LOFTY ambitions
Turning an attic extension into a private sanctuary can create a sense of escape
The scope for experimentation is more limited when it comes to loft extensions, but there are still plenty of alternatives to the standard conversion. This Japanese-inspired rework of an Edwardian terraced home, by architects Szczepaniak Astridge, shows how distinctive details and a minimalist approach can elevate a design to new heights.
The converted loft creates a new bedroom for the owners, architectural photographer Edmund Sumner and his wife, writer and consultant Yuki. The couple wanted to create a space that would feel like a retreat; Yuki recalls a conversation with architect Simon Astridge, in which she described the experience of a tea room in Japan, which is where she is from. ‘You walk through an entrance intentionally made small, to signify that you are leaving behind your normal social status, as well as all your worries, to focus on an intimate conversation with your host,’ she says.
To create a space that offered a similar feeling, Astridge stripped the room down to a series of key elements: a custom-made plywood bed that defines the layout, a wall of windows reminiscent of Shoji screens and a teak bath heated by a wood-burning stove. Other than that the space is largely empty, which enhances the feeling of a sanctuary. Aside from an inconspicuous closet built into the corner wall, clutter is relegated to other parts of the house.
The Japanese influence extends to the materials palette, which combines cork flooring, a folded steel staircase and a clay-mud wall finish by Clayworks. szc-ast.com