An industrial-style apartment with a dark and moody monochrome palette

A Cape Town apartment in need of a complete overhaul was the perfect creative project for an interior designer to work her monochromatic magic.

Who lives here: Kim Smith, an interior designer and the director of furniture and homewares store Weylandts.Style of home: A one-bedroom loft apartment in Cape Town, South Africa received an industrial-style reno.Timeline: Kim bought the apartment in early 2017. The project started in May 2017 and all major changes were completed by August that year.Budget: The cost of the reno was almost half of the purchase price due to essential electrical and plumbing work.

Living area A Vintage Reloaded rug, Marconi sofa and Michael tables from Weylandts make this open space feel inviting. “I selected comfortable, beautiful pieces that don’t overpower the space, but work well in terms of materiality and proportion,” says homeowner Kim Smith.What’s on your bucket list? Ask most people and they’ll say they want to try skydiving,or take a year off to travel. But if you ask Kim Smith, an interior designer and the director of South African furniture and homewares store Weylandts, her answer reveals a loftier ambition, literally.

Living area The apartment’s brick walls are painted in Plascon ‘Aniseed’, while concrete tiles complete the grey canvas. Drama is provided by ceiling-high steel beams and open shelving. Kim didn’t put a TV on this floor “because this area is for listening to music, talking and unwinding”.In early 2017, she set her sights on transforming a top-floor apartment in one of Cape Town’s most sought-after districts. “I was looking for a personal creative project, and an inner-city loft has always been on my bucket list,” says Kim. So she went on the hunt for a renovation-ready space.

Dining area Kim sits at the Gamma table and Swing chairs from her store Weylandts.When she first saw the apartment, she was won over by its proximity to the city’s most popular cafes and boutiques and its panoramic view of the nearby skyline-grazing mountains. The buzzing location and that breathtaking backdrop became a source of inspiration during the project, but first, Kim needed to make the loft, which is split over three levels at the top of a 10-storey building, more practical to live in.

Balcony “I love sitting on the balcony with the olive trees and jasmine creeper,” says Kim. The green stools are ceramic. Rather than crowding the balcony with a table and chairs set, built-in benches provide ample room for Kim and her guests to enjoy drinks al fresco with a front-row view of the city skyline.”I completely gutted the place and sorted out all the levels to make it more user-friendly,” says Kim. “Most of my changes were quite extreme because the previous owners had made some alarming cosmetic additions. I stripped it back to its original form, then added materials that complement the space.”

Kitchen The honed granite island is an ideal size for entertaining, while the pendants and bar stools are from Weylandts. Kim chose the Beautiful Imperfection linen artwork to contrast the grey walls.This involved reconfiguring and simplifying the floorplan so each room flows into the next, installing a new kitchen and bathroom, and extending the mezzanine above the bedroom to serve as an intimate sitting area.

Kitchen The trio of industrial-style pendants add a warehouse aesthetic to the home.With years of interior design experience, Kim had a very clear vision of how her apartment should feel. “I wanted to create a cocoon; private, peaceful and unexpected.” To achieve this, solid walls were installed to replace the old tin sheets that had previously separated the living zones. Cosy nooks were also created with the help of carefully placed furniture to nurture this sense of privacy.

MezzanineThe loft’s top level is made for relaxing. Under the Eames armchair is an Inguni cowhide from Weylandts and stained timber floors.With the layout complete, Kim turned her focus to the colour scheme. Dark stained oak floors, granite benches and cement tiles blend in with the exposed steel structure, and the grey walls create a “moodier, edgier look,” says Kim. “I wanted this space to reflect and play off the location. It’s masculine, bold and simple with an emphasis on great design and comfort.”

Bathroom The bathroom was transformed during the reno. Kim opted for a natural cement palette and had an oversized shower installed. Kim’s penchant for open shelving extends to this space while the hanging plants lend a tropical feel.On paper, the industrial surfaces and neutral palette might seem monastic. But with Kim’s skilfully honed sensitivity to colour, texture and light, her apartment is the epitome of urban sophistication. Take, for example, how the grey palette in the open-plan kitchen and living area beautifully balances the natural light that streams through the balcony’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

Mezzanine Kim mixes items she has collected over time with furniture from Weylandtsand locally sourced art. “This apartment definitely has an African heartbeat.””I was very cognisant of the environment and how the interior relates to the exterior, so I opted to use the dark to soften the brightness of the outdoors,” says Kim. And to temper all those heavy, hard-wearing materials, sensual textiles, warm rugs and an abundance of indoor plants decorate every room, which Kim says is essential for adding life to the loft’s masculine architectural style.

Bedroom and mezzanine The side tables and lamps were sourced from Weylandts. A metal wall separating the bedroom and bathroom speaks to the industrial decor, while woven baskets add natural texture.Objects and artworks collected locally and while travelling are displayed in vignettes to enhance the nocturnal colour scheme without overwhelming it. “Often, people put everything they like into one project and the result is schizophrenic,” says Kim.

Bedroom The monochrome scheme continues in Kim’s bedroom, as does the and sense of spaciousness thanks to big sliding doors and skylights. She isn’t a fan of built-in closets so she had the steel and wood shelf custom made. Her bed was also made locally.Speaking of proportion, size was another factor to consider during the redesign. Large rugs and sofas create more intimate zones within the living spaces, while comfy armchairs in unused corners provide spots to curl up and read a book.

Details A mix of textures in furniture and styling choices warm up the dark and moody palette.So, how does she feel having ticked this renovation project off her bucket list? “I have no regrets. I love being able to make a place your own,” says Kim. “This is my idea of urban living − a central, stylish and spacious retreat, high above the city.”

Urban oasis Keep industrial interiors more sophisticated than austere with timeless, neutral-toned items. Get the look (clockwise from left) Interior Expressions low-sheen acrylic paint in Moon White, $81.30 for 4L, and Element, $88.60 for 4L, Haymes. Buxton 1 light pendant in Black, $349 for medium, Beacon Lighting. Zimbabwe Bjulawayo Gourd basket, $269 for medium, Bisque Traders. Eames lounge and ottoman in Oiled Santos Palisander and Black Leather, $11,895, Living Edge. Glaze rug in Midnight (2.7m x 1.8m), $6500, Hali. Broste Copenhagen short crackle vase in Thyme, $41, May Time.