NEVER TOO SMALL London Heritage Loft Apartment Conversion 54sqm/581sqft

Located on the top floor of a Heritage listed Victorian terrace house, Camden Loft is one three apartments created by subdividing the former family home. Tasked with keeping the open plan feel but providing different spaces for privacy, Craft Design made full use of the space's volume by inserting a central joinery cube which houses the plumbing and bathroom. While also acting as a platform for a new mezzanine area that contains the bedroom and home office. A floor-to-ceiling shelving and storage unit runs the length of the loft, first appearing to be a gallery wall but on closer inspection, it also houses the hidden steps leading up to the mezzanine area, where a Japanese style bed lies cleverly concealed.

#smallapartment #architecture #interiordesign

Project Name: Camden Loft

Produced by New Mac Video Agency
Creator: Colin Chee
Director: Nam Tran
Director/Camera Operator: Oliver Wilson
Producer: Lindsay Barnard
Editor: Jessica Ruasol
Music: Whorl by REW

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:31 - Entry to top floor loft
1:03 - Camden
1:43 - The floorplan & redesign
2:04 - Open plan kitchen & dining
3:17 - Living room & staircase
3:52 - Mezzanine loft bedroom & office space
4:48 - Bathroom
5:25 - How London is changing
7:25 - Credits

[nevertoosmall]

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Architect: www.craftdesign.co
Videography: www.olivermwilson.com

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[tuppence]

Clever design. The bookcase is like a sculptural artwork. The integration of the staircase and the bookcase is brilliant.

[wallflowernook]

It's so nice to see how the space balances minimalism and also "clutter." I really like seeing everyday bits and bops like books and decorations. It makes a space feel a lot more like a home rather than a hotel 😊

[ctkdpcb]

I'm usually very much against open shelves and all kinds of knick-knacks displayed yet this bookcase wall is a work of art. The whole apartment is visually pleasing, but also feels like home.

[kyuuness]

The railless stair case is extremely stressful for me to consider, even as someone who does not have mobility issues...

[jonnj]

I love this. It looks like someone actually lives in it, but takes precise and excellent care of their space. The storage is very smart.

[ellenmitchell]

Absolutely love the look and feel of this apartment, for me personally however I would move the desk downstairs and the wardrobe upstairs

[robynross]

Love this unit. The only changes I would make are to have a stair rail for safety purposes and I would probably move the television so it would be more easily seen. Thankyou for the great video.

[cuttingonions_lifeisdrama]

The staircase at first looks like an optical illusion until you get closer to it. I love it 😍

[jakeofthewest]

This is a wonderful space! Its nice to see minimalism that still feels warm and livable

[B__C__]

Very nice. It's both stylish and practical. The furniture and layout of the living room seems awkward though. Putting the flat screen on one of the long blank wall spaces (between the windows and balcony or the bathroom wall) and rearranging the existing furniture or getting new furniture more fitting to the space might help. Putting a small desk in place of the current TV table with a view out the balcony would make for a better office space than right in front of the bed upstairs. That space could instead be used for closet space for clothes and linens (something I did not see a lot of in the apartment). It could be built-in or filled with a shallow dresser, wardrobe, or vanity. At least that's what I would do were the space mine. Cheers!

[MarySanchez-qkhp]

This is the only tiny space I've ever seen online that's actually comfortable. I worked at the school of architecture at my local university, so I can see a few of the subtle tricks being used here.

Architects in my humble opinion seem usually to have a penchant for making things too complicated and expensive for the rest of us in these videos, as if they invent stuff just to showcase their abilities and to prove how complicated they can make things. You can make anything interesting if you throw enough money at it. But most of us can't.

I do wonder about a few things. I'd need something like a nightstand or shelf within reach, by the bedside, to store things for use in bed, and I'd need a lamp of some sort to read in bed. I see he's got the outlets and ledges for it. Maybe he just decluttered things temporarily for the camera.

Another issue I've been made acutely aware of, over time, is that I've never seen one of these living spaces that was accessible to someone disabled or older. The disabled are are least 25% of the population... and more, if one counts people that are simply elders. Everyone becomes disabled at some point in their lives, whether temporary or permanent. What I've learned from the job I had and in my own life, is that most architects exclude or ignore the disabled, unconsciously, and actually don't know much about Universal Accessibility or the ADA, unless they go out of their way to specialize in Universal Accessibility architecture, no matter which country they reside in. And that's a shame, because as I said, architects like to showcase their talents and ability to solve problems in clever ways.

[TheArcticHysteria]

Love that this space utilizes a loft without a ladder. Everything is well placed in my opinion, and no folding or transforming of furniture (besides the office desk), which is a win. As with most small spaces, though, that TV is in the wrong spot :) easy fix, though.

[Manchestergirl]

This is a BEAUTIFUL flat.For someone who lives in London in a small space, it was great to see how this flat was designed to make the most of a small space.

[mumofbazza]

I like the stairs up to the bedroom, looks like part of the shelves. Great layout and use of space.

[betoalanis]

That is one of the best kitchens I've seen, the optimal use of spacing is really awesome.

[zomish]

It looks beautiful... but hard to dust!

[hereforthevideoessays]

Can't say I expected to like this, but then I loved the way each little room felt!

Little details I loved in this space:
- built-in bookshelves that completely fill the cathedral vaulted ceiling
- the dark reflective backsplash in the kitchen
- the colorful entryway shelving, and the color scheme of the apartment
- the trendy kitchen light
- the monkey hanging in the kitchen
- the owner's efficient wardrobe
- the full sized dining table
- the "temple" dedicated to something the owners love (coffee)
- the recessed, LED-lit bathroom shelf
- the rocker shell chair (I have it too, and it fits this space way better)

Things I would change if I lived here long term:
- add a minimalist white or clear railing to the stairs for safety
- separate the office from the bedroom somehow. (a) integrate it into the livingroom? (b) add pocket door covers to the office space, and have art on those cabinet doors to blend into the look of the built-in bookshelves.
- add a stool to the balcony
- create a more substantial headboard or wall design for the head of bed
- replace bathroom sink with a wider and more modern bowl
- balance out the color saturation by adding one or two large art pieces to the walls in the empty walls opposite the bookshelves

Thank you NTS as always!

[greenmissy]

That illusion staircase is genius. I adore how it elongates the space while using it for all those nooks and crannies. The amount of storage in a space that size is incredibly impressive. One of my favorite small spaces I've seen.

[Dinki-Di]

I love the elegant way that bookcase/staircase is integrated into the design, but it looks slippery and really unsafe without a handrail. Difficult to reconcile a beautiful design with safety I know, but that would concern me.