HARRISON & VALE

Project 01

Mercer StreetLoft

Location
SoHo
Type
Residential
Year
2024
Size
4,200 sq ft
Open loft with arched windows, two dark cast-iron columns, a low cream sofa on a jute rug, and an oak kitchen with a travertine island beyond

A full floor in an 1880s cast-iron building, opened from end to end. The columns stayed exactly where they were, and every new decision was made to sit quietly beside them.

The family wanted room to spread out without losing the sense of rooms. We used furniture, ceiling height, and a single freestanding kitchen to divide a 4,200 sq ft floor without a new partition.

Loft living area with tall arched windows, cast-iron columns, a low cream sofa, and a travertine coffee table on oak floors
Fluted cast-iron column with worn dark paint beside oak cabinetry and a travertine counter

Cast iron

Each column was stripped by hand, never sandblasted, then waxed. The old paint, the foundry marks, and the dents from a century of freight are all still there.

Curved plaster staircase with a carved oak handrail, light falling across the wall

One floor,no corridors.

The stair

A curved stair in smooth plaster rises to the mezzanine, with a handrail carved from a single run of oak. Light from the north windows slides along its wall all morning.

Material samples of travertine, honed limestone, oak, boucle, and aged brass on a plaster table
Linen lounge chair beside oak shelving and a tall steel-framed window with a water tower outside

Materials

Travertine, honed limestone, oak, bouclé, and aged brass were chosen together at the start. The reading corner shows them at rest: a linen chair, oak shelves, and a stone side table by the window.

Long view of the loft with arched windows, a cream sofa, and cast-iron columns in morning light

The sitting room

The one enclosed room on the floor. A marble fireplace, built-in oak shelving, and a deep cream sofa make it the quiet end of an otherwise open plan.

Townhouse sitting room with an oak coffee table, cream sofa, marble fireplace, and built-in oak shelving

Plan, fourth floor

KITCHENLIVINGSTAIR

Northern light

Windows face north and south, so light is soft in the morning and long in the evening. Walls are a limewash that shifts from warm to cool across the day.