Ten Industrial Yet Inviting Homes In Converted Warehouses

Source: Dezeen, Amy Peacock
Photo: Converted Warehouse

For our latest lookbook, we’ve selected 10 warehouse conversions that have transformed industrial buildings into welcoming homes with charm and character.

Built for storing large amounts of manufactured goods, warehouses have practical designs characterised by exposed structures and unfinished surfaces, including exposed brickwork, revealed joists, concrete floors, steel window frames and uncovered pipework.

Their interiors are often considered cold and uninviting, but their high ceilings and large open-plan layouts make warehouses ideal for family homes and hybrid work and living spaces.

Below, Dezeen has rounded up 10 examples of converted warehouse interiors that celebrate industrial details and introduce elements that turn the space into a warm and inviting home.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with cleverly disguised wardrobes, neutral living rooms with warm tones that create a sense of cosiness and Victorian and Georgian homes with contemporary living rooms.

Earthrise Studio by Studio McW
Photo is by Lorenzo Zandri
Earthrise Studio, UK, by Studio McW

Architecture practice Studio McW aimed to enhance the building’s original features when converting this 1924 warehouse in London into a home office and living space.

Industrial elements such as steel windows, brickwork and exposed concrete beams were contrasted with softer textures introduced to the space, including timber floorboards and clay wall finishes.

Studio Andrew Trotter design event space and penthouse inside Athens’ 10AM Lofts
Photo is by Salva Lopez
10AM Lofts, Greece, by Studio Andrew Trotter, Gavalas Ioannidou Architecture and Eva Papadaki

This former warehouse in Athens was transformed into a penthouse and multi-purpose event space by Spanish design practice Studio Andrew Trotter and local studios Gavalas Ioannidou Architecture and Eva Papadaki.

The 1970s building was stripped back to reveal its concrete structure. The addition of new windows and white-painted walls lightened the interior, and vintage furnishings were used to soften the project’s industrial appearance.

Redfern Warehouse by Ian Moor Architects
Photo is by Rory Gardiner
Redfern Warehouse, Australia, by Ian Moore Architects

For this warehouse conversion in Sydney, local firm Ian Moore Architects stripped back the original structure and extended the building with contemporary elements indicative of its industrial past.

In the large open-plan kitchen and dining area, glass louvres and windows in metal frames extend to the roof’s ridge and overlook an internal courtyard.

Defoe Road by Paper House Project
Photo is by Rory Gardiner
Defoe Road, UK, by James Davies

James Davies, founder of London architecture studio Paper House Project, was informed by the Albert Docks in Liverpool and the Tate Modern gallery’s Turbine Hall when transforming this Hackney warehouse into his own two-bedroom home.

Windows and skylights were added to flood double-height living spaces with natural light. Davies worked closely with an engineer to minimise the amount of visible structure in the open-plan interior, achieving a clean, minimalist design.

Living space in St John Street warehouse apartment by Emil Eve Architects
Photo is by Mariell Lind Hansen
St John Street, UK, by Emil Eve Architects

Oak joinery, glazed tiles and terrazzo flooring add warmth and colour to this converted warehouse apartment in London, designed by architecture studio Emil Eve Architects.

Original concrete columns were used to zone the open-plan lounge space, dining area and kitchen, while partition walls with built-in storage were introduced to separate the other rooms in the long, narrow apartment.

Dirk and the chocolate Factory by Anna & Eugeni Bach
Photo is by Eugeni Bach
Dirk and the Chocolate Factory, Spain, by Anna and Eugeni Bach

Architecture studio Anna and Eugeni Bach designed exposed green-painted metal beams to support the original structure of this former chocolate factory and warehouse.

The studio converted the 19th-century warehouse into a family home and studio apartment that showcases the building’s natural materials and distinctive construction, including Catalan brick vaults and wooden framework ceilings.

Canal house in Amsterdam by Thomas Geerlings of Framework Studio
Photo is by Kasia Gatkowska
Canal House, the Netherlands, by Thomas Geerlings

Thomas Geerlings, creative director of design studio Framework, transformed a disused 19th-century warehouse into a family home with oak floorboards and walls rendered in concrete stucco.

Although most of the interior of the Dutch house had to be stripped away, Geerlings retained a structural partition on the first floor, which now divides two seating areas used for dining and as a workspace.

Avenue Road warehouse conversion by Clancy Moore Architects entrance
Photo is by Fionn McCann
Avenue Road Warehouse, Ireland, by Clancy Moore Architects

Local practice Clancy Moore Architects converted this Dublin warehouse into a home and studio by organising intimate, cosy spaces around a double-height atrium.

Flashes of colour add warmth and character to the otherwise stark white interior, including green doors and black kitchen cabinets.

Residence HM by Lim + Lu
Photo is by Nirut Benjabanpot
Residence HM, China, by Lim + Lu

Sliding steel partitions and bright red pipes distinguish this loft apartment in Hong Kong, which was converted from a former printing press by design studio Lim + Lu.

Informed by New York-style lofts and industrial buildings in the surrounding area, Lim + Lu emphasised the warehouse aesthetic with industrial-style furniture, black kitchen cabinets and concrete tiles in the bathrooms.

Warehouse conversion by Feix + Merlin
Photo is by Jim Stephenson
Hope Wharf, UK, by Feix & Merlin

Located within an old grain store, London studio Feix & Merlin renovated this warehouse apartment by lowering the floor level and opening up the ceiling to create and double-height kitchen space and mezzanine level.

The studio designed industrial-style detailing in keeping with the warehouse’s history, including steel and glass balustrades and a concrete breakfast bar.

https://www.dezeen.com/2022/11/12/converted-warehouses-industrial-home-interiors-lookbooks