A home that fits.
The open plan style and charm of warehouse living can be very attractive, but despite the character and appeal of loft windows and tall ceilings, former factories and storage facilities present plenty of challenges for modern living, particularly when introducing new and little members of the family. Nic Gutierrez, director at Field Office Architecture, transformed his warehouse apartment into a family home, making the most of the unique space, spectacular ceiling heights and the idiosyncratic features of the original building.
It’s not as if Nic Gutierrez’s Tanner Street warehouse apartment lacked for space or room, but the 1990’s renovation – as it was purchased - needed a more appropriate and contemporary interpretation for a new family, if not to update the interiors from a decade known for of curves and post-modern addenda.
“There was this big undulating plasterboard wall, which was really sculptural and had its thing,” kindly remembers Gutierrez, “but behind the curves, it was all just wasted space.”
The new Tanner Street did away with the dated, bold, curved wall and introduced a more considerate approach to family living that complemented the detail and quirks of the warehouse. Whereas beforehand, the space was completely open save for two doors, a sense of practicality had to reign, to give the home purpose, utility and privacy where necessary. Gutierrez and his Field Office practice brought pragmatism, but also the studio’s restrained tactile approach and details that reward close attention.
“One of the main design interventions was the big joinery unit that cuts into that curved wall and extends along that space and sort of ties it all together. And then the material of it, the place has really strong exposed brick, and exposed steel beams and plumbing and fire sprinkler pipes.”
The big joinery unit Gutierrez is talking about is the Laminex Kalamata cabinetry that divides the living room and kitchen. The deep, bold and blackened red works both as highlight and as partner to the brick and exposed plumbing running throughout, making a grand statement as it goes.
“We needed something with a bit of strength to it and the [Laminex] Kalamata – the richness of it – just tied in really well and resonated with us.
At one end, the slab-sided cabinetry acts as entry to the textural and tactile kitchen. Smoked mirror, marble and blackened joinery just another way this home keeps things interesting, consistent and balanced.
Hidden at the opposite end is a desk and study nook featuring Laminex Kalamata again, giving the deep, rich red a kind of clean, mid-century feel and another example of the firm’s desire to create spaces that feel connected and personal.
Of course, being a true warehouse apartment, the ceilings are an extraordinary 4 metres high, and in response to both that expansive area and the new addition to their family, Gutierrez set about turning Tanner Street into the home we see here.
“We had a little one in mind for sure,” recalls Gutierrez, “and we designed to try and suit that; lots of storage, lots of keeping things open, just trying to make as much space as we could.”
Gutierrez and his partner, an interior designer, initially moved in before the renovation allowing them to understand the shortcomings and peculiarities of such a space.
“We were always talking about the design, and I was tinkering away in the background. The big challenge was about fitting into the strong bones that the apartment has and not trying to work the slate clean, but work with those strong features, and having lived there for a while, what we wanted was pretty obvious.”
Utilising the considerable volume of the space the young family built full height robes and a mezzanine, that could in time could become their young son’s bed, but for now, the raised floor liberates space and creates vast storage.
Tanner Street is a bit of a dream home, capturing the essence of warehouse living, the fun and joy such spaces elicit, but also delivers on Field Office’s philosophy of making life feel better, not busier. This is a calm place, one that responds to site and, of course, it’s tenants.
“As soon as we moved in, it was like a beautifully tailored suit,” remembers Gutierrez.
That it fits is probably of no surprise for an architect and interior designer, but the importance of fit and connection is one we should all strive for. Whether through colour, material or personal and intimate responses, a home that fits is a home that works. Full of expression with everyday practicality, Tanner Street is the perfect blend of amenity and design, ready to stand the test of time on both counts.
Credits:
Architecture & Design: Field Office Architecture
Photography: Pier Carthew
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