Loft in Tribeca - a combination of industrial style and historic character
Inspired by her grandmother's apartment in Vancouver, New York City architect Andrea Leung has renovated a historic loft in the Tribeca neighborhood. See how to combine history with industrial accents.
The designer decided to separate new rooms with glass glazing, thanks to which the interior is very spacious. However, there were also hidden rooms that ensure privacy.
“Mysterious spaces fascinate me. My grandma's pied-à-terre was full of them” says the designer. Since moving to New York in 2013, Leung has dreamed of transforming her city apartment into a secluded retreat inspired by her grandmother's apartment, but also true to her own tastes. In a quiet corner of Tribeca she found the perfect spot: a sun-drenched attic with soaring antique pewter verdigris ceilings held up by three cast-iron Corinthian columns. Set in a historic building from 1864, the apartment is accessed via a sloping staircase and a corridor lined with large industrial roller doors.
“One look at the raw space and I knew exactly what kind of interior I wanted to create,” says Leung. "One that unfolds and reveals itself slowly, one that initially captivates you with its grandeur and then exploits your curiosity" she adds.
Leung started the project with a few drastic changes. First, she removed the cramped mezzanine that hung from one side of the apartment, as well as the kitchen below. She then reorganized the house's private rooms along the eastern wall. The bedroom, dressing room, kitchen and two bathrooms are hidden behind a long wall that stretches the entire width of the space and transitions almost imperceptibly from a mirror to a glass surface in selected areas.
The interplay of this "wall of mirrors" and windows was central to Leung's design: "The wall of mirrored doors allows the main living space to transcend its physical limits and seem to double in size, while the large windows reflect, bathing the walls in soft light," she explains.
A walnut-paneled dressing room creates a meditation alcove with warm lighting and mirrors. From the lounge, mirrored triple double doors open to reveal the master bathroom, where an oval bath is surrounded by soft stone walls. Another set of mirrored doors lead into the kitchen, where matte marble and patinated brass doors work well with new oak floors. Behind a sliding partition is a second bathroom surrounded by veined marble.