Loft Concept November 3, 2007
Posted by grhomeboy in Architecture Cyprus, BooksLife, BooksLife Greek.Tags: Architecture, Books, Cyprus, Moufflon Bookshops, Tectum Publishing
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We first have to face the facts. Nicosia, Limassol or Paphos will never be New York, London, Amsterdam or Paris. But that does not mean that one cannot ape the lifestyle, if anything just to make oneself feel better or simply because it makes sense.
As prices are sky-rocketing even on our own little dry patch, people will inevitably look for innovative solutions to their housing problems. And if you want to stay close to the centre of town, where maybe not all is happening, but at least something more is going on than in the sleepy suburbs, increasingly your sole option will be to go ‘up’.
“So why not a loft?” ask the authors. Why not indeed? “Buying a loft means opting for a form of housing that is full of authentic charm, volume, perspective, light and free space”, they argue, and a quick glance through the magnificent photographs in this volume is persuasion enough.
You may not even have to forego the notion of a garden, they passionately argue, as most lofts have spacious terraces that require far less maintenance than a real garden. If you fancy yourself as a city slicker, you clearly won’t have much gardening time on your hands between working, entertaining and embarking on foreign trips to all the covetable destinations mentioned above.
The only drawback, the Tectum publishing team readily admits, is that lofts are usually located in old industrial or run-down districts that are only just coming back to life. Yes, but that’s why you can afford all that space in the first place, remember?
So back to all that space: it is massive, seamless, exciting to look at. Materials and textures are on a vast scale so they make a huge impact. Clever lighting solutions designate separate areas even when all the rooms run into and out of each other.
Fireplaces, plants, staircases, dining tables, sofas and other furniture take on architectural qualities as they stand alone, statement-like, against vast expanses of white walls and concrete or wooden floors.
Even children’s bedrooms are laid out in the same sparse spirit, and you can just imagine the happy havoc that may be wrought by a three-year-old let loose on a tricycle in a space as generous as this. Ingenious storage solutions, bathrooms and heating systems are also part of the package.
The only thing we might quibble with is the cost. Allegedly in Antwerp, where the publishing company has its headquarters, all these wondrous conversions can be yours, including the fees of a very competent architect, for an average of 600 euros per square metre. Really? So we are living in the wrong place after all.
Loft Concept is published by Tectum and is available from Moufflon Bookshops, Cyprus.
Related Links > http://www.moufflon.com.cy
grhomeboy
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