An industrial apartment renovation

IMAGES Johan Sellen  

For city dwellers this home can be considered the modernists dream, “a punk rock interior with a decadent attitude” which are the words of Swedish architect Johan Israelson upon his exceedingly profligate design and renovation of the ex-goldsmith workshop turned raw, industrial apartment that surpasses expectations.
Tony and Asa Lofling purchased the dwelling in 1999 to open a jewellery store on the street level of the property. Whilst still owning the old goldsmiths workshop, the family lived a short 300 metres away from the building up until their children grew and left the family nest.

It wasn’t until two years ago when Tony and Asa decided to move back to the goldsmith’s domicile turned jewellery shop, with the definite decision to create the abode, and exhibit a functional family home that now lies in all its exceptional glory. 
Tony turned to his cousin, renowned architect Johan Israelson to create somewhere where he and his wife could relax and unwind. The reconstruction process took around one year, and for the Lofling family it was worth the wait. Israelson admits “when I first got there it was still a goldsmith shop, a little cramped and dark. I knew immediately that I wanted to open the surfaces, making it brighter and have the ability to work with extremely easy materials… I always follow my impulses”.

Upon delving into the layout of the house, it can be described as edgy yet full of homeliness, desire, and love. The carpeted wooden floors are bleached with lye and then såpade, and the choice of door sections and elements are painted with anti-rust paint to get the right feeling of a raw edge. In addition, most of the fittings and furniture are designed for the house by Israelson. Both the kitchen countertops and massive disc to the heavy dining table are cast in place – making it an intimate and scalable space to cook and entertain. 
Steel and wood are key elements in the home. Ultimately, focus is drawn to the sliding doors, glass partitions, and dining room table combined with the bespoke raw interior design that is more than meets the eye through every nook and cranny of the house. 
Tony and his wife admit, “It has a warm feeling in here, even though he has used mostly raw and durable materials, I think it depends a lot on that he has made the social surfaces and areas in the kitchen and living room so large” says Tony.

The pair moved into the space in March, and felt they did not want to go away on holiday. “We just wanted to be here” admits Tony. Now looking forward to the first winter when it gets dark and they get to light the stove, the home has a vibe of good energy, and plenty of history. 
A combination of perfection in architecture, industrial functionality and modern aesthetics has come together to perfectly please the eye and leave no part of the home untouched. A renovation that lives up to it's name is a treat for this Swedish family, hoping to “be here till the day we die” says Asa. 

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This article featured on page 76 in Issue 022 of Renovate Magazine. Renovate Magazine is an easy to use resource providing fresh inspiration and motivation at every turn of the page. This is not a Refresh Renovations case study. 

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