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Hanging staircase divides spacious New York loft design by DJDS
Brooklyn studio DJDS has redesigned the interior of a loft apartment in Lower Manhattan, using white, black, brass and wood surfaces throughout.
DJDS envisions the single-storey apartment, which measures 3,800 square feet (353-square-metres), to contain an open-plan dining room, living area, and kitchen that take up almost half of the floor area.
![New York City Loft by DJDS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/11/new-york-city-loft-djds_dezeen_2364_col_0-852x454.jpg)
Renderings released ahead of the start of the project show that a central staircase, flanked by thin elements that stretch from the steps to the ceiling, will act as a room divider.
The slender staircase is made of blackened steel, and leads up to a private rooftop, allowing sunlight to pour down through the top doorway into the great room.
"Initially the stair was perceived as a spatial challenge, as the access to the roof had to be quite prominently in the centre of the great room," said DJDS founder Dorothee Junkin.
"Turning the stair into a feature design element, acting as a partial screen between the dining and living area, merged necessity and design and helped to subtly define the large space of the great room."
![New York City Loft by DJDS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/11/new-york-city-loft-djds_dezeen_2364_col_4-852x586.jpg)
The residence was designed for clients who frequently travel between the city and California. "The clients' initial informal brief for the interiors contained a total of four words: 'Open space. Contemporary. Serene'," said Junkin.
A composition of light and dark finishes will be found across the apartment, with a mix of new and old pieces also providing juxtaposition.
![New York City Loft by DJDS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/11/new-york-city-loft-djds_dezeen_2364_col_1-852x852.jpg)
Walls will be kept white, while wood, stone, and metal surfaces are used as accents.
Floors are shown covered in wide European oak planks that have been cerused (or limed) – a process in which the porous parts of the wood are filled with a light paste. Light-hued silk rugs blend in with the floors.
An original beam will be covered in a distressed wood finish, and deep window sills coloured similarly match the loft's dark window encasements.
![New York City Loft by DJDS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/11/new-york-city-loft-djds_dezeen_2364_col_5-852x688.jpg)
Marble will also form a key material. The "unique veining of a feature stone" will be applied to the monochrome coffee tables, large dining table and kitchen backsplash.
The New York apartment will also include three bedrooms, each with its own en-suite, and a powder room.
"In the master bathroom, a composition of book-matched white and black marble slabs creates a feature backdrop for a freestanding sculptural soaking tub carved from a solid block of marble," said the interior designer.
![New York City Loft by DJDS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/11/new-york-city-loft-djds_dezeen_2364_col_3-852x454.jpg)
Warm brass breaks up the design and adds warmth to the space. Metallic pieces include light fixtures, barstools, vases and other decorative elements.
Junkin is a trained architect who first practised at Foster + Partners in London, before relocating to New York City and setting up her own interior design firm in 2012.
Renderings are by Lunas Visualization.