Millwork Box Creates Cozy Sleeping Nook Within Toronto Loft

StudioAC’s Broadview Loft project came at the behest of a young professional who was looking for something “that was equally fun, functional and unique” for his open-concept loft.

The result is this cozy millwork box that balances the open living area with a partitioned sleeping space within, partitioned with a Moroccan-style archway. Note that the sleeping nook is slightly elevated, which is intended to create a sense of separation from the rest of the loft area and create a transition from one space to the other.

A set of white curtains allow the sleeping nook to be opened up when necessary, or closed off with a set of curtains. The curtains also conceal a small storage space located off to the right.

The sleeping nook creates an L-shaped space that wraps around the private areas, surrounded by the loft’s open-concept living room/kitchen.

Within the box, the interior finish alternates between stark white walls and honey-hued plywood on the wall opposite the doorway. The intent is to create a space that is simultaneously crisp and clean while also invoking a feeling of inviting warmth.

The view of the living room area from within the sleeping nook, accentuating how privacy is achieved within the midst of the wide-open loft space without compromising the open concept.

“The curtain track is the same arch in plan as the other [in the box] is in elevation,” StudioAC partner Andrew Hill explained to Dezeen. “This subtle cuing ties the two elements together, one hard and stationary, the other light and dynamic.”

The concept effectively separates the sleeping nook from the adjacent kitchen, carving out the feeling of a separate room while maintaining a sense of openness within the relatively small area. The designers decided to paint the back wall of the kitchen black in order to contrast with the white-painted brick walls. “The back wall of the kitchen was refinished in black to have it receded from the objectified elements of the island and the bed box,” Hill told Dezeen. “This simple contrast allows both pieces to pop visually and provide some relief within a predominantly ‘white’ design.”

The placement of the box creates a storage area to the right, which can also be hidden from view using the same curtain-track system suspended from the ceiling.

A slender doorway at the right front of the sleeping nook leads to a walk-in closet adjacent to the storage area.

Creating a private space within an open-concept loft, StudioAC’s millwork box is an elegant solution to making the most of the small floor space within this Toronto loft.