Brandan Crane for a long time was looking for a completely suitable house for himself. But visiting each apartment sold after one another, he was more and more disappointed every time. Some were boring and uninteresting, while others were sky-high expensive.

"I had a hard time finding a nice corner of the heart, and at the same time at an affordable New York price," says Crane. He realized that for a permanent residence here you will need total reconstruction. To this end, Brandan hired the notorious architect Jorge Pena.

Documentary director Crane bought a small loft, 47 square meters in a beautiful residential area Greenwich Village. Armed with an unbridled desire to create a cozy abode and unrivaled professionalism, Jorge and Brandan went headlong into the repair work, which ended only four months later.

Resume:

Owner: Brandan Crane Location: New York Size: 47 square meters Year of final reconstruction: 2013

Like many peers of this apartment, built in 1900, it has a reserved layout. It is something that the previous owner left, having acquired a clumsy cabinet and building flimsy partitions. But Brandan looks differently at this secluded space. He wants to bring him more natural light and space, getting rid of unnecessary interior walls.

In the process of their demolition, Pena discovered the original beams hiding under a curtain ceiling and unusual cast-iron columns covered with layers of paint. He raised the ceiling to 2.74 m, leaving half the beams and inserting plasterboard sheets between them.

From the columns as far as possible, the old paint was removed. It was these native decor objects that inspired the architect to create a unique design that consisted of simple materials with a glossy surface and wooden inserts.

To leave the apartment as spacious and open to sunlight, the designer made the second level, and equiped it completely for the sleeping area. And in the kitchen decorated the ceiling with natural wood, which used to be used at the Brooklyn shipyard.

Each step, stairs leading to the bedroom and made of natural wood, tear away capacious lockers.

"Creating a complete space, which, moreover, would be most effective - that's our main goal," says Brandan. If any corner or wall remained free, shelves were immediately hung on them.

The area under the stairs was allotted 100% for the storage of household items. And in the most roomy cupboard they placed a refrigerator. For greater convenience, Brandan under the island built a basket for dirty laundry.

Pena and Crane have developed a kitchen set taking into account all the preferences of the owner of the house. "The area under it is so small, so we quickly developed all the functionality of this zone," - says not without pride Brandan. They built all the kitchen appliances in the cupboards to maximize convenience.

The parents of Crane, the owners of the kitchen modernized furniture company, happily gave their son some useful advice. (Once during the reconstruction, on the floor in the family house, Brandan drew a kitchen layout at a scale of 1: 1, so that he and his father could work with her).

For an industrious director, a functional island serves not only as a comfortable working area, but also as a meeting place with numerous friends.

In creating the kitchen area were used: table top - Corian, cabinets from natural maple, cooker - Bertazzoni and extractor hood - XO.

Pena also designed and implemented a suspended media unit for the living room made of metal rods, treated wood and lacquered cabinets. "It is very functional and useful," notes the apartment owner.

The original beams found their continuation in the bathroom, where the warmth of the wood gracefully contrasts with beige tiles. A small shower and a sink make the bathroom as compact as possible. The designer created a small stand under the sink made of wood, which became the highlight of this room.

"You live in a small limited Cosmos, so its functionality is of great importance. Buy less furniture and you will have more space for guests, "says Crane.

Фото Nico Arellano.