Pioneer Square Loft in Seattle, USA by Le Whit

Designed by Corey Kingston of Le Whit, Pioneer Square Loft in downtown Seattle is an exercise in contrasts, combatting the client’s ephemeral industry with timeless design. The client, a Seattle native tech CEO based in New York, wanted the 79sqm space to act as a getaway sanctuary as well as an incubator for personal projects. Le Whit maintained maximum open space so the loft can morph to accommodate creative processes and elicit a sense of clarity and calm.

The bathroom is the real star of the show, so we’ll start there. In order to maintain an open plan, space is divided into four compartments that wrap around the living space. A washroom, shower, toilet, and sauna – yes, a sauna – are housed in an L-shaped white wooden box that fits neatly into a corner. The bedroom is located on a mezzanine above, accessed via a built-in ladder. Contrasting the brightness of the outer palette, the bathroom floors are tiled with black cement and clad in charred timber using the traditional Japanese technique Shou Sugi Ban, which makes the material resistant to fire and mould.

As is common in Pioneer Square, one of Seattle’s oldest neighbourhoods, the building is historic with a modern interior. Le Whit cleared the space of previous renovations, stripping back to the original exposed brick and removing a sheetrock ceiling to reveal dark wooden beams. The interiors were blanketed in a light, bright palette, whitewashing the brick and using white subway tiles and cabinetry for the kitchen. An inset hickory cutting board on the countertop matches the custom dining table, which is essentially the only furniture besides a low two-seater sofa and armchair.

For a tech CEO whose life is often dominated by the chaotic cyber world, the design of the loft is “meant to knock him into the physical.” Le Whit layered auditory, tactile materials to turn the loft into an “experience,” beyond just a humble abode. The drapery over the frosted glass bathroom doors is for privacy, but also for the sound of fabric moving across a track. Transition to the bathroom is marked by an offset tile and a four-inch step, altering the ground plane. The size of the doors and their handles are exaggerated in order to honour “the simple act of opening.” It’s all very Meta. But if it looks, sounds, and feels good, we’re not complaining.