A mini loft
This project is a renovation of a typical small apartment located in the heart of Taipei city. Residents are the client and his two cats. In less than 45m2 It had a very ambitious layout! Besides a small toilet/shower and kitchen set, its further divided into two bedrooms and a living room, which leaves the client very limited freedom in usage and just doesn’t meet his vibrant lifestyle.
The aim is to create a personal and cozy atmosphere, and an open space with more flexibility and possibility. The client collects action figures and sneakers as hobby and investment, he requests to integrate them into the space to reflect his style. And most importantly, more space for his two beloved cats!
Therefore we remove all the walls and move the open kitchen set next to the bathroom, the purpose is to create a single open and light living space. After doing so we free all the windows and brings much more natural light and view inside.
And the bathroom is extended to fit in a 2nd basin(client is getting married soon!) for the future use. As for the sleeping space, in order to give a sense of safety and intimacy, it’s separated by a low black wall. The rest open space is shared by the living, dinning and study space. An free-standing low black wall functioning as TV stand defines these two spaces, and free placing of loose furniture makes the layout flexible and lively.
Many installations in the apartment are designed and custom-made for this apartment specifically to meet client’s need. The adjustable shelf system on the feature wall offers display and storage functions, besides for displaying books and other collections, these shelves also works as the playground of his cats, they can jump in-between slabs of different height and chill on the top slab to monitor the whole space!
The white ceiling-mounted racks you can find in living space and bathroom offer multiple functions. It functions as the clothing rack which allows the client to display his extensive collection of wardrobe and to minimize the amount of closet and save space. And to fulfill the client’s wish for more greenery, these racks also works as the hanging pole for plant hangers. In the bathroom it functions as towel rack and to dry the laundry.
To make the space as open and flexible as possible, the amount of carpentry is minimized to keep the space clean and to avoid specific use. The color palette and material choice are limited, in order to create a modest background for client’s collections.
White is used generally in the whole space, also the shelf system is made in white to create a blank canvas for books and collections.
Dark grey is added on bathroom wall to highlight the volume, and to create a visual center of gravity to anchor the overall light space.
For the décor, we go for industry style to add character and to match client’s personal style. The kitchen set is a mix of stainless steel with plywood cabinets, in the living space the antique industrial lamps match with the vintage style couch and desk. In the bathroom, a simple mix of white square subway tiles and black hexagon tiles is combined with the black steel-framed shower enclosure. Two signature industrial sinks are added to highlight the concept.
Last but not least, a sophisticated natural oak herring bone parquet floor is laid throughout the whole space, it adds texture and detail to the space and makes the clean-looking interior feel warmer and softer.
