Industrial Loft

Israel-based designers, Ando-Studio, were prompted with the design for this industrial loft out of a desire to create an open and eclectic free space, with a lot of attention paid to detail. They sought to create an authentic loft with life, movement, and continuity. Spaces were dressed with plenty of books, photos, and art and they installed large windows, to allow plenty of natural light inside. The materials most striking in the loft design are wood, silver metal, glass, and a lot of leathers which are used for the furnishings. Serious and muted colors were used, ranging from tans to dark navy blues. All of this combined, makes for an industrial, but stylish loft for the modern-day creative individual.

Spectacular Penthouse with Sea View in Tel Aviv

This week, we bring you the work of Israeli Architect, Ando-Studio, with their penthouse masterpiece in Tel Aviv, Israel. Note the brick floor finish, the very understated colors (mostly beige, brown and white), and the use of plush in some furniture and rugs. Also not to be ignored are the magnificent glass-paneled doors of the large walk-in closet, and the spacious balcony equipped with outdoor furniture the same color as the ocean right in front of the penthouse. This Tel Aviv penthouse overlooking the ocean is proof that you can have it all – luxury, style, and comfort, with the excitement of a bustling city and the serenity of the Mediterranean coastline…

The World’s Narrowest House [is 60 inches wide]

Architect Jakub Szczęsny has laid out design concepts to fill in a small crack between an old tenement building and tower building in Warsaw, Poland with plans to erect the world’s narrowest house, which will be 60 inches in width.

Talented Israeli writer Etgar Keret is a symbolic patron of the project and he will be given “the main pair of keys” to the house. After the house officially opens on Feb 4, 2012, Keret will spend the first month there and later on will share it as a studio for a select few creative and intellectual individuals from around the world. At the center of what Szczesny considers an art installation that he has aptly entitled, “Ermitage” or hermitage in English, is the residency program that will house these individuals and hopefully, foster a worldwide creative and intellectual exchange.

The architect has shared with Home-Designing some exclusive pictures of this project.

The house has one bedroom, bathroom, lounge, kitchen all on two floors, yet little room for one’s personal possessions and furniture. A ladder will also need to be used in order to move through the two floors. Its interior will come to 52 inches (133 centimeters) at its widest spot. “I saw the gap and just thought it needed filling. It will be used by artists.” Says Szczesny of the inspiration for his designs.

In the early phases of design an alternate concept was also proposed which was nearly 40 feet deep, and actually had stairs instead of a ladder.

The Ermitage, upon completion, will be the world’s narrowest house, taking the title from the world’s current narrowest house, “The Wedge” in Great Cumbrae.

Basketball Court Converted to Fantastic Home

The very first YMCA in the U.S. got a face-lift, after “The Apartment” designers completely converted its 7,000 square foot, basketball court and running track into a 5-bedroom luxury apartment. The result is a behemoth-sized, minimalist, but colorfully-decorated residence, that still retains some of the elements of a basketball court (such as the court floors of the bedrooms and walk-in closet, a simple bathroom lined with small, white tiles, and a kitchen so big it could seat and feed two or more basketball teams).





“The Apartment” group worked on everything from the architecture to the decor. New building techniques were applied and even an indoor garden was built.


“The Apartment” group wanted to retain some of elements of the old basketball court, and so decided to keep the basketball court flooring in the private areas of the house, such as this bedroom.


The wallpaper was even designed by “The Apartment” company themselves.





A 12-person home theater was installed.


A 30-foot long kitchen was designed and built by “The Apartment.”







Upon its realization, the “basketball apartment” was the setting for various tv shows, movies, and photo-shoots, including “Ugly Betty” and the film, “Music and Lyrics.” The designers reflected on the finished project by stating that they, “…Got everything we always wanted to try on client projects and never could. It was a design lab of sorts.”