British Houzz: A Cool and Compact Loft-Style Revamp
Exposed brick, warm wood and personal objects make this three-floor flat in East London feel warm and homey
Cathy Rebecca
2 January 2016
London-based freelance journalist
This maisonette flat above a law firm in bustling East London was in need of some serious work when the homeowner bought it. To bring it back to life, she enlisted the help of architect Sue Cambie, with a brief to make it feel more contemporary and light, and give it a bit of a ‘New York loft’ vibe. This meant opening up the entire first floor to create an airy kitchen, living and dining area, and introducing industrial features such as exposed brickwork, a steel beam and distressed wood.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A young creative professional
Location: East London, UK
Size: 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Designer: Sue Cambie of SCD Design
Bringing light into the home was a large part of the brief when Cambie took on this project. The first floor of the flat had previously been divided into a separate kitchen and a living-dining area, and both spaces were dark and confined. Cambie knocked through the wall 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
Who lives here: A young creative professional
Location: East London, UK
Size: 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Designer: Sue Cambie of SCD Design
Bringing light into the home was a large part of the brief when Cambie took on this project. The first floor of the flat had previously been divided into a separate kitchen and a living-dining area, and both spaces were dark and confined. Cambie knocked through the wall 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
Another key element of the brief was to somehow bring in wood from the owner’s family farm in Somerset, so Cambie had the kitchen furniture made bespoke in the ash.
The kitchen design is simple and raw. “It’s meant to look unfussy,” explains the designer, “and I wanted to keep it flexible, so the island can actually be repositioned to change the layout entirely.” Cambie also stripped back the walls and repointed the brickwork.
The kitchen design is simple and raw. “It’s meant to look unfussy,” explains the designer, “and I wanted to keep it flexible, so the island can actually be repositioned to change the layout entirely.” Cambie also stripped back the walls and repointed the brickwork.
The area that’s now the living room used to be a rather dated and cramped kitchen. By knocking through, Cambie was able to bring much more light into the entire room and create a better connection with the courtyard area beyond.
A steel support beam was put in when the wall was knocked down, and Cambie left it exposed to emphasise the loft vibe. She also selected galvanised boxes and conduits for the light switches, to make it feel more industrial.
The designer fitted built-in speakers and the owner added a projector screen that can be rolled down in front of the window’s blackout blind for TV and movie viewing in the living area. All of the furniture was the owner’s own.
A steel support beam was put in when the wall was knocked down, and Cambie left it exposed to emphasise the loft vibe. She also selected galvanised boxes and conduits for the light switches, to make it feel more industrial.
The designer fitted built-in speakers and the owner added a projector screen that can be rolled down in front of the window’s blackout blind for TV and movie viewing in the living area. All of the furniture was the owner’s own.
On the other side of the kitchen is the dining area, decorated with much of the owner’s own furniture, as well as a few items she and Cambie sourced together in antiques shops in Brighton, such as the wire pantry lockers and antique pendant lights.
“The owner had travelled a lot, especially to Africa,” says Cambie, “and wanted a place to put all her pieces.” The large wooden chair and long bench are from Ethiopia.
“The owner had travelled a lot, especially to Africa,” says Cambie, “and wanted a place to put all her pieces.” 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 backwards and forwards. The wood floors are original, and the designer sourced a reclaimed radiator to continue the industrial feel.
Upstairs there were two bedrooms, one of which the owner planned to use as a study, as she often works from home. “She wanted the space to be minimal but warm at the same time,” says Cambie. The designer ripped out a worn and dated blue carpet and painted the floorboards white to keep the space looking clean and light.
The second bedroom is now a study. Again, the brief was to keep the space light and airy. The bedroom and study are next to each other, and Cambie stole a little space from each to create built-in wardrobes, 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 clad 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 freestanding bath, bracketed basin and wraparound shower curtain all lend the room a slightly romantic feel.
Savoy Edwardian basin: Bathstore; basin brackets: Black Country Metalworks; taps: Ultra; showerhead and rail: Hudson Reed; bath: Cooke & Lewis
The freestanding bath, bracketed basin and wraparound shower curtain all lend the room a slightly romantic feel.
Savoy Edwardian basin: Bathstore; basin brackets: Black Country Metalworks; taps: Ultra; showerhead and rail: Hudson Reed; bath: Cooke & Lewis
The flat has a small courtyard off the living area that now has a much better connection with the interior. No work was done outside, but Cambie says there is “potential for an extension of some sort further down the line.”
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Love it! Especially that exposed old brick and the bathroom. I'm buying a house (1979) with a brick fireplace. I think I'm gonna paint it. Wouldn't consider doing that if it was old brick, the newer stuff isn't as nice/interesting...