Laura Schwartz Muller’s design of a studio space at Met Lofts is modern urban apartment living at its best. Last year Laura designed a penthouse loft at 1600 Vine, also in collaboration with Dwell on Design.  Met Lofts also happens to be  is owned by Klein Financial -the same company that owns 1600 Vine.  Even though the studio’s size pales in comparison to the 3 bedroom 2 story loft she designed last year for 1600 Vine (it had towering 2-story windows that ran the perimeter of the living room) , the studio makes up for it’s lack of size with high end furnishings, furniture that is custom built for the space, and a fantastic selection of art.  In fact, I prefer the studio’s smaller space as it makes for a more intimate setting, and I’m all about feeling cozy when at home.

Urban Apartment Living

The Living Space

The living room sits on the opposite end of the entrance, and one must traverse through the walkway that divides the kitchen and dining area.   In the living room, soothing shades of off white and taupe complement the exposed concrete walls with a little hint of color sprinkled throughout, and filtered light pours in through the almost floor to ceiling windows. The space is understated yet sophisticated.

Behind the sofa and suspended by an iron rod drilled into the concrete wall is a work of ceramic and twine art curated by MaryLinda Moss of Designer’s Fine Art Resource that I happen to LOVE.  If I could find a way to bring it into my own home, believe me – I would.  The ceramic pieces resemble calamari rings that are connected with twine and rest on the iron rod for balance.  The piece has an artisanal feel and looks like a sophisticated interpretation of the macramé trend that we’ve been seeing a lot of lately in home decor.

On the opposite wall is a custom unit in that was designed by Laura Schwartz-Muller and constructed by the team at Four Point Design+Construction, the design/build firm that Laura runs with her husband, Cliff Muller. A flat screen TV is mounted onto the wall of the custom wall unit and can swivel around so that it can be comfortably watched from almost any angle in the apartment.

Next to the TV and included in the custom unit is an undulating wall that the folks at Four Point Design+Construction painstakingly crafted from wood.  What appears to be a wall, really isn’t.  They are doors that when opened, reveal…

Watch the video below to see what is behind the cabinet doors.

Concealed behind the doors is a murphy bed, which can easily be pulled out when it is time for bed, without too much effort. The custom murphy bed makes the most of urban apartment living and is stylish when either up or down.

The Dining Area

On the dining room wall  is an abstract painting that pops against the all white walls and furniture.  The bookcase to the left is perfectly styled with a medley of prints in colors that work back with the painting that holds court on the center of the wall. The custom chandelier that hovers over the dining table is made by ADG Lighting.

The Kitchen

The kitchen provides indirect light with  “up lighting” that illuminates the ceiling and the area above the wall cabinets.  On the backsplash, which spans the height between the top of the counter and the bottom of the wall cabinet, is a white penny tile with contrasting dove grey grout. It has a modern,  youthful and less serious personality than the living room that resides next to it.

The electrical outlets and switch plates are all Adorne by Legrand, a company I will be writing about in more detail in the months to come.  Perhaps the youthful vibe in this room can be attributed to the system that is peeking out from under the cabinet.   The under cabinet lighting system, digital music speaker and phone/tablet charging stations, are also from Adorne by Legrand.  With this under cabinet solution, the electronic devices are kept off the counter, eliminating  cords and clutter, while also providing necessary light.

The Bath

The bathroom – clean and simple with a hint of blush in the color of the shower curtains.

And below is the woman herself, Laura Schwartz Muller.  Never before has urban apartment living been so chic!

Today’s post concludes my tour of the spaces at Met Lofts.  If you didn’t have a chance to see the previous two, definitely go back and take a look.  All three designers have distinct styles and even though they approach each project differently, all three are successful.  I hope you enjoyed getting to know the work of these three exemplary designers through my lens.  The three apartments featured in the Met Lofts series will be featured in the November issue of Dwell Magazine,  –  you all got a sneak peek!

This week is a busy one – I will be going on a couple of field trips – one of which is  with Sunset Magazine to preview their LA Idea House before it opens to the public in August.  The LA design scene has earned a global reputation for innovation in recent years, and the beachside location of this year’s LA Idea House will certainly exemplify the modern beach home lifestyle coupled with innovation.  I’m excited! As always, I’ll be sharing my observations here on the blog, so stay tuned!