathing in a community pool. There is ample furniture for large groups, WiFi access, and a restroom facility onsite, but the perfect placement of the pool itself is certainly one of the propertyâ€s greatest amenities.

The complex have its own common grounds – perhaps the most intriguing amenity of them all. Every area of the 10 acres has its own story, and it is easy to get lost in the various passageways, stairwells, and other unique components that make the Cotton Mill the unique property that it is. Relics of its former role as a bustling business and source of livelihood for the Cabbagetown community can be found throughout the property. The developers took great care to preserve the history of the facility, thus photos, blueprints, and other artifacts are on display throughout the common grounds. Grills and other patio furniture provide additional gathering spaces for the community and invited guests throughout the year, and it is not uncommon for a group of neighbors to host an impromptu cookout in one of the courtyard during the warmer months.