THE
SPACES
Haus of Seitz
Set within a former Polish babka factory built in 1910, the Williamsburg loft retains the scale and timber structure of its industrial past alongside a series of more intimate domestic spaces.
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The approximately 1,300-square-foot loft occupies two levels of a former factory in Williamsburg. Originally an open space, the renovation introduced a bedroom, sleeping loft, office and expanded kitchen while preserving the building’s exposed timber beams, broad proportions and unusually wide plan.
The interior is organized around the contrast between the original industrial shell and a series of precise architectural interventions. Existing timber beams remain exposed throughout. New walls conceal plumbing, mechanical systems and storage, and frameless doors with concealed hinges sit flush within them. A new staircase connects the two levels, with white oak treads set into aluminum trays and a continuous railing detailed in stainless steel.
The kitchen occupies a generous portion of the main living space and was conceived as part of the architecture rather than a separate room. Dark linoleum cabinetry with smoked oak pulls is paired with stainless steel work surfaces and a limestone backsplash. Full-height storage and integrated appliances keep the profile of the kitchen restrained within the larger open space.
A sleeping loft and compact office introduce smaller spaces within the volume of the apartment. Fluted glass brings light into the sleeping loft without fully exposing it to the surrounding rooms. The same glass appears in interior doors and the bathrooms, establishing a material connection between new elements throughout the home.
Both bathrooms were rebuilt with terrazzo floors, white tile, stainless steel fittings and simple wall-mounted fixtures. Wide-plank white oak flooring runs through the principal living spaces and bedrooms. Beneath it, additional subflooring and acoustic layers were installed, with mineral wool insulation added throughout the walls to improve sound separation within the former factory structure.
Furniture is used sparingly against the architecture and includes pieces from Seitz alongside Swiss and European furnishings collected over time. The open living spaces also serve as a setting for meetings and gatherings, placing the furniture in the same domestic context for which it was conceived.
The renovation treats the existing building as something to work with rather than overwrite. The timber structure, generous width and traces of the factory remain legible, with newer interventions adding privacy, utility and a more intimate scale to the century-old industrial shell.
