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Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Architecture Wednesday: St. John Street Loft

I love a  good loft and this one, a Victorian warehouse loft apartment in Clerkenwell, has been sensitively remodeled by Emil Eve Architects to create a rich and layered dwelling that retains the industrial character of the building while bringing it into the 21st century.

The apartment was purchased as a large empty shell, consisting of an industrial palette of exposed brickwork walls and columns and board-marked concrete ceiling slab but then the architect created a series of contemporary rooms: a library foyer, dressing room, bathroom, primary with en suite, kitchen and pantry, and great room. Each was conceived as an independent room with bespoke timber joinery and ceramic tiling, while the existing brickwork and concrete ceilings and posts were left exposed.

You enter the apartment directly into the library space, with bookshelves and hidden storage lined entirely in solid European oak cabinetry; large format terrazzo tiles pick up the warm oak tones and align with the oak paneling. There are shifts in floor surfaces at each threshold to delineate a change in both atmosphere and function; there is oak chevron parquet in the living and sleeping spaces and a lighter terrazzo tile in the bathroom. Sliding oak pocket doors enable these doorways off the library to be opened fully, creating lateral views from one end of the apartment to the other; when closed, the library interior becomes a book-lined sanctuary.

At the west side of the apartment is a large open-plan kitchen, dining, and living space that enjoys afternoon light and a view of busy St John Street. The kitchen is designed to be distinct from the existing brick shell with its lime-washed birch and a large gray Valchromat island and stunning green tile backsplash.

On the east side, a spacious bedroom and flexible second bedroom, which doubles as an office and home-gym, face the sunrise, and a quieter  residential street. The use of lime-washed birch cabinetry, as in the kitchen, set against the rich oak parquet flooring, continues in the dressing room and bath; in the primary bedroom a natural clay plaster softens the exposed brickwork walls.

It's old and new, rustic and sleek, historic and modern and if I had the coins …

Click to emBIGGERate …

30 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:10 AM

    the dog's mother
    Always loves me some England!
    xoxo :-)

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    Replies
    1. And a good loft is a nice find, too!
      xoxo

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  2. I'm not generally a fan of a industrial style lofts, but for this one I would make an exception. The bookshelves in the foyer and the light streaming in the windows is so welcoming.

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    1. I love the bookshelves and the windows, too!

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  3. I could live there

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  4. Replies
    1. Right? I wish I'd had the money to buy and the money to move there and the money to live there!

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  5. Oh yes, now we're cooking with gas!!! LOVE! And for me this would be as big as space as I would like. I'm a sucker for brick exposed walls. Love the mid-century feel of the bookcases and adore the kitchen with the added touch of the green tiles. And what's not to love about ALL those windows. The great thing about this place is any style of furniture will fit in nicely, if done right.

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    Replies
    1. I agree that it seems just the perfect size and is a great mix of styles.

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  6. Cleora Borealis10:40 AM

    I liked it immediately, but I couldn't commit because there was no info about the area. When Wikipedia told me that Clerkenwell is a big part of London's "Little Italy," I squealed yippee and gave it all my love! Wish I had the money!! 😢

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    Replies
    1. I should have put that in; the neighborhood sounded a little Boho and fun to me.

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  7. claudia10:57 AM

    This is an amazing place with not a thing that I would change. Love the textural ceiling treatment.

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    Replies
    1. I do like finding a place I'd take "as is."

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  8. Krayolakris3:34 PM

    LOVE! Ticks so many boxes for features I’d want in a loft: library, exposed brick, green kitchen tiles, eastern-facing windows, etc etc.The woodwork is gorgeous as well.

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    Replies
    1. I am loving the green tiles!

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  9. It looks very light filled. Not bad at all.

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    Replies
    1. Not overly large or fussy, but has some very nice touches.

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  10. Clerkenwell, London-about 15 min North of city center of London.

    Love me a loft. The windows and light are to die for. I am not a fan of blond wood BUT I can work with this. Love the vestibule to enter into from the outside without going directly into the home. I was thinking the same thing with the flexible second bedroom. You could set it up for an office, little gym, guestroom for guests. A few personal touches and I am ready to move in.

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    Replies
    1. It really would be a lovely spot for Carlos and me. I could see myself sitting in that library floyer all day!

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  11. When I was much younger and single, I would have said yes in a heartbeat. Now I have a small modern cottage at the beach. A stunning choice this week.

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    Replies
    1. I like this week's home, too, but you got me with small modern cottage at the beach; sounds heavenly.

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  12. Whoa.
    Now, THIS would be THE place to move into. I'd do it in a heartbeat. Love everything, from the finishes to the layout and the colors. I don't even like exposed brick that much and I love it here.
    Fab.

    XOXO

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    Replies
    1. This loft is perfection because it's loft and industrial but also with fine finishes and woodwork.
      xoxo

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  13. I love this place. I've always loved loft spaces and this one is true to its origins. And any taste in furnishings could work. When can I start?

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    1. I agree about the love, but I love the finishings that aren't so industrial, too.

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  14. Suffering from serious home envy! (Writing this from my little two-bedroom house in rural Devon!)

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    Replies
    1. It's looks like we're all suffering that same envy!

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  15. It has good bones, I could do something with it. Some of the cabinetry is mass produced for an expensive place. The books were arranged by a "designer" they are sorted by color, designers should read and think about how people really organize books.

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    Replies
    1. Well, yeah, I'd put my own books, in my own order; it's not a display, it's a collection.

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