Spaces and terms evolve over time. The loft emerged in the mid-20th century with the recovery of industrial premises and vacant warehouses that were transformed into housing. They offered generous square and cubic meters, without partitions and at a low price, which artists, writers, students and other bohemians occupied. The south of the island of Manhattan in New York became the emblem of a phenomenon that spread throughout the world.
However, from ramshackle or extravagant habitats, dotted with pieces of furniture here and there, they have transitioned to homes carefully designed by architects and interior designers. And today the word loft is used to designate homes with open spaces and high ceilings that evoke the industrial aesthetics of their origins.
The interior design project for this house, carried out by Cristina Cirera, in charge of Cirera Studio, started from a totally free plan without separations. Well, it is a very old residential building in the heart of the Gràcia neighborhood, in Barcelona, which was completely emptied for rehabilitation.
Faced with this place to be defined, the future inhabitants who contacted Cirera for the project -a young couple, now with two children- imagined a space with an industrial aesthetic that at the same time felt warm. Although they gave him free rein with the expectation that he would surprise them.
“The main idea consisted of creating an open and continuous space that prioritized the access of natural light, without losing the connection of one part of the house with the other -explains the interior designer-. Her intention was to eliminate any type of partition and create the separation of different areas with shared and integrated furniture ”. No piece of furniture reaches the ceiling, which is three meters high, thus preserving the continuity of the wooden beams, testimony to the age of the estate.
In the proposal, the interior designer added to the industrial finishes, such as cement on the continuous pavement and stainless steel in the kitchen open to the dining room and living room, a key material to give warmth: wood. The area facing the interior patio, with large windows that provide abundant natural light, is lined with birch wood, covering walls, floors, and ceilings. Pick up an office area on one side and link to the living area. “I really like working with contrasts”, emphasizes Cirera. She that she also applied to the general chromatic of the interior.
The set of cabinets and containers, in its double function of partitioning and storage area, has been composed as a patchwork with different panels. Combining a mint green, white and birch wood tone, it transmits vitality, rhythm and freshness. “I wanted to achieve an area with dynamic visual impact, so I opted for a combination of different materials and tones, with nuances of wood also showing up in other areas of the house,” he notes.
In the day area, the entrevigado of the ceiling painted black stands out, to highlight the ancient beams. Unlike the bedroom area, where it looks white to emit clarity. Through artificial lighting, with different hidden LED strips, the beam is outlined and given relevance. A structural element that plays in favor of the taste for the contrast of the author of the project, which combines ancient and contemporary in full harmony.
