Ford Loft by Folk Studio
Ford Loft by Folk Studio is a textured and cosy loft apartment in Sydney’s Surry Hills, inspired by effortlessly chic NYC apartments.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Jacqui Turk
A floor lamp from Lana Launay sits in the pastel hued living space.
Vase by Bianca Pintan and blush pink sofa by Crafted.
A vintage Turkish checkered rug anchors the space in the living room.
‘Each item you specify and design [in a small space] is on display, it means you can have so much fun curating products, art, lighting and furniture and making a space feel layered,’ says Mariah Burton, Folk Studio director.
A marble extension levers off the kitchen island to create seating for dining.
Custom designed joinery features throughout the apartment.
‘We wanted to maximise the joinery and storage within the home, which was difficult to do in smaller space.’
“Honouring the apartment’s traditional and raw elements, we emphasised its original character and enriched the space with a diverse selection of stones, linens, artworks and sculptural lighting.”
Earthy tones have beed applied throughout the spaces.
The interior honours the original character and history of the building.
Set within a repurposed luggage factory, Ford Loft had the perfect industrial foundations for an interior reimagining to bring the apartment back to life. Folk Studio drew on the chic and effortless style of NYC warehouse apartments as inspiration for the redesign.
As the bones of the 119-square-metre apartment were incredibly solid, Folk Studio director, Mariah Burton, shifted her focus away from the structural foundations and worked on the materiality throughout, carefully selecting furniture, a pastel hued earthy colour palette and an array of styling pieces from Australian makers to transform the spaces.
‘Collaborating closely with our client, our objective was to craft a residence that exuded a sense of depth and effortless curation. Each furniture and decor piece was carefully chosen to stand as a unique work of art in its own right, contributing to the overall ambience of the space,’ shares Mariah.
High on the priority list during the design stage was to zone the internal spaces within the small floorpan, creating less dead space within the living and dining area, ‘This made space planning and specifying items difficult as we had to ensure each item served a purpose, looked great and fit in these space. We also wanted to maximise the joinery and storage within the home, which was difficult to do in smaller space,’ says Mariah.
Honouring the apartment's traditional and raw elements, Folk Studio emphasised its original character by enriching the space with a diverse selection of stones, linens, artwork, and sculptural lighting.
‘Our client had so amazing references from international interiors, mostly New York. We looked at some of the homes that grace Architectural Digest and the layering and juxtaposition in materials, patterns and colours. We wanted to design a space that felt completely different to what you may find in a Sydney loft apartment and introduce some of these elements into the inner city Sydney loft—we wanted our client to finally feel at home and house proud, something she was yet to feel in this space since moving in,’ says Mariah.
The colour palette initially drew inspiration from the Crafted blush pink sofa, ‘We wanted to move tonally from this, which lead is to designing the incredible Kalamata Laminex joinery throughout the loft. Pulling from this deep maroon, we introduced an array of viola marble and the red vintage Turkish checked rug,’ shares Mariah. With reds, maroons and pinks as a base, Folk Studio were able to play with unlikely colour synergies, injecting blue, khaki green and mustard accents into the interior.
‘In the bedroom, we continued to work with tones of maroon while incorporating clay, brown, and lilac hues. By layering these serene colours, we aimed to create a cocoon-like effect, crafting a bedroom that invites relaxation and unwinding,’ adds Mariah.
The end result is a cosy and elevated interior full of vibrant tones, where the owner can escape from the bustle of the inner-city and feel totally at ease.
The bedroom has cocoon-like effect—a space to relax and unwind.
Textural finished and organic forms in the earthy toned main bedroom.
Viola marble features against white tiling with a dark grout in the bathroom.