Houzz TV: Tour a Modern Loft Apartment in an Old Victorian School
Watch and read how a design firm found on Houzz updated this light and airy apartment with sleek style and warm touches
Mitchell Parker
2 August 2023
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
Ross Targett had a gem on his hands. His loft-style apartment in a converted Victorian school building featured charming period details and a location in a prime London neighbourhood. But the late-1990s conversion had created a look and layout that didn’t quite fit his lifestyle.
Looking to update the space with a more contemporary, Japandi style – think clean lines and a generous balance of white and wood finishes – Ross searched Houzz for an interior design firm.
He found Ivana De Felice of Akiva Projects and worked with her to refresh the interiors and rejig the floor plan. They added a little more privacy to a mezzanine level while maintaining the open and airy atmosphere, and preserved historical details, such as the glazed brick tiles in the main living area.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
Looking to update the space with a more contemporary, Japandi style – think clean lines and a generous balance of white and wood finishes – Ross searched Houzz for an interior design firm.
He found Ivana De Felice of Akiva Projects and worked with her to refresh the interiors and rejig the floor plan. They added a little more privacy to a mezzanine level while maintaining the open and airy atmosphere, and preserved historical details, such as the glazed brick tiles in the main living area.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
Before Photo
Apartment at a Glance
Who lives here? Ross Targett, who works in the tech industry
Location London
Property An apartment in a former school
Size Three bedrooms and two bathrooms; 111 sq m
Designer Ivana De Felice of Akiva Projects
Contractor Ben Newham of Aspire Builders
The former space featured lots of natural light and a mezzanine containing two rooms that sat half open to the lower level. Ross wanted to preserve the open feeling while adding a bit more privacy between rooms.
Watch now: Look inside this casual contemporary home on Houzz TV
Who lives here? Ross Targett, who works in the tech industry
Location London
Property An apartment in a former school
Size Three bedrooms and two bathrooms; 111 sq m
Designer Ivana De Felice of Akiva Projects
Contractor Ben Newham of Aspire Builders
The former space featured lots of natural light and a mezzanine containing two rooms that sat half open to the lower level. Ross wanted to preserve the open feeling while adding a bit more privacy between rooms.
Watch now: Look inside this casual contemporary home on Houzz TV
Ivana closed off a portion of the lower level on the right and created a TV niche backed with wood acoustic panels that help mitigate echo in the voluminous space. “Plus they’re very nice to look at,” she says.
The space on the other side of the niche is now an enclosed guest bedroom and reading area. On the mezzanine, Ivana took the former half-glass partition to the ceiling to fully enclose the main bedroom on the upper left, adding privacy while keeping the sightlines open and the natural light shared between spaces.
A half-glass partition gives an open and airy feel to the home office on the upper right, which also overlooks the bottom level guest bedroom on the other side.
Ivana used Houzz Pro business software to show Ross products for his approval, guide the style direction and manage the project. “The shopping lists Ivana created using Houzz Pro meant I could see exactly what was being proposed,” Ross says. “Being able to approve or decline each item at the click of a button saved me so much time and meant I could better visualise how it would all come together.”
Find and contact an interior designer in your area through Houzz.
The space on the other side of the niche is now an enclosed guest bedroom and reading area. On the mezzanine, Ivana took the former half-glass partition to the ceiling to fully enclose the main bedroom on the upper left, adding privacy while keeping the sightlines open and the natural light shared between spaces.
A half-glass partition gives an open and airy feel to the home office on the upper right, which also overlooks the bottom level guest bedroom on the other side.
Ivana used Houzz Pro business software to show Ross products for his approval, guide the style direction and manage the project. “The shopping lists Ivana created using Houzz Pro meant I could see exactly what was being proposed,” Ross says. “Being able to approve or decline each item at the click of a button saved me so much time and meant I could better visualise how it would all come together.”
Find and contact an interior designer in your area through Houzz.
Before Photo
A portion of the former kitchen sat under the mezzanine, giving it a closed-in feel.
Ivana moved the cabinet layout forwards and behind it created a utility room with a washing machine and dryer and extra storage. A wall of cabinets, ovens and an integrated fridge-freezer now give a clean look to the cabinet layout.
Watch now: See how this home renovation came together
Watch now: See how this home renovation came together
Lower cabinets now extend the width of the space, leaving the wall above open to accentuate the height of the room and display artwork. “Visually it looks less, but the storage created was more,” Ivana says.
Before Photo
The former space featured some original elements worth preserving, including the glazed brick tiles, but Ivana and Ross wanted to boost the overall design.
Neutral grey and wood furnishings lean towards the Japandi style the homeowner wanted. Black details add touches of drama and contrast. New wood flooring in a herringbone pattern introduces a traditional element.
The lower-level guest bedroom features more wood acoustic panels and large framed artwork from the homeowner’s extensive collection. The home office is visible on the mezzanine.
On the opposite side of the guest bedroom is a bookcase that extends from the floor to the soaring double-height ceiling. A wooden sliding ladder gives access to the top shelves.
Here’s a view from the mezzanine-level home office showing the top of the bookcase in the lower-level guest room.
In the other direction, the home office overlooks the main living space below, divided only by a half wall of glass.
Watch now: Tour this London home on Houzz TV
Watch now: Tour this London home on Houzz TV
Before Photo
In the former layout, half walls of glass and a low balustrade made the bedroom feel a bit too open to other spaces.
Looking from a slightly different angle, the updated bedroom now has a more enclosed feel, with floor-to-ceiling glass separating it from the main living space below and a wall dividing it from the staircase.
The glass wall adds privacy while maintaining visual openness, creating “the effect of separating the room as if you’re in an aquarium”, Ivana says. “So you can see through, but you are divided.”
The glass wall adds privacy while maintaining visual openness, creating “the effect of separating the room as if you’re in an aquarium”, Ivana says. “So you can see through, but you are divided.”
More acoustic panels form the headboard wall in the main bedroom. Pendant lights allow for small floating night tables.
Before Photo
This bathroom was functional but the owner wanted to update the look and feel to fit a more contemporary style that’s easier to clean.
Ivana used large-format tiles in a soft grey to create a streamlined look that’s easy to wipe down. Matt black details add bold touches of contrast. “I’m so happy with the final result,” Ross says. “It’s exactly what I was hoping for.”
Watch now: Tour this London home on Houzz TV
Tell us…
What do you think of Ivana’s redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Watch now: Tour this London home on Houzz TV
Tell us…
What do you think of Ivana’s redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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I wish they would show the two layouts side by side.
Beautiful having nature growing inside. Which type of tree is in the open living space?
Okay Mr. Ross, if you're done with our house, we'd like it back! LOL. What a renovation. It is fabulous. It has to be very nice to come home to all of that! It is an amazing design. Akiva rocked it. The keys, please.