Loft Brussels

Warm, homely interior design for industrial loft in Brussels

The first things that strike you when you walk into this loft in Brussels are its industrial feel and its seemingly endless space. Interior designer Robert Kolenik has created a stunning interplay of sleekly designed, dark elements in a raw environment, generating a warm synergy in a modern interior.

“The key to the interior design for larger homes like this loft in Brussels is to use space effectively. Most standard pieces of furniture are too small and therefore get lost in this kind of environment’, Robert Kolenik explains. ‘To get the whole thing into balance and at the same time to preserve the raw character of the home, I use robust materials that chime with the industrial environment.’

In this cool, modern complex, only the Bulthaup kitchen has been retained. Opposite this, Kolenik has placed a large Minotti corner sofa – a superb piece of modern furniture. The table has a leg fashioned from a tree trunk and features a custom-made blue steel tabletop. Playful Gregg hanging lamps by Foscarini are used to break up the apartment’s hard lines.

All the radiators in the loft in Brussels have been concealed behind elegant windowsills.

For the bathroom, Kolenik has designed a solid wood medicine cabinet. ‘This is a new object for me, and it fits perfectly into this environment because it is both decorative and functional’, the interior designer explains.

Proportions

‘My interior design for the loft in Brussels particularly focuses on the lighting plan’, Kolenik adds. The lighting points that have been installed generate what is known as ‘surface lighting’, which is used to create a more intimate atmosphere. ‘The industrial fittings from Modular chime perfectly with the loft’s robust finish, with its concrete ceiling and supporting beams. In order to emphasise the industrial character of the apartment, I deliberately decided not to conceal the spotlights’ cables and construction.’

There is nothing coincidental about Kolenik’s interior design; all parts of the design have a meaning and a clear relationship to one another. For example, the living room design features a black Planika open fire with a built-in 80-inch television. This sleek design by Boley is a true eye-catcher whose bold lines stand out against the loft’s spaciousness. The wall cabinet positioned alongside it, which is fashioned from blue steel and smoked glass, is also striking. Kolenik deliberately chose to position this decorative piece of furniture so that it ‘floats’ above the floor and to keep it well away from the wall, once again in order to emphasise the spaciousness of the loft in Brussels.

The loft’s contours are created by the walls, which are finished in Tundra stucco. “I have used a 5-layer treatment for this, and the final layer involves the subtle washing in of a metallic coating’, Kolenik explains. ‘This lends a greater depth and dynamism to the stuccowork.’