The interior designer who has carried out the design and renovation of this apartment in New York is the owner himself, who experimented with shapes and colors in smaller prototypes before launching himself to give a new face to his loft.
The interior design and decoration of this modern apartment located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (New York) bear the signature of Antonio Montserrat, a Mallorcan living in New York who is also the owner of the loft.
The owner trained as an architect between the cities of London and Vienna, and spent a few years in Zaha Hadid’s studio in London, before moving to New York to work in a German company dedicated to the manufacture of structural solutions of glass and steel. A few months ago, however, he took the step of setting up his own studio, so he divides his time between the United States and Spain.
Original structural elements
This is the first renovation project for his new studio, which bears his own name. It is a loft whose renovation was carried out during confinement due to the coronavirus, located in a building built in 1915 that was originally a bakery and that a few years ago was converted into lofts. As a distinctive feature, it should be noted that the apartment retains many of the typical structural features of an early 20th-century building in New York City: original wooden beams and columns, exposed brick walls, and very high ceilings with large windows.
Multifunctional prototypes
Before starting the new design of the apartment, the interior designer and owner experimented with some concepts from small objects that we could call chairs, although they really resemble more prototypes that can be used both for sitting and for bedside tables, shelves, or supports. for white.
It was precisely the work and practice in these small objects that allowed Antonio Montserrat to explore with design, shapes, materials, and color variations, all to develop what would be the language of the apartment.
Pieces with personality
A process that the interior designer describes as “essential” to be able to make decisions before carrying out the design of the apartment and that of some pieces that make up the furniture such as blinds, towel racks, cat shelves, custom cabinets, the dining table, and the bed frame.
Maximize space
As we have mentioned, the design of the space was marked by the walls and original elements of the structure of the space, in addition to some of the decisions made about 10 years ago when converting the building into apartments.
For this reason and to maximize space and keep the different storage areas and areas of the house balanced, different colors were used to define each area, although, in reality, the apartment has a fairly open distribution.
If the owner was clear about something, it was that he did not want to use white, so the walls of the living room are a light peach tone that contrasts with the dark wood ceiling.
Chromatic contrast
In this sense, and continuing with different shades for the different spaces, the area for the bedroom is painted a pale blue that brings a feeling of tranquility to the room, while the entrance is painted dark green and has a mezzanine, generating a compressed space at the entrance as well as a height contrast when entering the main space.
Warmth and simplicity
Despite being small, the apartment has been renovated to make it feel comfortable and spacious. Also, the wood of the original ceiling adds warmth, while adding a rustic touch to space.
To create a feeling of spaciousness and a simple and elegant design, the minimalist and soft geometric shapes are in charge of accentuating that fine division between spaces.
Second life for furniture
The remaining pieces of furniture that are not created by the interior designer himself follow the philosophy of Vivienne Westwood: “buy less, choose well and make it last”. That is why these pieces are part of the owner’s collection and have been acquired throughout his life, which is why they are living a second life in this new version of the apartment.
