“We designed a kitchen with a row of low cabinets,” says Tom, passing to the second area of the apartment, which opens onto the living and dining spaces. With its Scandinavian look, the kitchen has a tiled worktop, like that in the bathroom and a niche conveniently located behind the stove. “Its depth makes it possible to store all the utensils, allowing the worktop to be used solely for cooking.”
The apartment’s sleeping area, which is also open to the rest of the apartment, is visually separated by a large curtain. It provides privacy when closed and, when it’s open, it lets light in through a window in that part of the home. “We designed this to be a niche, and used birch plywood to contrast with the oak floors; it was a good alternative to more expensive options like walnut.” With the same focus on staying on budget, Tom shares that he postponed the installation of a glass partition that would more truly separate the sleeping area from the rest of the apartment. The closets on each side of the bed, the studio’s only permanent installations aside from the kitchen, conceal wiring and other systems. The base of the bed is also used for storage. In the niche that frames the bed, 1970s Italian Diablo sconces and House of Hackney wallpaper add pattern to an otherwise sober space.
Last but not least, the unusual bathroom is Tom’s favorite space in the apartment. Housed in a mid-20th-century addition that runs the entire height of the building, it forms a sort of bow window where the shower sits, bathed in light. “We wanted to break the angular nature of the floor plan with this bathroom that glows with natural light, especially in the morning,” he explains. Tom imagined a “cocoon” with a transparent curved door that lets the sunlight pass through to the adjoining dining room. The floor, walls, and ceiling are finished in a pink waxed concrete that accentuates the soft curves of the space. “Concrete is a material that evolves with time and light, introducing a warmth and unique feel that only it can,” he concludes. With its lively and light ambiance, which evolves over the course of the day and with the passage of time, the bathroom is a fitting place to end our tour.
