Houzz Tour: Industrial Style and Light in a London Apartment
Exposed brick, warm wood and personal objects make this flat feel warm and homey
This apartment above a law firm in bustling east London was dark and in need of work. To bring it to life, the owner enlisted the help of architect Sue Cambie to make it feel more contemporary and light, and to give it a New York loft vibe. This meant opening up the first level to create an airy kitchen, living and dining area, and introducing industrial features, such as exposed brickwork, a steel beam and distressed wood.
Another key request was to somehow bring in ash wood from the owner’s family farm in Somerset, southwest England. Cambie used that wood for the custom kitchen furniture.
The kitchen design is simple and raw. “It’s meant to look unfussy,” Cambie says. “And I wanted to keep it flexible, so the island can actually be repositioned to change the layout entirely.” She also stripped back the walls and repointed the brickwork.
A steel support beam was put in when the wall was knocked down, and Cambie decided to leave it exposed to emphasize the loft vibe. She also selected galvanized boxes and conduits for the light switches to support the industrial feel.
The designer installed built-in speakers, and the owner added a projector screen that can be rolled down in front of the window’s blackout blind for viewing in the living area.
The kitchen design is simple and raw. “It’s meant to look unfussy,” Cambie says. “And I wanted to keep it flexible, so the island can actually be repositioned to change the layout entirely.” She also stripped back the walls and repointed the brickwork.
A steel support beam was put in when the wall was knocked down, and Cambie decided to leave it exposed to emphasize the loft vibe. She also selected galvanized boxes and conduits for the light switches to support the industrial feel.
The designer installed built-in speakers, and the owner added a projector screen that can be rolled down in front of the window’s blackout blind for viewing in the living area.
The area that’s now the living room used to be a rather dated and cramped kitchen. By knocking through, Cambie brought much more light into the room and created a better connection with the terrace beyond.
On the other side of the kitchen is the dining area, with much of the owner’s own furniture, plus a few items she and Cambie found together in antiques shops in Brighton, such as the wire pantry lockers and antique pendant lights.
“The owner had traveled a lot, especially to Africa, and wanted a place to put all her pieces,” Cambie says. The large wooden chair and long bench are from Ethiopia.
“The owner had traveled a lot, especially to Africa, and wanted a place to put all her pieces,” Cambie says. The large wooden chair and long bench are from Ethiopia.
Cambie hooked up the pendant lights to a rail system that runs down the middle of the kitchen, so they can be shifted backward and forward. The wood floors are original, and the designer found this reclaimed radiator to continue the industrial feel.
This is one of the two bedrooms upstairs. The owner “wanted the space to be minimal[ist] but warm at the same time,” Cambie says. The designer ripped out a worn and dated blue carpet and painted the floorboards white to make the space look clean and light.
The second bedroom is now a study. Again, the goal was to make the space light and airy. The bedrooms are next to each other, and Cambie stole a little space from each to create built-in closets, which she closed off using curtains to keep the look soft.
There is a third floor, too, with a very small additional study space.
There is a third floor, too, with a very small additional study space.
The bathroom was completely changed. Cambie covered the ceiling in distressed wood and laid concrete on the floor to achieve a “decayed glamour” mood. “I wanted it to look old and slightly warehouse-y,” she says.
The free-standing bath, bracketed sink and wraparound shower curtain all lend a romantic feel.
Bathtub: Cooke & Lewis; sink: Savoy Edwardian, Bathstore; sink brackets: Black Country Metalworks; sink fixtures: Ultra; shower head and rail: Hudson Reed
The free-standing bath, bracketed sink and wraparound shower curtain all lend a romantic feel.
Bathtub: Cooke & Lewis; sink: Savoy Edwardian, Bathstore; sink brackets: Black Country Metalworks; sink fixtures: Ultra; shower head and rail: Hudson Reed
The apartment has a small terrace off the living area that now has a much better connection with the interior. No work was done outside, Cambie says, but there is potential for an extension of some sort further down the line.
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Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: A young creative professional
Location: East London
Size: Two bedrooms, one bathroom
Designer: Sue Cambie of SCD Design
Bringing light into the home was a large part of the job. The first floor of the apartment had been divided into a separate kitchen and a living-dining area, and both spaces were dark and confined. Cambie knocked through to allow light from both sides to penetrate the room and create the open-plan feel crucial to the loft style.
Dining table: East London Furniture