Case study

Industrial Grace in Tribeca, New York

Designed by Studio Officina

In a quiet pocket of Tribeca, where the echoes of the neighbourhood’s industrial past still hum through cast-iron facades and timber-beamed lofts, one apartment tells a story of both preservation and reinvention. The building itself is a curious architectural patchwork – four historic structures linked together by artists in the 1960s, resulting in apartments of idiosyncratic shape and charm. Reimagined by Studio Officina, the 1,600-square-foot loft combines a generous, open-plan living space with a long, narrow corridor leading to the bathroom – an unusual layout that perfectly reflects the building’s artistic origins.

When the owner discovered the apartment, it had been left virtually untouched for decades. Its cast-iron columns, timber beams, painted white floors and large industrial skylights all remained intact. The design team’s challenge was to preserve the loft’s raw, industrial beauty while reworking it as a comfortable home. New windows, air conditioning, and electrical systems were introduced to meet modern standards, but every intervention was handled with restraint.

The result is a home that feels cohesive and timeless, avoiding trends in favour of materials and details that speak to the loft’s original character. This dialogue between the historic and the personal is most evident in the bathrooms, where Drummonds’ fittings anchor the spaces with classical proportion and enduring craftsmanship.

The main bathroom, once little more than a bare concrete cell, has been transformed into a deeply personal retreat. Painted white timber flooring brings cohesion and a sense of calm continuity, while new baseboards and beadboard wainscoting introduce architectural rhythm.

Walls and ceilings are finished in a soft pink waterproof plaster, adding depth and warmth. Within the shower, a handmade tile mural by South African studio VLVLK provides a joyful surprise – a hidden artwork that feels entirely in keeping with the home’s eclectic, lived-in spirit.

At the room’s centre sits a vintage copper bath, lovingly kept from the client’s mother’s home and finally given pride of place. Around it, antique furnishings, a chandelier and a softly draped curtain enclosing the WC lend intimacy and individuality. Drummonds’ fittings in unlacquered brass add a subtle glow that complements the warm palette and the natural patina of the copper.

The powder room, by contrast, channels a touch of playful English eccentricity. Schumacher’s floral wallpaper sets a joyful tone, offset by a bright yellow vintage mirror and a small portrait that once hung in the client’s mother’s home. The focal point is Drummonds’ Syre vanity basin. “The Syre hand basin is possibly the most beautiful plumbing fixture I have ever seen,” says Studio Officina. “I would install one in every powder room if I could.”

Throughout, craftsmanship and continuity are key. Painted wood floors run underfoot, baseboards and casings echo traditional millwork, and the palette of soft whites, warm brass and faded colour gives the loft a gentle sense of nostalgia. The kitchen, by DeVOL, reinforces the English sensibility, its handmade cabinetry complementing the rest of the space.

“The quality and design details of Drummonds are exceptional,” Studio Officina notes. “The charm of all the fixtures, and the help we received from the team – especially Boutayna at the Manhattan store – made the experience such a pleasure.”

The resulting home captures something rare: a dialogue between industrial and decorative, old and new, New York and England. What was once a raw artist’s studio is now a home layered with memory, craft and grace – a modern loft with the soul of another era, where every object tells a story and every finish has been chosen to last.

General contractor: Sync Construction

Photographer: Hanna Grankvist

Architect: Studio Officina

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