Houzz Tour: Fresh Look for a Loft in a Former Victorian Fabric Mill
Better use of space and brighter light were priorities in this contemporary makeover in northern England
Jo Simmons
November 8, 2015
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several books on design and numerous features for glossy homes mags over the years. For Houzz, I cover decorating ideas and trends and interview designers and professionals for their insights. My favourite pieces to write, though, are Houzz Tours, as I love exploring and learning about real homes. Call me curious — or nosy!
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several... More
This loft apartment on the top floor of a four-story Victorian fabric mill in Manchester, England, was a trailblazer: In 2000, it became one of the first of its kind to be converted to residential use, with many others soon following suit. Fifteen years later, the owners decided they were ready for an update and contacted architect Scott Donald for help.
“When they approached me, the place was tired,” Donald says. “They wanted a look that was contemporary, with clean lines and more light, as a complete change from the dark, heavy space they had before.” Donald was limited by the position of the two bathrooms and the kitchen. So rather than reconfiguring the apartment, he pared it back, raised ceiling heights and removed walls to allow light to flow. A texture-rich mix of wood, exposed brick and frosted glass brings the apartment up to date. It’s now a streamlined, contemporary home where the owners’ artwork and books are beautifully displayed.
“When they approached me, the place was tired,” Donald says. “They wanted a look that was contemporary, with clean lines and more light, as a complete change from the dark, heavy space they had before.” Donald was limited by the position of the two bathrooms and the kitchen. So rather than reconfiguring the apartment, he pared it back, raised ceiling heights and removed walls to allow light to flow. A texture-rich mix of wood, exposed brick and frosted glass brings the apartment up to date. It’s now a streamlined, contemporary home where the owners’ artwork and books are beautifully displayed.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple
Location: Manchester, England
Size: Two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Architect: Scott Donald of Donald Architecture
The living and dining spaces of this loft have high ceilings, while a mezzanine level above the kitchen provides space for a bedroom with attached bath and a small library. Donald modified picture lights to illuminate the art on the exposed-brick wall. “The lights were chrome with a galvanized conduit,” he says, “but I had it all stripped and sprayed the same as the steelwork.”
Lamp, rug, sofa: Ligne Roset
Who lives here: A professional couple
Location: Manchester, England
Size: Two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Architect: Scott Donald of Donald Architecture
The living and dining spaces of this loft have high ceilings, while a mezzanine level above the kitchen provides space for a bedroom with attached bath and a small library. Donald modified picture lights to illuminate the art on the exposed-brick wall. “The lights were chrome with a galvanized conduit,” he says, “but I had it all stripped and sprayed the same as the steelwork.”
Lamp, rug, sofa: Ligne Roset
The Douglas fir planks on the floor continue onto this wall and the stairs. “Planks aren’t just for a floor,” Donald says. “Using them on walls as well gives a really warm feel to the space.” Recessed spotlights send a wash of light over every other stair.
Douglas fir boards: Dinesen
Douglas fir boards: Dinesen
The owners chose this TV and Donald then integrated it into the wall. Red speakers are complemented by a free-standing subwoofer, just seen on the floor alongside the wall.
Beovision TV in Rumba Red, subwoofer: Bang & Olufsen
Beovision TV in Rumba Red, subwoofer: Bang & Olufsen
In addition to their artwork, the owners have many books. “They wanted a way of storing them in the main space on something that was not a conventional bookshelf,” Donald says. He designed these neat boxes using aluminum, which has been sprayed a warm yellow tone. “The owners like yellow, so there are splashes of it around the apartment,” he says. “It works really well as an accent color.”
The kitchen is a galley design that can be accessed from both ends. It’s tucked under the mezzanine, which is made of 2½-inch boards supported by a steel structure. “It’s quite a thin floor, but we needed it to be so there is enough ceiling height on the mezzanine level above,” Donald says. The wooden boards used to be varnished a syrupy orange color, but Donald sandblasted them and then added several coats of white lye to tie them in to the pale boards on the floor below.
Donald installed six 2-foot cabinets, a 4-foot drawer unit and a bank of floor-to-ceiling cabinets to make the most of the space in the kitchen. He then added a Corian countertop and backsplash that goes up to the base of the upper cabinets. It’s a little over 2½ feet high, very practical and easy to keep clean, he says.
Kitchen: SieMatic
Donald installed six 2-foot cabinets, a 4-foot drawer unit and a bank of floor-to-ceiling cabinets to make the most of the space in the kitchen. He then added a Corian countertop and backsplash that goes up to the base of the upper cabinets. It’s a little over 2½ feet high, very practical and easy to keep clean, he says.
Kitchen: SieMatic
Donald ripped out much of the drywall that had covered the wood ceiling and sandblasted the boards throughout to boost the sense of space. The ceilings went from 6½ feet high to 8 feet. “It posed a bit of a challenge, as we now couldn’t put any lights or smoke detectors on the ceiling, but instead we just went for nice, minimal wall lights,” Donald says.
The new ceiling and pale floorboards were a much-needed change. “It used to be a dark, horrible corridor with a single door leading into a dark, horrible room, which was used just for storage,” Donald says. He added a 4½-foot wide opening into what is now a guest bedroom-study. “It’s become a bit more open to the hall, and both spaces benefit from this,” he says. The frosted glass sliding doors provide privacy when guests stay, but help light flow through the internal space.
The new ceiling and pale floorboards were a much-needed change. “It used to be a dark, horrible corridor with a single door leading into a dark, horrible room, which was used just for storage,” Donald says. He added a 4½-foot wide opening into what is now a guest bedroom-study. “It’s become a bit more open to the hall, and both spaces benefit from this,” he says. The frosted glass sliding doors provide privacy when guests stay, but help light flow through the internal space.
On the mezzanine, this wall used to go all the way up to the ceiling, making the bedroom quite dark. By trimming the height, “you now get an interesting view from both floors,” Donald says. Metal balustrades were replaced with frosted glass for privacy while ensuring light flows through the space.
Dining table: Poliform
Dining table: Poliform
The huge original steel beams dictated where storage could be built in the bedroom. The closets on either side of the room are fitted alongside them.
The steel beams also eat into valuable head space, but they had to be retained for structural reasons. From floor to ceiling, the loft measures just over 14½ feet high, but under the beams it’s 13½ feet tall. This is most obvious on the mezzanine level. “The owner is 6 feet 1 inches tall and he can only just walk under those beams!” Donald says.
Donald designed the storage in a continuous run around this side of the bedroom to incorporate a dressing table section for a neat, streamlined look. The built-in furniture is made from factory-sprayed, matte-lacquered MDF.
Swan chair: Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen at Heal’s; furniture painted in Shirting, Little Greene
Donald designed the storage in a continuous run around this side of the bedroom to incorporate a dressing table section for a neat, streamlined look. The built-in furniture is made from factory-sprayed, matte-lacquered MDF.
Swan chair: Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen at Heal’s; furniture painted in Shirting, Little Greene
The floor in the en suite bathroom sits 2½ inches higher than the mezzanine floor. “By raising it we were able to conceal the shower tray depth and waste pipes,” Donald says. This also meant that these elements didn’t eat into ceiling space in the second bathroom below. Donald could then strip this bathroom back to reveal its wood ceiling and help it feel more contemporary.
The wide door, in frosted glass, opens 180 degrees and can sit cleanly against the bathroom wall for a streamlined look.
Sink and toilet: Zest; faucets: Vola; Brandy Crag Silver stone flooring: Burlington Stone
The wide door, in frosted glass, opens 180 degrees and can sit cleanly against the bathroom wall for a streamlined look.
Sink and toilet: Zest; faucets: Vola; Brandy Crag Silver stone flooring: Burlington Stone
The owners’ much-loved Eames lounge chair takes pride of place in the library. Books are neatly stored on shelves made from the same wood as the floor and, on the far wall, in a floating MDF shelf Donald designed. By removing the upper section of the full-height wall that used to be here, much more light floods into the space through the loft’s large windows. “It’s a great place to sit and read and look out,” Donald says.
The bathroom pod was designed in frosted glass. “It flows over the floor with a 10-millimeter [0.4-inch] shadow gap,” Donald says. “I also wanted the glass to cut through the ceiling, rather than just slot in.” To achieve this effect, he created recessed lighting that illuminates three sides. “At night when you look up from the ground floor living space, you see the bathroom and it looks like a gleaming glass box.”
The bathroom pod was designed in frosted glass. “It flows over the floor with a 10-millimeter [0.4-inch] shadow gap,” Donald says. “I also wanted the glass to cut through the ceiling, rather than just slot in.” To achieve this effect, he created recessed lighting that illuminates three sides. “At night when you look up from the ground floor living space, you see the bathroom and it looks like a gleaming glass box.”
Donald’s plans show the revised layout of the lower floor.
This is the mezzanine level, which floats over half of the overall loft space.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
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I like that we are told what the owners did to save money. This information will be helpful to a lot of folks in like situations.
I love, love, love this space. It is so clean, streamlined, modern with just the right touches of art, and modern furniture throughout. I really don't have anything negative to say about it.
Great use of maximizing the space