Looije Apartment

An experientially rich minimal environment was achieved by creating places within the one space.

The window seat mediates between inside and a view of the river. Due to the singular space and material continuity the apartment has a feeling of generosity despite being humble in size.

Well crafted objects define and organise the various overlapping functions for the sole occupant. Very little of the space was changed other than removing a few walls, adding joinery and new doors.

This approach was informed by the proportions of the space, aesthetic of the steel frame and budgetary constraints. The client, a keen cook, particularly enjoys the controlled direct sunlight into both the kitchen and dining room where she spends much of her time.

The bathroom is hidden behind sliding panels. One wall is sandblasted glass to allow borrowed light to enter. The other walls and floor are tiles laid so the pattern is continuous adding a sense of craftmanship and making clear that care has been taken in assembling the space.

The table and cupboards were all designed and custom made for the space. The dark timber (Wenge) was chosen to match a table the previous owner left behind. Our client became attached to the table so we introduced the timber as part of a limited palette of materials.

Hidden pleasures such as timber drawers enrich the everyday experience of the apartment and show the care of the crafts people who made the joinery. We like to consider ourselves as one of those crafts people.

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